Portsmouth skipper gutted after batting meltdown

Portsmouth endured a catastrophic batting meltdown in a crushing 107-run defeat to Bournemouth at St Helens on Saturday.
Jack Marston is bowled. Picture: Neil Marshall (180610-005)Jack Marston is bowled. Picture: Neil Marshall (180610-005)
Jack Marston is bowled. Picture: Neil Marshall (180610-005)

Openers Ben Duggan and Jordan Palmer-Goddard gave the home side a flying start as they set about a target of 237 in the Southern League division one clash.

But once the pair departed it turned into a batting nightmare for Portsmouth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They lost seven wickets for just 11 runs – including two stumpings and a run out.

Portsmouth captain Jack Marston admitted it was a horror show.

He said: ‘We just capitulated and it was very disappointing.

‘We knew if we batted our overs we would more than likely win the game. All we had to do was bat sensibly.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Bournemouth’s score was good but we felt it was well within our capabilities to chase it down.

‘When our openers went out and smashed 50 off the first seven overs we looked in good shape. But after they got out we never got going.

‘Nearly all the dismissals were soft ones and I include myself in that. At the moment I keep finding different ways to get myself out.

‘I need to spend more time at the crease.

‘Bournemouth had two good left-arm spinners and not a lot else. We just didn’t make a game of it.’

Bournemouth won the toss and elected to bat first.

Asad Abbas (two for 20) bowled well for the hosts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Duggan (37) then opened the Portsmouth innings in typically aggressive style, quickly accumulating his runs off 32 balls.

He struck two sixes before he was caught on the long-on boundary going for a third.

Marston added: ‘Ben took the attack to Bournemouth.

‘He does tend to live and die by the sword.’

After that wickets tumbled with Vikram Dawson, Paul Hungerford, Prad Bains and Alex Hammond failing to trouble the scorer.

After a fourth straight loss, Portsmouth are one place off the bottom.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We have re-inforcements arriving in the next few weeks,’ said Marston.

‘James Christian is back for the next game and in two weeks we’ll have Fraser Hay and Andrew Marston back from Australia.

‘Our team will then be a lot more balanced. Fraser will open our bowling and bat at three or four.

‘He is another aggressive player in the Duggan mould.

‘And with Andy in the side it will give us two left-arm spinners who can tie up 20 overs.

‘There is no need to panic as we are only five games into the season.

‘I am convinced we will soon start climbing the table.’