WEYMOUTH SECONDS (20pts) 133-3 beat PORTLAND RED TRIANGLE (4pts) 131 all out by seven wickets

WEYMOUTH Seconds' skipper Steve Budd was full of praise for his men after this fine Dorset Funeral Plan League Division Three win over local rivals Portland at Redlands.

Former Red Triangle players Simon Browne (2-31) and Ben Doidge (41), who moved to the Seasiders in pre-season, both performed well against their ex-team-mates but it was the effort of the whole team that impressed Budd.

He said: "It was one of those games where we were expected to win. We did not get a breakthrough for a few overs but once we did they folded.

"Really we should have had them for under 100 but Ben and Jonny Armfield (47) both batted well and we thoroughly deserved the win.

"It was hard to single any one person out because it was just one of those good solid team performances.

"Dave Trotter (1-21 from 10 overs) bowled superbly as did Dan Hutchens (2-10), Simon Browne (2-31), Rob Nobbs (2-33) and Andrew Fulton (2-3).

"Chris Lawes also showed great character in the field. He dropped a couple of catches but then held on to one that came out of the sky from Dixon before pulling off a direct hit run out.

"To claim 20 points is very pleasing and hopefully we can carry on this form into our next game."

Weymouth won the toss and put Portland into bat and after Nobbs caught Jan Davey off the bowling of Trotter with the score on 20 the hosts took complete control.

Red Triangle's next three wickets fell for just 22 runs. Dave Price (20) and captain Simon Barrett (19) showed some resistance in the middle order but when they departed the islanders slumped to 87-8.

Weymouth should have gone on to keep the visitors under three figures but spirited innings by tail-enders Warner (24) and Grant Neven (13 not out) put a little more respectability on the scoreboard.

Chasing 131, Weymouth lost Gavin Lamb (5) early to a leg before decision off the bowling of Sam Polley (2-18) but they soon regained their composure with Armfield and Doidge putting on a second-wicket stand of 86.

Both men then lost their wickets before claiming their half centuries and the game ended with Browne (7 not out) and Fulton (5 not out) comfortably leading the hosts over the finish line in the 35th over.

Barrett said: "It was advantageous again to win the toss and basically we just did not put enough runs on the board, "They have a very good seam attack that would be strong in Division One let alone Division Two and we just kept losing wickets in clumps.

"We then dropped a few catches in the field again and that allowed them to comfortably win it.

"Jonny Armfield and Ben Doidge were both a bit lucky. Jonny never looked secure and Ben got some runs but could have been out first ball.

"Saying that they are the strongest team we are likely to come up against and they should win the league. If they do not then it will probably be their own fault."

REDLANDS SCOREBOARD

PORTLAND RED TRIANGLE

Hewson c Voss b Nobbs 21

Davey c Nobbs b Trotter 6

Laming b Hutchens 0

Sawyer c Armfield b Hutchens 0

Barrett lbw b Browne 19

Price b Nobbs 20

Dixon c Lawes b Browne 4

Charlton run out 8

Warner b Fulton 24

Neven not out 13

Polley lbw b Fulton 0

Extras (1b, 9w, 6nb): 16

Total (all out, 40.5 overs) 131

FoW: 20-1, 27-2, 27-3, 39-4, 59-5, 74-6, 78-7, 87-8, 128-9

Bowling: Trotter 10-4-21-1, Hutchens 5-2-10-2, Nobbs 10-2-33-2, Browne 8-2-31-2, Lawes 5-0-32-0, Fulton 2.5-0-3-2

WEYMOUTH

Armfield c Price b Warner 47

Lamb lbw b Polley 5

Doidge c Neven b Polley 41

Browne not out 7

Fulton not out 5

Extras (3b, 25w) 28

Total (3wkts, 34.1 overs) 133

FoW: 8-1, 94-2, 127-3

Bowling: Dixon 11-0-42-0, Polley 10-1-36-2, Davey 5-0-17-0, Warner 6.1-0-31-1, Price 2-0-4-0