WIMBORNE & Colehill were crowned Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League champions – despite losing their final game of the season.

The Minstermen needed four points to clinch the title and took five from their six-wicket reverse at Martinstown.

They finished just three points ahead of Poole Town who took the race to the wire after beating Bere Regis by 46 runs.

Tom Caines (45), Colin Randall (26) and George Bartlett (21) were Wimborne’s top run-makers as they were dismissed for 172, having been 171 for five.

Solid contributions from Ed Nichols (64) and Teddy Andrews (62*) ensured there would be no slips from Martinstown who eased to 173 for four from just 27.5 overs (Lewis Naylor 2-10).

Poole Town would have had a keen eye on proceedings at Martinstown with their 216 for eight proving too many for Bere Regis.

Badrul Alam (42) gave the innings a positive start before Lewis Marais (31) and Tom Robinson (25) continued the good work.

Joe Wormington (72) shared stands of 60 for the fifth wicket with Marais and 50 for the sixth with James Kirk as Poole Town set the hosts a challenging target.

However, although Robert Murphy (27), Dean Rogerson (22) and Richard Cole (27) all made starts, a tidy all-round bowling display saw them dismissed for 170.

The wickets were shared between Kirk (1-22), Joe Palmer (1-25), Andy Groome (2-28), Wormington (1-48), Joe Wilson (2-32) and Ciaran Quinn (2-6).

Broadstone, champions in 2017, finished fifth after suffering a one-wicket defeat in a high-scoring thriller at Stalbridge.

Pete Russell (108) was the mainstay of their 259 for four with Dan Cook (58) and James Park (44) also chipping in.

And although Russell (3-38), Ash Collison (3-35) and Peter Thompson (2-33) were among the wickets, knocks from Stuart Sweatman (92) and George Coleman (61) put the hosts in the driving seat.

But it still required last pair Andy Dike (26*) and Howard Batten to hold their nerve, the duo putting on 14 as Stalbridge crept home at 260 for nine.

Swanage, last year’s runners-up whose relegation had been confirmed the previous week, ended a miserable campaign on the end of a 36-run defeat at Shroton.

Although Elliot Baczala (3-36) and Jem Warner (3-28) returned tidy figures, Shroton’s 180 proved too many for Swanage who were shot out for 144 with only Craig Wells (51) standing firm.