Dreadful weather has not helped Portsmouth & Southsea

They were looking for a win at second-placed Purbrook.

It would have been a huge boost in the race for the two promotion places.

Keiron Dunstan had made it clear he felt it was a contest his Portsmouth & Southsea side needed to win.

But the captain was left counting the cost of the miserable summer rain.

Purbrook posted 180 all out before Portsmouth & Southsea, currently third in the table, saw their reply halted at 32 for two.

Dunstan said: ‘I felt we had to win to have a chance of going up.

‘The game being off could be fairly pivotal come the end of the season.

‘We were confident we could chase the target down but that’s that.

‘You don’t know what would have happened, we might not have won anyway.

‘We could have lost a couple more quick wickets and lost the game.

‘Then it would have been tough to bounce back from that.

‘It was a stop-start sort of day, certainly not ideal cricket weather and frustrating after last week’s washout as well.

‘It’s July and the weather is dreadful. It can’t be helped, though.

‘We bowled 50 overs and then we had a reduced target of 153.

‘In reply we lost a couple of early wickets but then the heavens opened.

‘We did play a fair bit of cricket but just without getting a result.’

Dunstan was pleased with the effort from his team to restrict Purbrook’s total.

He praised the contribution of bowler Jonno Willey, who took two for 27 off his 10 overs.

Dunstan added: ‘We had some positives to take from the match.

‘Jonno Willey bowled very well. He got a couple of wickets but I thought on another day he could taken a five-for quite easily.

‘We showed some very good fielding on not the easiest of outfields.

‘It was pleasing to get out there for a bit after nothing at all the previous week.’

Portsmouth & Southsea were facing a revised target of 153 from 41 overs and they looked to be moving along smoothly at first.

But they were quite quickly rocked back by the dismissal of both openers.

Steve Clements was out for four and Tom Farnworth was dismissed for 16.

They had just started to recover when the rain arrived.

Dunstan added: ‘We lost both openers, Tom Farnworth and Steve Clements, before the rain stopped play.

‘Tom hit out a bit and I felt Steve was unlucky.

‘Matt Benfield and Jack Davies were in and they looked fairly comfortable.

‘There is a little bit of frustration for us but it can’t be helped.’

Portsmouth & Southsea face Hook next on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Fareham & Crofton bowled out Shrewton for 155 and then chased their target down to win by seven wickets.

But Bishop’s Waltham lost to Ropley by six wickets.