DEFIANT Bournemouth skipper Chris Park insisted the "bubble has not burst" after his side crashed to a four-wicket Southern Premier defeat at Calmore Sports on Saturday.

Lions' unbeaten start to the Division One campaign effectively went up in smoke during a ruinous period in their innings, when they lost seven wickets for 25 runs to slump to 85 for eight.

A few lusty lower order blows lifted the visitors' score to 109, but they left 8.4 overs unused and were unable to protect their meagre total despite a terrific effort with the ball.

Park told the Daily Echo: "When you score 109 you don't deserve to win a game of cricket.

"We didn't bat well at all. There were some loose shots, batters were being hit unnecessarily on the pads in front of the stumps, when the ball wasn't really spinning or doing much through the air.

"Three or four of them have put their hands up and said they were guilty of poor shots or poor decision making and it just snowballed down the order."

Bournemouth opener Tom West lost his wicket without scoring after Park had won the toss and opted to bat.

Nevertheless, Nick Park and Luke Matthews had steadied the ship and moved the score on to 60 before Park's dismissal for 33 sparked the collapse.

Matthews (20), Chris Park (18) and tailenders Chrystian Michalowski (10) and Dom Clutterbuck, who finished unbeaten on 11, were the only other Lions players to reach double figures.

Michalowski and Clutterbuck – along with paceman Simon Woodruff – were to the fore as Bournemouth made Calmore sweat in their chase before number eight Paul Proudley smashed a counter-attacking, unbeaten 32 to win the game.

The hosts had appeared to be cruising on 40 for one, when Woodruff (2-31) had the dangerous Ben Johns caught behind for 18.

By the time Michalowski (2-25) removed James Manning for a duck and James Rose swiftly followed, trapped in front by Clutterbuck (2-20), also without scoring, Calmore has been reduced to 63 for six.

But Proudley joined Australian Jack Rutter (24) in an unbroken 49-run stand to snuff out Lions' hopes of recording an improbable victory.

"Bowling will not be a problem this year," continued Chris Park. "When we had them six down we were right in the game but their number eight hit a few boundaries and was the only batsman who timed the ball all day.

"Our bowlers all think they will get a wicket every ball, which is a nice, aggressive mindset to have. Dom and Chrystian were fantastic, and well backed by Simon.

"If we had batted out our overs we might have scored 140 or 150, which would have kept us in the game.

"These collapses happen and as long as we learn from our poor shot selection then I will be happy.

"The bubble is not going to burst. We will take this on the chin and come back fighting against Liphook & Ripsley on Saturday."