SKIPPER Chris Park hailed “a great win” after Bournemouth had got back on track in emphatic style with an eight-wicket victory over Division One rivals Ventnor.

Lions hosted the Islanders at Chapel Gate on the back of two dispiriting defeats but made light of chasing their biggest target of the season.

Jake Hurley (4-43), Simon Woodruff (2-41) and Dom Clutterbuck (2-41) helped restrict Ventnor to 229 after James Cheek and Ben Woodhouse had put on 111 for the first wicket.

An opening stand of 117 between Nick Park (50) and Ben Bridgen (51) paved the way for the reply, with Martin Miller (58) – including 10 textbook fours – and Chris Park (40) seeing them over the line with more than eight overs in hand.

Captain Chris Park told the Daily Echo: “With the start Ventnor had, 229 was probably 40 or 50 short and us knocking them off with eight wickets and eight overs left proved that. The pitch is fantastic and the outfield quick and I would have backed us to get 270 if we had needed to.

“It was a fantastic opening partnership between Nick and Ben but both getting out straight after drinks put us in a little bit of a sticky situation. But myself and Windy knocked off the runs and that bit of experience helped get us home.

“It was a great win, we got maximum points and the team are happy.”

Park added: “It is still early season and there are lots of points to play for so we need to keep winning games and playing our own cricket.

“I didn’t think we bowled as well as we could have so that’s still an area we need to improve on and we dropped one or two catches that I would not have expected us to drop. There are still lots of areas to improve but I was glad to see the top four firing as well.”

Controversy surrounded the dismissal of Nick Park who was stumped by Woodhouse off the bowling of Schaughn Van Greunen as Lions lost their first wicket on 117.

However, while umpire Steve Coltman raised his index finger to confirm Park’s demise, the former Dorset man was reluctant to leave the crease, apparently claiming the official had made a mistake.

Nick Park indicated he should have been reprieved as he felt Ventnor had contravened Powerplay fielding restrictions which require a certain number of players within a 30-yard radius of the wicket. Having listened to Nick Park’s protestations, fellow umpire Shaun Lilley consulted with Coltman and promptly confirmed his colleague’s decision.

Much to the chagrin of Park, who had just brought up his 50, he immediately headed back to the pavilion having accepted he had been given out, if not having agreed with it.

Speaking in a post-match interview, captain Chris Park, brother of Nick, intimated umpire Coltman had held up his hands having realised maybe a mistake had been made.

Chris Park also said he would have to think long and hard about his marking of the umpires in his captain’s report.

In an attempt to add balance to the story, the Daily Echo contacted umpire Coltman who referred us to Denis Emery, appointments secretary of the South Coast Panel of Cricket Officials.

However, Emery made it clear neither he nor Coltman would be prepared to comment on the matter.