PROMINENT Sunday side Kingston Lacy have withdrawn from the Longham Garden Machinery Dorset League due to a lack of players.

Lacy enjoyed a decent Division One campaign last summer and finished third in the top flight.

But the team, which often fielded a star-studded line-up including the likes of Dorset duo Mark House and Simon Watkins, will not feature this term.

Captain James Park, the Bournemouth batsman, said: “We haven’t got enough players. We could not get 11 out every week for the past few seasons.”

Lacy, who play home games at Pamphill Green near Wimborne, still run one Saturday team in the Dorset League, as well as a side in the midweek Wimborne Evening League.

They were scheduled to play against Bournemouth on Sunday, so the reigning champions will have to wait until this weekend to begin their matches.

• Swanage started their campaign with a tied match against St Georges.

Toby Avery, in his first game since rejoining the club, scored an unbeaten 101 as Swanage racked up 210 for four off their 45 overs.

But despite two wickets from Ian Booth, St Georges claimed a share of the points by reaching the same total for the loss of six wickets.

Swanage captain Ron Barker said: “It was a very good game of cricket between two evenly-matched sides.”

• Cranborne recorded a thumping seven-wicket victory over Shillingstone.

Charlie Arnold and Jack Warpole claimed three wickets apiece as Shillingstone were skittled for 81.

And Cranborne made short work of the reply, getting home inside 14 overs thanks to captain Dave Coy (26*).

• Last season’s runners-up Parley wasted no time in opening their account as they secured a 20-run win over Ferndown Wayfarers.

Sam Collins hit a half-century in Parley’s 217 for nine before Ferndown were restricted to 197 for seven.

• Top-flight newcomers Winton (299) made a flying start with a 154-run hammering of Henstridge (145).