CRANBORNE skipper Dave Coy has expressed his disappointment after Bournemouth cancelled at the 11th hour the Dorset League encounter between the clubs on Sunday.

Coy said Cranborne had received the call around three hours before the scheduled 2pm start time – with rival captain Rob Smith confirming Bournemouth had been unable to raise a team.

Bournemouth’s predicament had been compounded by the club’s involvement in a Southern League Twenty20 tie, while the Lions also had two players on duty in Dorset’s MCCA Trophy clash in Wales.

The Chapel Gate outfit was deducted 40 points and fined £30 by the Dorset League and will also have to foot a bill of around £90 for Cranborne preparing a pitch and supplying teas.

Coy told the Daily Echo: “If clubs have to scratch, they are supposed to do it 24 hours in advance, not three. We had prepared a pitch and had started making the teas and it all went to waste.

“I would have expected better from a club like Bournemouth. If the SPL 20/20 is their priority then why enter the league in the first place? We all pay good money to enter and want to play games.

“We have always had good rivalry with Bournemouth and long may it continue because Chapel Gate is the best track we play on. It was just disappointing they left it so late.”

Bournemouth skipper Smith, who is in his first season as captain, said he had been trying to contact players and raise a team as late as Sunday morning.

He added: “I can understand why Cranborne weren’t happy. We didn’t want to scratch and wanted to put out our best team. We had been trying to raise a team all week but there weren’t enough players available. We were still trying on Saturday night and Sunday morning.”