MARNHULL 158-5 (20pts) beat PORTLAND RT 156 (5pts) by five wickets

PORTLAND Red Triangle slipped to a five-wicket defeat at Marnhull as their torrid County Division One season continued.

Triangle, missing numerous key players, made a brilliant start with the willow after stand-in skipper Joe Adkins lost the toss and being asked to bat first.

Openers Mohammad Kazimi and Matt Barrett shared 66 for the first wicket before Kazimi was caught at mid-on by Ashley Young off the reliable Edwin Ralph (3-37).

However, while Barrett crashed the ball to all parts, he began to run out of partners as medium pacer Hein Basson (4-28) and Adam Standfield (3-42) tore through the Triangle order.

READ MORE: Portland Red Triangle lose to Witchampton by 32 runs

Barrett (75no) was left stranded having struck 11 fours and two sixes in his 71-ball stay at the crease, Portland bowled out for 156.

Adkins (2-25) made two early breakthroughs in defence of Triangle’s total and Portland’s leading wicket-taker this season, Jack Marsh held a return catch off Young to reduce Marnhull to 52-3.

Marsh (3-40) extracted turn from the wicket to bowl Jake Burney (15) and Steven Green (2) as Portland checked the hosts again at 108-5.

Remaining intact through the dismissals, though, was Ben Standfield.

The Marnhull number four finished unbeaten on 70 from 90 balls, having hit 11 fours.

He was assisted in closing out the match in a 50-run stand with Angus Brown (18no) as Marnhull went up to third place in the table, leaving Portland in eighth of the 10 teams.

Speaking to Echosport, Adkins said: “It was a weird one. We went in with quite an unknown team.

“We batted first and got out of the blocks really quick. It looked like we were going to be batting all day, then we lost silly wickets.

“(Young) took six catches at mid-on, so that sums it up.

“With the ball, we got a couple of early wickets and there were a few decisions not given.

“Matt was brilliant, it was probably his best innings. No-one could stick with him to get him to that hundred that he’s chasing.

“It’s definitely coming. He’s got it in him."

Adkins added: “We didn’t know what to expect. I should definitely have made more of a contribution personally.

“It’s disappointing but at the same time it wasn’t, if that makes sense.”

Portland Seconds lost by four wickets to Shaftesbury Seconds in Division Five.

Eddie Moles scored a fine 78 as Portland were dismissed for 187.

However, Shaftesbury’s openers Patrick Brady (57) and Blake Ingrams (87) piled on the runs to amass 156 for the first wicket.

Riley Marsh (3-35) removed both men and despite a quick 2-32 for Wahidullah Sahibzada, Shaftesbury got home.

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