PORTLAND RED TRIANGLE 270ao (20pts) beat CERNE VALLEY 237ao (10pts) by 33 runs

CHRIS Leake hit a magnificent century as Portland Red Triangle claimed a second successive victory, beating Cerne Valley by 33 runs in County Division One.

Leake his 16 fours and four sixes on his way to a superb 127 runs as Portland set a very defendable total of 270 which Cerne were unable to surpass, despite the best efforts of Lloyd Mitchem (67).

Portland won the toss and elected to bat, and put on a respectable amount of 45 runs before opener Matt Randell (26) was bowled by Mark Whitmarsh (2-27).

Leake’s superb form with the bat underpinned the entire innings for the home side, with Randell and Sam Mihell (23) the only other batsmen to get more than 15 runs.

Yet it was proving enough, with Pete Jarvis (7) the next to go with Portland now on 78-2.

A 54-run partnership for the home side between Leake and Chris Theakstone (12), pushed the score from 116-3 to 180 before the latter was bowled by Sam Downey.

Off-spinner Downey was particularly effective against the Portland batsmen, taking five wickets for 42 runs.

Wickets then fell fairly regularly, with Leake eventually dismissed as the home side reached 218-6.

The last partnership of Mihell and Jack Marsh (5) ended up proving vital, providing a late push from 236-9 to 270 with Portland now all out.

With Cerne in to bat, Simon Proffitt proved effective with the ball, taking four wickets for 26 runs.

Partnerships for Cerne never pushed far beyond 50, with the duos Mitchem and Matt Longley (13) who added 47 runs, and Mitchem and Whitmarsh (29) likely ruing the missed chance to put in a match-winning partnership.

Ultimately Cerne fell 33 runs short of the target, being bowled out for 237 with just under 10 overs remaining.

After the match, Portland captain Randell said: “We probably had a few tricky periods of play where we were still playing positive shots, we were just hitting fielders.

“But what we did not do is go into our shells throughout those tricky periods, we just carried on playing our shots, that allowed us to get up to 270 which we thought was a pretty good score on that pitch. Again it was a really quick start which helps.

“It was really positive, some good signs for going forward really.”

Portland travel to Swanage on Saturday (1pm).