POOLE Town's Joe Wormington felt his team's opening partnership had proved the key factor in the seven-wicket victory over Swanage at Poole Park.

Swans were dismissed for 141 with skipper Ricky King (55) leading the scoring and vice-captain Ian Booth managing 26 before he was run out.

Opening bowlers Jamie Thomas and Scott Currie were in miserly mood, claiming a victim apiece, while Jean-Piere Cronje took two for 22 and spinner Wormington four for 32.

In reply, Poole openers Badrul Alam (27) and Tom Robinson (41) piled on the runs and skipper Ciaran Quinn did his bit with a contribution of 30.

It was left to Lewis Marais (16) and Currie to finish the job in the 39th over as Poole kept the heat on Dorchester at the Dorset League Premier Division summit.

Wormington told the Daily Echo: "Swanage were weaker than we would usually expect to see them and we chased them down fairly easily.

"Our opening bowlers were fantastic and we fielded quite well. We got a couple of wickets through run-outs and that always helps.

"The straw that broke the camel's back for Swanage was probably our opening partnership – Badrul Alam and Tom Robinson put on 80 or 90-odd and we were never going to lose from there.

"After that, Ciaran Quinn and Lewis Marais did a good job backing them up."

Reflecting generally on Poole's start to the season, Wormington added: "We kicked ourselves about losing to Wimborne at home a few weeks ago – that was a tough one to swallow.

"But other than that we have played pretty well and have beaten Sherborne and Dorchester, two teams near the top of the league, so we know we can beat pretty much anybody."

Elsewhere, Parley lost at Sherborne and Wimborne & Colehill banked a six-wicket win at home to Stalbridge.

Stalbridge suffered an early setback with the bat when Robbie Knight was caught by Frank Turrell off the bowling of Ed Bartlett.

However, they recovered to 71 for two with Stuart Sweatman eventually leaving the crease with 42 runs to his name.

The next two wickets came for the gain of just 26 runs and after Josh York and Lewis Hunt were sent packing, Stalbridge were 120 for six.

Tom Hatcher's 39 helped the cause but after he was caught by Colin Randall, the remaining wickets fell quickly and Stalbridge were stopped on 155 in the 48th over.

Hatchard and Tom Caines both claimed three-wicket hauls for Wimborne while George Bartlett took two for 23.

Randall (53) and Caines (46) blazed a trail at the start of the Wimborne innings and following their exits, the wickets of Simon Woodruff and Bartlett did not prove costly.

Mark House (20) saw out the job alongside David Guest, the hosts reaching the target in the 45th over.