HAMWORTHY RECREATION 116-5 (19pts) beat PORTLAND RT 115 (3pts) by five wickets

PORTLAND Red Triangle fell to their fifth consecutive defeat of the County Division One campaign as Hamworthy Recreation took a straightforward five-wicket victory at the Hamworthy Club.

Hamworthy skipper Sam Stroud elected to bowl first after winning the toss and the Rec all-rounder immediately set upon the Portland top order, dismissing Callan Laws and Ryan Price (both 2).

Simon Proffitt (9) came in at four and thumped a six but offered a return catch to Ryan Kelly (1-18) before the same fate struck the diligent Ray Emery (3) who became Stroud’s third victim.

Only captain Matt Randell (43), who hit five fours and a six, offered resistance to the Hamworthy attack but wickets continued to fall around him as Ollie Whisker, Simon Barrett and Joe Adkins all made ducks, Kyle Sloane (1) also misfiring.

At 100-8, Randell finally perished to Stroud (4-16) before late hitting from Matt Barrett (13) bumped Triangle’s score up to 115 all out.

After tea, Proffitt delivered an inspired spell to oust openers Peter Hoar and Jack Hector for ducks to leave Rec on 6-2.

Alex Peel (16) and Stroud (18) counter-attacked with seven boundaries between them, but both men fell to Proffitt as Rec reached 74-4.

Yet Hamworthy were well ahead of the run-rate and polished off the remaining runs, despite Proffitt (5-40) taking his fifer, as Stuart Donkin smashed 31 from 17 balls.

Speaking to Echosport after the loss, Randell was critical of his side’s batting.

He said: “I went out there with the attitude that I was going to be as busy as possible. The rest seemed to be waiting for that ball that was going to get them out.

“That was always going to come unless you do something different. It was one of our most disappointing batting performances because we let them bowl at us.

“The middle order aren’t 100 per cent sure where they’re going to score their runs. We sat down after the game and said we need to work that out, and now, otherwise it’s going to be too late.”

But Randell reserved praise for Proffitt, who took his first five-wicket haul of the year.

He said: “He seemed to have a little bit more pace in him. He went back to the areas he was hitting last season – back of a length and outside off stump.

“Four of his wickets were catches behind the bat, which is how we want him to bowl and how he bowls the best.”

n Portland Seconds lost by two wickets to Poole Town Thirds.

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