PRT 1st XI

Swanage:Yerby, Pat

A fine all-round display from Gary Randell failed to save Portland Red Triangle from Division One defeat at Swanage. The veteran campaigner smashed 72 not in the visitors' innings of 197 all out, before returning tidy figures of 1-35 off 10 overs. But it wasn't enough to give his side victory as the hosts reached their winning target with just seven balls to spare and four batsmen to spare.

Batting first, Triangle lost two early wickets but the early damage was repaired by a 73-run stand between Randell and Ben Doidge (48). When Doidge was dismissed only captain Simon Barrett (17) managed double figures and the final total of 197 looked perhaps 20 short of what the Islanders would have hoped to post. Opening bowler Simon Dyson was the pick of the Swanage attack, showing both accuracy and penetration in his figures of 4-30, although the home team must have been disappointed to concede 34 wides.

Portland managed to dismiss both Swanage openers within five overs, but Pat Yerby played a match-winning innings of 88 not out. He shared successive partnerships of 49 with Swans skipper lan Booth (27) and 105 with Mike Nash (31). Several times, mistimed strokes went in the air but not to hand as the Triangle bowlers were unable to extract as much life from the wicket as the home team. Despite useful late innings spells from opening bowlers Randell and Sam Polley who took three for 21 in his final five overs, Swanage always looked favourites.

"I felt 197 was not a bad score given the occasional indifferent bounce of the wicket," said Barrett, "but when we bowled, we just didn't get the ball in the right areas often enough.

"This was reflected in the fact that we conceded 20 boundaries and bowled just two maidens." He added: "I would like to congratulate Aaron Riley, who on his first team debut fielded quite superbly and I am sure he will become a regular member of the side in the next two or three years."

Econ.

3.78

3.64

4.50

5.10

7.00

4.00

Econ.

3.50

4.60

5.32

4.10

4.20