Bournemouth skipper Chris Park labels brother Nick as 'Mr Consistent'

Opener Nick set the tone with the bat on Saturday when Lions recorded a comfortable 107-run triumph over Ventnor at Chapel Gate.

He struck 86 from 128 deliveries, in an innings which included nine fours, to help the hosts record their fourth win of the campaign.

Nick Park’s knock was his best of the season and sent him top of Bournemouth’s Southern League Division One run-scoring charts with 172 from five innings.

Captain Chris told the Daily Echo: “He has come into a nice bit of form but that’s my brother. You know what you get from Nick and he is Mr Consistent.

“We need him to keep scoring runs and setting things up nicely for our aggressive middle order.

“When he does get a couple of low scores the next big innings is always just around the corner for him.

“He probably walked off on Saturday disappointed he didn’t get 100. He was caught at deep mid-wicket and my brother is never happy!

“We are different personalities. It was quite funny to see in the field during the second innings – when he has scored runs he has a bit of confidence about him with a cheeky comment to me here or there.

“It’s always fun and games for the lads to see two brothers, not squabbling, but giving each other a bit of banter.”

Park’s knock was added to by an aggressive half-century from all-rounder Simon Woodruff, who scored 55 from 48 balls.

Lions posted 223 for seven having elected to bat first before bowling out the visitors for a miserly 116 in reply.

Spinner Rob Pack starred with the ball in picking up four for 26, while Ed Denham (2-16), Dan Conway (2-29) and Dom Clutterbuck (2-30) also impressed.

“There are still areas to improve,” the captain added.

“We dropped five or six catches, myself included.

“That was not the standard we wanted and we all knew that but, overall, it was a good result and gave us a little more confidence moving forward.”

Bournemouth remained second in the division behind Hook & Newnham Basics, who beat Portsmouth at home by three wickets.

Meanwhile, New Milton remain rooted to the bottom of the Southern Premier League after being thrashed by nine wickets by Alton at Fernhill, writes MIKE VIMPANY.

They have managed to eke out only eight bonus points from three heavy defeats and did not get any from this particular mauling.

Tom Arnold (17) got the Green & Golds off to a 21-run start before Toby Salmon (3-17) began the rot by taking two wickets in consecutive balls.

Arnold’s departure, the first of three victims for the impressive Ben Mortimer (3-24), triggered the loss of four more wickets and saw New Milton take lunch seven down.

Resilience from Steve and George Watts took time out of the game but from 80 for seven, New Milton lost their last three wickets for two runs, two of them to Julian Ballinger (2-13).

Once Alex Hammond smacked seven fours in a blazing 36 off 24 balls, Alton were on their way.

Jake Lilley found himself on the receiving end, his three overs costing 39 runs, as Dan Harris (38*), like Hammond brutal on anything short, swept Alton to victory off 13.1 overs.

A five-wicket new-ball spell by James Hibberd left Lymington reeling at 27 for five and set up an easy win for South Wilts on a seam bowler-friendly Sports Ground surface.

The South Wilts skipper tore into Lymington’s paper-thin top order, clean-bowling openers Ben Rogers and Dom Hand before having Aussie James Grady caught behind.

Ryan Scott and captain Simon Beetham quickly followed as Lymington found themselves five down inside the first hour’s play.

Matt Metcalfe’s unbeaten 27, aided for a while by island pair Ben Attrill and Josh Procter, kept South Wilts at bay. But a three-wicket burst by Luke Evans (3-19) reduced the hosts to 70 for nine before Kieran Moors biffed a quick-fire 15 at the end.

It took South Wilts just 13.2 overs to knock off Lymington’s 91, left-hander Tom Cowley (42) hitting seven fours in a punchy 42.

Tom Morton remained unbeaten with 45.