FURIOUS skipper Chris Park slammed Bournemouth's top-order batsmen for tossing away their wickets in a chastening three-wicket defeat at Sarisbury Athletic.
Park compiled a steady 48 but watched the remainder of Lions’ top five score 27 between them in the British Gas Southern League contest at Allotment Road, writes Neil Perrett.
Handy contributions from Jake Hurley (21) and Dom Clutterbuck (23) helped Bournemouth creep up to 158 before Sarisbury survived a few wobbles to clinch a first win in five Division One games.
Park was heartened by his bowlers’ “first-class” effort but admitted he was “tired of hearing excuses” from a batting unit yet to locate any consistency this season.
He said: “We just keep hanging ourselves. The top five or six keep giving away their wickets and nobody is being greedy or selfish as a batsman.
“We have no excuses at all – our batsmen were all caught in the ring trying to hit the ball over the top.
“It just kept happening. I was stood at the other end for a lot of them. They were in the middle talking the talk... but then next ball hitting it in the air again and getting caught.”
Park gleaned scant consolation from his own captain’s knock as last week’s crushing of Ventnor, which followed back-to-back defeats, proved to be something of a false dawn.
And while the 33-year-old stopped short of calling his side flat-track bullies, he suggested they could do with applying more nous on the days when batsmen do not hold all the aces.
“Ventnor was at home on a very good pitch and the shots that cost the lads on Saturday were going for four last week,” said Park.
“We need to assess the conditions and play accordingly. Talk is cheap now – we’ve talked enough. The batters have to put in the performances themselves and show their maturity and experience.
“It is my job as a senior player to contribute runs, but it would be nice for others to put their hands up. I am getting tired of hearing excuses from them, they are all good players in their own right.”
Jem Warner (3-19) gave Bournemouth real hope they could pull something out of the fire when he snared three quick wickets to reduce the hosts to 71 for four.
Sarisbury skipper Matthew Journeaux and Chris Sanders (28) then shared a 32-run stand to seemingly put them back on easy street.
But Hurley (2-29) took his turn to upset the apple cart by removing Journeaux and Josh Hill in quick succession.
In the final reckoning, Lions paid for not setting a stiff enough target and were beaten for a fourth successive away match, with Tom Mills hitting a match winning 32 not out for Sarisbury.
“Our bowlers were first class and did extremely well to take it to the 49th over,” added Park. “I could not ask for more from them. I am extremely disappointed because I felt we should have comfortably won that game.”
Park compiled a steady 48 but watched the remainder of Lions’ top five score 27 between them in the British Gas Southern League contest at Allotment Road, writes Neil Perrett.
Handy contributions from Jake Hurley (21) and Dom Clutterbuck (23) helped Bournemouth creep up to 158 before Sarisbury survived a few wobbles to clinch a first win in five Division One games.
Park was heartened by his bowlers’ “first-class” effort but admitted he was “tired of hearing excuses” from a batting unit yet to locate any consistency this season.
He said: “We just keep hanging ourselves. The top five or six keep giving away their wickets and nobody is being greedy or selfish as a batsman.
“We have no excuses at all – our batsmen were all caught in the ring trying to hit the ball over the top.
“It just kept happening. I was stood at the other end for a lot of them. They were in the middle talking the talk... but then next ball hitting it in the air again and getting caught.”
Park gleaned scant consolation from his own captain’s knock as last week’s crushing of Ventnor, which followed back-to-back defeats, proved to be something of a false dawn.
And while the 33-year-old stopped short of calling his side flat-track bullies, he suggested they could do with applying more nous on the days when batsmen do not hold all the aces.
“Ventnor was at home on a very good pitch and the shots that cost the lads on Saturday were going for four last week,” said Park.
“We need to assess the conditions and play accordingly. Talk is cheap now – we’ve talked enough. The batters have to put in the performances themselves and show their maturity and experience.
“It is my job as a senior player to contribute runs, but it would be nice for others to put their hands up. I am getting tired of hearing excuses from them, they are all good players in their own right.”
Jem Warner (3-19) gave Bournemouth real hope they could pull something out of the fire when he snared three quick wickets to reduce the hosts to 71 for four.
Sarisbury skipper Matthew Journeaux and Chris Sanders (28) then shared a 32-run stand to seemingly put them back on easy street.
But Hurley (2-29) took his turn to upset the apple cart by removing Journeaux and Josh Hill in quick succession.
In the final reckoning, Lions paid for not setting a stiff enough target and were beaten for a fourth successive away match, with Tom Mills hitting a match winning 32 not out for Sarisbury.
“Our bowlers were first class and did extremely well to take it to the 49th over,” added Park. “I could not ask for more from them. I am extremely disappointed because I felt we should have comfortably won that game.”
