CAPTAIN Chris Park admits he is starting to feel like an old codger – after Dorset debutant Max Trueman celebrated the victory over Herefordshire at his school prom!

Excluding the 32-year-old Park and the 36-year-old Mark Wolstenholme, Dorset’s remaining nine players had an average age of 20 for the Unicorns Championship win at North Perrott.

The youngest of these was Trueman, who at 16 was keen to get suited and booted for an evening at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne.

And an early-afternoon win on Tuesday allowed Trueman, one of the youngest players ever to represent Dorset, to take that route.

Park told the Daily Echo: “Max was really pleased with the early win because it meant he got back for his school prom. He was happy as Larry that he managed to make it to Queen Elizabeth’s for 6pm!

“We had an average age of 20 years old through the side, which is really good, but it’s making myself and Mark Wolstenholme look like old codgers.

“Realistically speaking, Mark is old enough to be Max’s dad!

“We went out for a team meal on Monday night and myself, Mark and Paul Prichard (head coach) sat at one end of the table and all the young lads sat down the other. It’s just the way of the world.

“We are there to support the young lads and all of them can be proud of a fantastic performance.”

Reflecting on the victory, Dorset’s second in as many Western Division fixtures, Park explained his team had stuck to the task well before making the key breakthrough in the closing stages of Monday’s play.

He said: “On the first morning they batted really well and we didn’t bowl as well as we could have done. But in the second session, all of the bowlers contributed and the fielders created pressure and we took a couple of good catches.

“The pressure was on them and to bowl them out for 259 was really pleasing.

“In our first innings, we started off well and Mas Khan and Tom Arnold batted beautifully. We then had a bit of a wobble but Sam Thomson and myself came in and slowed the game down. After the first innings, I was chuffed to bits with a 48-run lead.

“On Monday afternoon, the game wasn’t really going anywhere and they got back in it.

“Luckily for us, Mark got a wicket with about 25 minutes left and that opened the floodgates. Sam Thomson got a wicket in the next over and then Tom Barber got a few wickets.

“That was the turning point.”

Meanwhile, Dorset have announced their squad for Sunday’s Unicorns Trophy semi-final against Staffordshire at Chapel Gate.

Lewis McManus has been included but could yet be ruled out by Hampshire commitments.

Dorset: (from) Khan, McManus, Waller, Webb, Porter, Arnold, Wolstenholme, Thomson, Currie, Warner, Park, Barber, Digby, Jacques.