WIMBORNE & Colehill got scant reward for their flying start with the bat as Weymouth battled back to edge a nine-run victory at Redlands on Saturday.

The Minstermen, second-bottom of the league standings, were made to bowl first and found wickets hard to come by as opener Jim Ryall (67) was backed up by Dean Janaway (46) and the unbeaten Simon Browne (34*).

But despite being set a target of 207 for four, the visitors rattled their title-chasing hosts as openers Colin Randall (70) and Joe Weld (48) smashed 58 without loss from their first eight overs.

It looked like a shock was on the cards but the balance of power was shifted by a virtuoso performance from home bowler David Trotter (5-17), who claimed Weld’s scalp, dismissed three more Wimborne batsmen for single figures and clean-bowled Simon Woodruff for a duck.

Trotter was ably assisted by Browne who bowled two maidens and conceded a meagre 17 runs from his 10 overs with the ball.

Wimborne captain James Miller (37) battled in vain to turn the tide once more but the game was soon up after he was caught by counterpart Kieron Womble from a Harry Tucker (3-34) delivery.

The marginal verdict had implications at the top end of the table as Weymouth’s 18 league points kept them on the coattails of table-toppers Poole Town, while Wimborne’s haul of nine ensured Miller’s men stayed within striking distance of bottom-half rivals Stalbridge and Swanage.