On the front foot: Russell Hurford will be a key figure when Beaminster line up against Sherborne
BEAMINSTER skipper Ross Baker insists his players are "champing at the bit" ahead of their daunting Dorset Funeral Plan Division One showdown against Sherborne on Saturday.
Baker's side were handed a lifeline last weekend by Broadstone Seconds in their quest for survival, following another weather-affected schedule that wiped out every other fixture in the division.
This included Beaminster's match against basement boys Swanage, which was their third cancellation in succession and seventh of a dreary summer synonymous with rain.
Nevertheless, Weymouth's defeat at Broadstone and their subsequent plunge into the drop zone was a massive consolation for Baker, who unsurprisingly was again sorely disappointed that the elements thwarted their victory ambitions.
"When I checked the scores on Sunday and saw that Weymouth had lost I was very relieved because it was incredibly frustrating again to lose another match to the weather," he said.
"We were hoping that a win over Swanage would have given us some breathing space, but we can't do anything about the rain.
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"Everyone is available and raring to play against Sherborne on Saturday and although the players will probably be a bit rusty, I think this will be overridden by their desire because they are champing at the bit to get out there.
"It will be a difficult game on one of the poorer wickets in the division against an excellent bowling attack but we are very focused and determined."
Beaminster were understandably keen to play against Swanage and due to work done at the Memorial Ground in the week, the outfield and wicket were both playable.
The visitors had made it as far as Bridport before the heavens opened to obliterate any prospect of a match, much to the home side's annoyance, as they had also observed that victory would have hammered the final nail in Swanage's proverbial coffin.
Yet in a quirk of the league, not playing has actually improved the West Dorset outfit's position with just two matches remaining.
Currently, Beaminster's average is 10.10, which is only fractionally better than Weymouth's 9.91 and although the permutations are still complex, realistically it is these two teams battling it out for one safety spot.
Each side has a tough run-in and it seems certain that the final reckoning will be resolved on the climactic day of the season.
Thus Beaminster's penultimate match at second place Sherborne assumes even importance with Baker targeting a substantial points haul to maintain his side's tenuous grip on survival.
He added: "We need to pick up as many points as we can against Sherborne because I think we've got a great chance to beat Broadstone Seconds on the final day because they effectively have nothing to play for.
"Broadstone can't get promoted because the first team play in the Premier Division so I fancy us to win that match.
"Obviously we go to Sherborne with the intention of winning but it will also be about targets and trying to collect a lot of points."
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