ST GEORGE’S 244-5 (20pts) beat PORTLAND RED TRIANGLE 108 (3pts) by 136 runs

ST GEORGE’S bounced back from a disappointing opening-day defeat with an emphatic Division One victory over neighbours Portland at Dorchester Rec.

For the second week in a row, the home side were asked to bat first on a damp pitch having lost the toss but openers Colin Gough and Rob Cole were solid against the new ball and recorded a 50-run stand for the first wicket.

Cole increased the scoring rate and took the aerial route to find the boundary with regularity and went on to bring up his own half-century before finally being dismissed for 68.

Younger brother Rich Cole then carried on the good work to top score with an unbeaten 72 and he received good support from Jamie Barrett, whose entertaining cameo saw him score 28 from only 16 balls.

The innings closed on an imposing 244-5 from the allotted 40 overs.

Portland’s reply began solidly enough and the score had reached 42-1 from the first nine overs.

Debutant Crispin Brown had made the initial breakthrough with his first wicket for the club and when fellow opening seamer Matt King bowled Chris Leake for 12, the scoring rate slowed dramatically with only 22 runs coming from the next 12 overs.

Number three batsmen Simon Proffitt fought a lone battle against the hosts’ attack and batted well for his 41 before he holed out to mid-on to become the first of Sam Good-hew’s six victims.

Bowling with flight and spin, Goodhew ran through the islanders’ tail to finish with excellent figures of 6-10 as the county town side recorded their first victory of the season.