Stud’s butter-finger fielders pay penalty (From Bournemouth Echo)

Stud’s butter-finger fielders pay penalty

7:00am Wednesday 26th August 2009 in

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VICE-captain Cooper Payne claimed his fielders “still had butter on their hands from tea” after Studland’s bid to cause an upset against champions-in-waiting Bournemouth fell short.

The Chapel Gate men, however, held on to record a four-wicket success and a win over Kingston Lacy on Sunday will secure the title for Alex Kennedy’s charges.

But it could have been all so different according to Payne, whose men have punched above their weight in Division One this term.

Payne said: “We are happy to have stayed in the league this year and we have been enjoying our cricket, which is the main thing.

“But it could have all been so different – we dropped six catches.

“The boys still had butter on their hands from tea, they didn’t wash them properly!”

After opting to bat first, Studland opener Colin Lewis played his part with a hard-earned 34.

But the wickets soon began to tumble thanks to Simon Ridley (2-34) and Kennedy (1-6) as the hosts were restricted to 165-6 (Matt Ward 41).

Bournemouth’s openers experienced mixed fortunes, with Ridley only managing two runs alongside Tom Wilkinson, whose impressive 93 got the table-toppers moving in the right direction.

Wilkinson eventually fell leg before to Cody Hayman, whose spell of five for 62 gave Studland a chance.

But Payne’s troops were unable to stop Kennedy (13*) hitting the winning runs as Bournemouth made 168-6.

Bournemouth’s visit to Lacy on Sunday will be affected by player withdrawals, with the home side likely to be without Nick Park, James Park, Mark House and Simon Watkins, who are playing for Bournemouth’s Southern League side in a national Twenty-20 tournament in Usk, South Wales.