Dorset on title track says nine-wicket Denham (From Bournemouth Echo)

Dorset on title track says nine-wicket Denham

7:00am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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ED Denham bagged nine wickets for Dorset in their crushing eight-wicket win over Berkshire at Dean Park yesterday, then proclaimed: “We’re right in the title mix now.”

Dorset made it two wins and one draw in the Minor Counties Championship this season, which has propelled them into serious Western Division title contention.

Bournemouth’s 18-year-old seamer was on fire at the picturesque town centre ground, bagging match figures of nine for 38 in only his fifth three-day appearance for Dorset.

They dismissed Berkshire twice, for 212 and 137, replying with 212 and 51 for two on the final day yesterday.

Denham, who bagged five for 28 in the first innings and four for 10 in the second, said: “It’s my best performance for Dorset by a long way and probably my best in club cricket as well.

“I tried to bowl in as good an area as I could to try to make it as hard as I could for the batsmen, keep them from scoring and make them make a mistake.

“The pitch helped a bit as it was not brilliant, but you still have to bowl in the right areas to do it.”

Denham, whose full match figures were a remarkable nine for 38 in 29.1 overs including 15 maidens, added: “Nine wickets feels fantastic.

“I was due a few for Dorset, so it was nice to get them all at once and make a telling contribution to the team.

“We’ve been bowling well as a unit this year and it has been crucial. We have had Steffan Jones and we have had to back him up.

“He’s always going to get wickets. You have someone down the other end keeping it tight and taking wickets.

“It’s great being part of this bowling unit.

“I play with most of them on a Saturday with Bournemouth, Dave Kidner and Matt Metcalfe. So it’s carrying on from there, building partnerships when we are bowling.

“It helps when you know what they are doing and you follow suit so to speak.”

Intermittent showers had looked like they might scupper Dorset’s hopes of victory yesterday, and a relieved Denham said: “We couldn’t afford for the match to end in a draw.

“It we won this there was a good chance we’d be top and then it’s down to the Cheshire game in two weeks’ time, which is massive.

“The real aim is to win that one and go from there. We wouldn’t be far off the title then.

“We went close last year, being something like only 16 runs away from the Western Divison pennant. We want to make up for that this year.”

Details: Berkshire 212 (R J Logan 51 not out, C P Crowe 45, Denham 5-28) and 137 (J J McLean 41, Denham 4-10, Kidner 4-53, Wilson 2-51), Dorset 301 (C L Park 68 not out, A Williams 53, M J Metcalfe 40, Naylor 3-39, Lambert 3-58, Logan 3-99) and 51-2 (G R Treagus 24). Dorset won by eight wickets. Points: Dorset 23 Berkshire 5.