Scott Males opened up, bowling into a stiff breeze and he found it difficult to maintain the same consistent length that had brought him four wickets the previous day, including the prized scalp of Branksome's James 'Fella' Purnell, whilst at the other end the author was able to keep runs to a minimum, helped both by the state of the pitch and the batsman's inadequacies. Males was replaced by Elenor, and Trevett by Dixon, as Bisterne crawled along at something under two runs per over. Both change bowlers were unlucky and although Branksome had less than a hundred runs after thirty five overs they still, crucially, had wickets in hand. The acceleration only really began in the final five overs as both Ryan and Dixon were to feel the brunt of Bisterne's batting prowess, and though they took wickets at regular intervals and Dixon especially was unlucky in having a number of catches dropped off his bowling (including one from the author) the home side finished on 146 for 7, perhaps some 20 or so runs more than they had expected, or deserved.

Males and Ryan, due to the nature of the pitch, were not in the most confident of moods as they stepped out to bat after a thoroughly adequate tea (a tea where John Ryan had enthralled the opposition with his talk of deep anchorage), it was a shame though it must be said that the 1st team scorer was not in the best of mental form, except this can be explained by the captain's decision not to bowl a man who had taken 5 wickets in his previous innings and shelled a couple of chances. The innings began at a fair rate with both batsman looking to capitalise on the loose delivery but with the introduction of Redgwell, the home captain, things took on a more stentorian aspect. Ryan was first to go playing back to a ball that hit the top of off stump and he was soon followed by Ben Doidge, who looked out of sorts before playing down the wrong line to another Redgwell delivery.This brought Jones to the middle, just one of the captain's many astute tactical decisions, as both he and Dave Males proceeded to reduce the run rate to little more than an Ethiopian rain storm. Jones attempted to up the scoring tempo by deflecting the ball off various body parts including helmet, but by the time he fell, Triangle had some work to do as the run rate had gone beyond four an over.

Neven looked to change this as he struck a boundary but then in a moment of great controversy was given out LBW by Ben Doidge with Neven claiming the ball had taken a bottom edge, and that was how it had ended up trapped between his ankles straight in front of all 3 stumps. Not best pleased with the umpire, Neven proceeded to kick the ball, scratching it at the same time, at the umpire and aiming a volley of abuse in the same direction before flinging the Duke's Big Bertha (™) beyond the boundary. John Dixon, playing his third game in as many days, and who was goofed up on painkillers to the eyeballs, struck the first ball as is now the custom to the boundary but was bowled the next attempting a similar shot.

If anyone could take the team home then it was Stewkesbury who looked assured against anything Bisterne could throw at him. The next breakthrough occurred at the other end where Dave Males heroic yet painfully slow innings was brought to an end, the Triangle lynchpin finally succumbing to the dreaded straight ball, then bemoaning his lack of support. The author joined Stewkes and the two carefully saw off Redgwell's remaining balls, before both men plundered the bowling of the third change, taking 19 in the over before he was hastily removed. Stewkes' resistance crumbled in the onslaught of the continual straightball.

The Master joined the apprentice and through some careful shot selection, good running and a fair shade of luck moved the total to within five of the opposition with three overs remaining. No trouble the author thought the moment his Captain called him through for a single that was to prove his undoing, run out on a third umpire call. Maurice joined Graham and was unable to get bat on ball as the 44th over was recorded as a maiden. Graham then completed his afternoon of misery, which had begun with the Brazil victory and Ronaldo's goals "Bad, bad, bad news for a bookie..." by picking the yorker as the ball to dismiss to the boundary and he was sent back to the pavillion blaming all but none more so than that "Idiot umpire Jones". Scott Males lasted only one ball, lobbing a catch to short leg, and Bisterne had a most unlikely of victories.

This result could prove costly, as although Portland still look a good bet to go up, what with Wimborne's loss to Parley, this was a real chance to move decisively clear at the top of the table. In all a number of individual errors cost PRT dear from a number of dropped catches to an inability in player's keeping their heads. This said all is not lost, and a victory against those wonderful Suttoners' boys this weekend will repair some of the damage.