MALMESBURY captain Ed Shellard is looking for new players after Dumbleton reached their total in under 16 overs.

Shellard blamed a lack of experienced on his team's six-wicket defeat to the second-placed hosts.

He said: "I read about the guy who hit a double-tonne (John Peters of Westinghouse). I would love someone like that to come and play for us but we are not in the habit of poaching players.

"I do get surprised when people of that ability play at that level (Wiltshire League). There are good players around but it is convincing them to play Saturday cricket and then convincing them to come and join us."

Shellard said he wants to keep the team in the division this year and then attract new players.

"We need to hang on for this year and hope that during the winter we can pick up some new players.

"We have the best pitch I've seen locally. Hopefully that will go round as something we can offer players."

Malmesbury fielded a 15, two 16 and one 17-year-old due to a lack of availability throughout the squad.

It left Shellard with only seven first choice players and three recognised batsmen. They duly fell to 92 all out off 35.2 overs with only Glyn Rhys-Jones (11), Richard Gaunt (45no) and Shellard (17) reaching double figures.

After Shellard had been given lbw Malmesbury lost four wickets for 11 runs before picking up 17 runs to take the total to 83-8.

But the last three wickets tumbled for nine runs, leaving Shellard fuming. Dumbleton easily reached the total although four wickets did fall in the short period with Richard Mosdell finishing with figures of 3-35 and South African, Chrichton Schelbach, picking up a wicket with his first ball.

Shellard said he was disappointed to lose to a side he did not think would be challenging for the title.

"Their bowling was nothing special at all but we only had three batsmen and the youngsters would rather have been playing seconds.

"Our only hope was for three of them to get a decent score but three run outs at the end did not help."

Shellard said he has struggled to get people to play and is still calling round on the morning of the game.

"People say I have got something on and you know instantly they are not dedicated to the cricket.

"I don't mind youngsters if they don't want to play in the first team but that is no excuse to play three very poor shots.

"I am hoping next week I will have three or the four adults back.

"I still think three quarters of our bowling is amongst the best in the league but the batting is not there."

He hopes to welcome Phil Cavey, Jeremy Newman, Ollie and Charlie Langton, and Chris Hurst back to the side as they look to claim their first win against Gloucester City Winget on Saturday.