PORTLAND Red Triangle captain Matt Randell has backed the islanders to play “positive cricket” and dig themselves out of a “hole” away to lowly Broadstone Seconds in County Division One tomorrow (1.30pm).

Randell’s men have suffered a lull in form that had elevated Triangle to second place in June.

However, successive losses to Cattistock, Hamworthy Rec and Compton House have sucked Portland into sixth – their last win coming in mid-June against Marnhull.

Randell told Echosport: “We’ve changed a few things. We’re going to play positive cricket and get ourselves out of a hole, we’ve been bogged down.

“Let’s just go back to playing some really quality cricket and don’t worry about losing wickets, we just need to be positive.”

Broadstone currently sit bottom of the standings, 43 points adrift of safety, but Randell admits he is unsure what to expect when arriving at Delph Woods.

“You never know who you’re going to turn up and play against,” he said. “They’ll be much stronger at home than they are away.

“I think in terms of depth they’ll have an even side, batting and bowling, I don’t think they’ll have one that’ll be the weaker of the two.

“Sometimes they’ve got a really good side out, sometimes they haven’t. It’s important when you’re playing these teams to focus on what you’re going to do.”

Star all-rounder Simon Proffitt returns for Portland at the expense of Ray Emery.

Portland: Leake, Laws, Randell, Proffitt, Theakstone, Price, J Adkins, M Barrett, Mihell, S Barrett, Cameron