PORTLAND RT 205 (9pts) lost to CORFE MULLEN 240-8 (20pts) by 35 runs

PORTLAND Red Triangle slipped to another home defeat, this time by 35 runs as Corfe Mullen claimed their third win of the County Division One season.

Triangle have now lost all three of their home games this campaign, a rare landmark given their strength at Reforne.

Corfe won the toss, elected to bat and made a solid start as Richard Witherington and skipper Nigel Stannard, promoted to open in the absence of big-hitting Sam Stroud, put on 54.

Although Witherington (13) was bowled by Rich Samuel (1-43), Stannard continued at quick pace and was unlucky to depart on 47, just shy of his fifty.

READ MORE: Portland Red Triangle lose to Marnhull by five wickets

He was the first of four quick wickets for Triangle as off-spinner Jack Marsh (4-42) took an inspired three scalps, while Matt Randell (1-53) bowled the set Sean Mulley (25).

However, Ian Creswell counter-attacked and Triangle rued dropping him twice early in his innings as he went on to blast 63 from 45 balls, including six sixes and five fours.

Ben Bolt (23), Zeeshan Haider (18no) and Tommy Stannard (13no) rubbed salt into the wound as Corfe amassed 240-8 at the close.

Portland were not helped by losing reliable openers Callan Laws (3) and Matt Barrett (15) cheaply, leaving them 23-2.

Dave Adkins (46) and Randell (41) reconstructed the innings promisingly with a fine 99-run stand but both men failed to kick on and produce a match-winning knock.

Triangle lost their last eight wickets for only 83 runs as Haider (2-24) and Nigel Stannard (2-28) were the main beneficiaries with the ball, Samuel (27) the best scorer in the lower order as Triangle fell short of the target in the 44th over.

Randell told Echosport: “It was a bit of an annoying one, we were in positions where we should’ve won and we let ourselves down with some dropped catches and bad shots.

“We couldn’t really put anything together to get the win.

“We were probably quite comfortable in the game and we switched off. They had a lad that came in and hit 63 quite quickly.

“We dropped him on five and maybe 10 as well. We switched off thinking we were going to get through them. That was what won the game, his innings.”

Elsewhere, Portland’s seconds lost by six wickets at Puddletown Seconds in Division Five.