Portland

Alex Charlton

Portland were soundly beaten by league leaders Shroton at Reforne on Saturday, leaving the islanders with just three games to turn their season around and avoid relegation from Dorset Funeral Plan League Division Two.

Batting first, the home side were reduced to just 65-8 off 19 overs with Shroton's opening bowler Matt Pike taking five home wickets in a hostile spell.

However a superb 123 partnership between skipper Simon Barrett (44 not out) and Alex Charlton, whose 58 not out was comfortably his best score of 2007, restored credibility to the Triangle scoreboard.

Both players started very cautiously, but gradually began to push the score along and eventually guided the hosts to 188 in their allotted 45 overs.

Visiting captain Darren Ball started in Twenty20 style, with a flurry of boundaries, taking just nine overs to make his half century.

The fours and sixes slowed somewhat when experienced campaigner Gary Randell came into the attack but by the time Randell had bowled Ball, his 102 off 48 deliveries set the table-toppers on their way to victory with 19 overs to spare.

Despite losing, Triangle skipper Barrett remained upbeat. He said: "At half-time we felt 188 was a competitive total although we would have liked 20 or 30 more to be honest. Alex Charlton batted superbly and he showed the value of playing straight and being selective in which deliveries to punish.

"I felt a little bit sorry for our bowlers with the way their opener rode his luck on occasions. Gary Randell showed he still knows how to put batsmen under pressure and his spell was real quality under the circumstances. We were basically beaten by two special performances."

Portland must now win at least two of their remaining games to retain their Division Two status for next year and the challenge ahead starts with a home game against third place Branksome on Saturday.

PRT 6, Shroton 19