FERNDOWN Wayfarers and Parley are the early front-runners in the top flight of the Dorset League after both maintained their 100 per cent winning starts to the season.

Wayfarers top the pile by two points following a strong batting display against backmarkers Dor-chester. Dean Elsworthy (69) top-scored and shared a partnership of 71 with Eric Linge (31), while Leigh Dunham (42) chipped in.

Dorchester spinner Aaron Oliver (4-7) stifled the visitors’ momentum with Ferndown losing their last six wickets for 21, but Oliver’s team-mates could not match his impressive figures at the crease.

Shaun Little (38) and Dan Belt (36) top-scored for the hosts, but they were all out for 144 as the visitors triumphed by 79 runs.

Elsewhere, Parley’s record was in doubt after a shaky start at Wimborne & Colehill, who were also unbeaten going into the keenly-contested clash.

At 72 for four, the visitors were making slow progress until a strong fifth-wicket partnership between Tom Jacques (70) and Ollie Green (21) put Parley back on track. Sam Thomson (25) then saw the innings through to set the hosts a target of 217 for nine.

Wimborne, who had seen Mike Kitson (3-32) get among the wickets, struggled to reach the required run rate despite a century from Ben Bridgen (108) as Thomson (3-30) and Green (2-43) largely controlled their innings.

Following the match, rueful Wimborne & Colehill skipper Andy Hayward said: “Parley bowled with far more discipline than we did and that is why, in essence, we lost.

“Taking into account not only the difference in extras but the additional deliveries and the runs scored from those deliveries, we would have won pretty easily if we had matched Parley’s ability to bowl straight. For a centurion to end up on the losing side is always a shocker but that is cricket. We need to move on, learn from this experience and rectify it starting next week.”

Meanwhile, last year’s strugglers Winton recorded their second success of the season in emphatic fashion, ending their 50 overs on 309 for three against winless Swanage.

John Duke (93) and Matt Clarke (87) led the charge with Adam Willard (35*) and Joe May (31*) adding to an impressive innings as the overs ran down.

Despite the best efforts of Ian Booth (59) and Matt Thomas (38), Swanage were all out for 171 with Winton’s Charlie May (3-28) and Lee Garrett (1-24) topping the bowling figures.