​Wimborne have won the Wessex Internet Dorset League championship for the first time since 2018, losing only one of their 13 matches.   
They clinched the title with a five-wicket win over Blandford to finish 22 points above Poole Town, whose final match against Bere Regis was abandoned in mid-afternoon.
But beating Blandford wasn't straightforward as Wimborne lurched to 73-5 (Mike Shepherd 3-13) chasing 149 before Colin Randall (64) and stand-in skipper Simon Watkins (39) shared an unbroken 70-run sixth-wicket partnership to ease them home without further loss.

Wimborne captain Ben Bridgen wasn't able to play against Blandford and admitted: "I was watching the game on YouTube and was getting pretty nervous when we were 73-5 but the experienced heads of Colin (Randall) and Watto (Steve Watkins) saw us home nicely in the end.
"I’m very proud of the lads this season. The youngsters need to take a lot of credit. Each week we’ve been playing six or seven lads at the age of 16 years and under which shows the strength in our youth set up. 
"Connor Houldsworth only turned 15 years of age midway through the season and his 27-wicket haul put him second in the Dorset League averages.   He was playing 3rd and 4th team cricket in 2022."
Brigden himself made 705 runs and Colin Randall 535, while 17-year old Joseph Kelly, from the Western Australia Grade club Melville, scored 597 runs, including an unbeaten 112 in a decisive early June win over Poole Town.
"The young lads have really looked up to Joe. He’s been exceptional having come back from a pretty bad injury that ruled him out of the last WACA season in Perth.
"He is a super focused lad dedicated to making it as a professional and we wish him all the best in the future," Brigden added.
Wimborne's Under-15 side reached the ECB national championship semi-finals and most of the team were involved in Dorset League action during the season.  
"We haven’t been afraid of selecting them and giving them important roles in the team. Obviously, you need good strong senior players around them to support their development and that's happened," he concluded. 

Chawton cushioned he disappointment of relegation from Hampshire League Division 2 by beating Hook & Newnham Basics B by 10 runs at May's Bounty to lift the Cyril Thompson Trophy.
Chawton looked to be heading for a modest total until Toby Charlton (42) and Mason Taylor (33 not out) put on a late run blitz, which saw them add 80 in the last seven overs and take the score to 159-6, Hampshire U15 Oli Webster taking 3-15.
Hook’s reply saw Kevin Light (34) and top batsman award winner Tom May (40) put on 65 for the first wicket.  Thomas Dyer (11) hit the only six of the innings before being brilliantly caught by Cameron Hamer with a one-handed diving catch to his left, which won the award for the 'magic moment' of the game.
Alex Corbett, another of Hook's county age group prospects, chipped in with 20 and Billy Wyatt was 15 not out at the end as Hook came up just short ending on 148-9.   Chawton’s Hamer (second left, front row) was the star with the ball as he finished with 5-12.

​Ferndown Wayfarers have won the Hampshire League championship at the first attempt, clinching the title with a crucial 35-run victory over defending champions Compton & Chandler's Ford at Dolmans Farm.
Situated several miles east of Wimborne, Ferndown defended 125-9 by bowling CCF out for 90, the visitors finishing fourth in the log.
Hursley Park finished second despite a 284-8 run mauling at Shrewton. Tom Flynn responded with 120 in Hursley's 250 all out.  Odiham & Greywell hit 258-9 (Ikin 102) against Basingstoke & North Hants II (131) to take third place.

Tichborne Park, Hampshire League Division 2 champions.
Standing (from left): Tom Allam, Jake Bristow, Martin Cheyney, Jake Vallance, Edd Berry. Front: Freddie Hodgins, Tom Boyer, Will Allam, Ed Primmer, Seb Newens, George Power.
 
Tichborne Park are on the way back after suffering a double relegation from the Southern Premier Division 3 in 2021 and County Division 1 last year.
They clinched the Division 2 title with a 98-run win over Calmore Sports, their 12th victory of the season.

CRICKET chiefs have awarded the Wessex Internet Dorset League brand-new ECB Premier League status from the 2024 season onwards.
Next summer will see a restructuring of the Dorset League (DCL) following its acceptance as the 32nd ECB Premier League in the country.
Currently, the Dorset League contains eight tiers from the Premier League to County Division Seven.   The structure of Dorset’s new ECB Premier League is yet to be finalised.
Clubs must attain certain levels in a range of criteria focussed on ground facilities and future sustainability in order for their first team to compete in the top divisions.
All clubs will continue to be accommodated in an ‘all-through’ league where teams can gain promotion based on performance, although facilities will once again be taken into account the higher a team progresses.
The new structure will initially see a reduction in the number of teams in the top two divisions because of the criteria set.   It is hoped a return towards ten-team divisions will begin in 2026, when clubs have had more time to attain the necessary standards.
                                                                                                Exciting
The move is aimed at halting the talent drain of Dorset’s best cricketers towards the Hampshire and Southern Leagues, the latter of which is already an approved ECB Premier League.
In the long-term, league chiefs are targeting a greater number of players in the county team to have been picked from the Dorset League.
Cricket Dorset managing director, Ben Skipworth, said: “This is a massively exciting development in the grassroots game and should provide a highly competitive environment for our best club players to thrive.
“It is a testament to the efforts of the committee, especially Alan Graham, to finally realise this level of league being in place in the county.”
DCL chairman, Peter Constable, added: “I’m really pleased that Dorset has finally been accredited with being an ECB Premier League after many years of hard work, not just by members of the management committee but also member clubs in raising the standard of facilities, grounds and playing strength to get to the level required by the ECB.
“We understand there will be some upheaval initially but hope this will soon be behind us as the whole league structure settles down in future seasons.
“It is vital that we don’t forget the smaller clubs with teams in the lower divisions, as they are pivotal to the survival of cricket in the county and gives all players, whatever their age or ability a place to play.”

Chawton will play Hook & Newnham Basics B in the Cyril Thompson T20 Cup final at May's Bounty, Basingstoke, on Monday morning, 11am.
In the semi-finals, Jacob Channon was the star man as Chawton beat Stratfield Turgis by 84 runs, while Charlie Neville starred with bat and ball as Hook defeated Yateley by 96 runs.
Scores -
Chawton 179-5 {Jacob Channon 89, Callum Bachelor 30*, Jana 2-31, Gary Cockcroft 2-28] Stratfield Turgis 95-8 [Chris Butcher 31, Jacob Channon 4-15, Max Williams 3-8]. Chawton won by 84 runs.
​
Hook & Newnham Basics “B” 164-3 [Charlie Neville 63*, Tom Dyer 47, James Harvey 2-16] Yateley 68 [Josh George 17, Luke Burgess 4-10, Ollie May 2-11, Charlie Neville 2-6]. HNBCC “B” won by 96 runs.

​The semi-finals of the Cyril Thompson Cup will be played at May's Bounty next week, with Hook & Newnham Basics B facing Yateley on Monday evening and Chawton squaring up against Statfield Turgis on Tuesday.
Stratfield clinched their semi-final place with a six wicket win over Overton. Scores:  
Overton 140-7 [Charlie Bowden 45, Andy Galvin 27, Grant Jones 2-28, Shashani Argawal 2-19] Stratfield Turgis & HW 141-4 [Gary Cockcroft 49, Raj Das 35*, Andy Galvin 2-21].

​Twyford won the Winchester & District CA Tichborne Trophy for the first time with a dramatic last ball T20 cup final victory over Hursley Park at The Quarters.
Chasing Hursley's 131-4, Twyford required six runs to win off the last over, but with victory within their grasp, Cam Park was run out - both batsmen were stranded at the same end - but with the scores tied, Matt Paine skewed a thick edge to third man for the winning run.
The knocks by Park and previously Max Watson (49) were crucial for Twyford, who benefitted from some profligate Hursley Park bowling, the Hampshire League leaders conceding 36 extras, 33 of them wides.
Earlier, Tom Flynn hit an unbeaten 52 for Hursley, while Oli Green chipped in with 24 not out late in the innings.  Tom Watson (2-17) took two early Hursley wickets.