Weekend preview – 19th/20th August
It’s the seventeenth round of league cricket this weekend and the Arrows have six senior fixtures coming up.
On Saturday the First XI will take on RHC at Barnton. The Edinburgh side currently sit four places below the Arrows, in 7th place. In the game played earlier this season the Arrows won the toss and opted to bat first. The Arrows lost 3 early wickets but Gav Murray & Pillai put on 58 for the fourth wicket. Murray eventually fell for 45 in the 27th over with 97 on the board. Ben D’Ulisse joined Pillai and the pair put on 57 for the 5th wicket. When Pillai (65) & D’Ulisse (14) both were out with the score on 154, the home side were in a spot of bother but Umair Mohammed (27*) and Lewis O’Donnell (18*) took the score to 212 for 7 from their 50 overs. O’Donnell picked up an early wicket but a good second wicket partnership for RHC was developing. It was broken by a run out but the visitors kept the scoreboard ticking over. Mohammed struck in the 33rd over to reduce RHC to 132 for 3 but RHC were still well set. After 39 overs the visitors needed just 44 runs with 7 wickets in hand but Pillai claimed wickets in successive overs to give the home side hope of an unlikely win. Pillai picked up another in the 46th over and then Shujaa Khan took one in the 47th. In the 48th the skipper got another and a direct hit run out from Rory Allardice in the 49th swung things the home sides way. Needing 17 off the last and no wickets in hand, Pillai competed his 5-for courtesy of a Daniel Da Costa stumping from the final ball to give the Arrows a 10 run win.
The 2nd XI will welcome league leaders Edinburgh South to Grange Loan this weekend. The game at Inch Park in round eight was a tightly contested affair won by the visitors. Carlton lost the toss and chose to bat first. They lost wickets at regular intervals with opening bowlers Armaan Bedi & Charles Stronach claiming 3 & 2 wickets respectively, reducing the home side to 43 for 5 in the 18th over. The introduction of spin from Simpson & Max D’Ulisse didn’t provide any let up for the South batters and Carlton bowled the home side out for 77 in the 29th over. In reply, Zaki Yusaf and Matt Wells put on 43 for the first wicket before the latter played on. A clatter of wickets then followed including Yusaf for 33 which left the Arrows 46 for 5. There was more drama as 3 further wickets fell, but the 2s finally got over the line in the 28th over for a 2 wicket win.
The 4th XI are heading to Arboretum for their match against Holy Cross. The home side are currently sitting in 4th place in ESCA Division 4. In the reverse fixture at the Meadows, the Arrows won the toss and chose to field first. The visitors got off to a fast start but Hamish Foley claimed the 1st wicket to arrest some of the momentum. Robbie Murray then took another and Stu Dawson a third to bring things back the home sides way. However some sensible batting in difficult conditions kept the scoreboard moving for Holy Cross. Dawson claimed 3 more wickets and there was one for John Gill’s leg spin before Foley & Murray returned to claim a second wicket each and with Chris Sale picking up a runout off the last ball of the 40, the visitors were bowled out for 146. The home chase got off to a disastrous start with the skipper going in the first over swiftly followed by Robbie Murray & John Beattie. The 4s troubles with the bat continued and although there were useful contributions from Ben Stronach (14); Sale (27) & Dawson (10) the Arrows were bundled out for 89 in the 31st over to lose by 57 runs.
To conclude action on Saturday the 5th XI are facing off against Bass Rock 2s at the artificial wicket at Newfield. The North Berwick side currently reside two spots below the 5s in 9th place. In this season’s first meeting between the sides the Arrows won the toss and chose to bowl first. Keith Murray’s young charges stuck to their task well as they restricted the home side to 143 for 4 from their 40 overs. There were 2 wickets for Atreya Subr, playing only his second senior league match, and 1 for the significantly more experienced Rahul Khadse as well as a run out for Elliot Ambrose, on league debut. With the bat it looked to be a tall order when Murray went early but the youthful pairing of Tom Hathorn & Benji Risi knuckled down and produced an excellent partnership that broke the back of the chase. When Risi fell just after hitting his maiden senior 50, there was another quick wicket but Tom Dweck joined Hathorn at the crease and the young Carlton batters continued to move towards the target. In the end Hathorn (52*) and Dweck (22*) saw the 5s home in the 37th over for an outstanding 7 wicket win.
Getting Sunday’s action underway the Women’s second team will meet MDAFs at Roseburn for a 9:30am start
Also on Sunday the 3rd XI will welcome Westquarter to Grange Loan. The away side currently sit 1 place above the Arrows in 9th place. Earlier this season the sides met at Baillieifelds where the Arrows won the toss and inserted the home side. Skipper Brad McKay claimed the first wicket in the 10th over and then Hector Murray & Dougie Firth also struck to leave Westquarter 40 for 3 in the 13th. The home side rebuilt and it took the introduction of Sam Haggo to get the breakthrough in the 26th over with 115 on the board. McKay came back to pick up the next wicket and there were 2 each for Tom Ritchie and Kyle Burgess as Carlton restricted the home side to 192 for 9 from their 40 overs. In reply, Harry Hardie and James Stronach put on 48 for the 1st wicket before Hardie was bowled for 26. Haggo fell cheaply and when Stronach was out for 33 shortly after the Arrows were in a spot of bother at 69 for 3 in the 17th over. Cam Moore & Ciara Gibson had other ideas as the pair put on 104 for the 4th wicket before Gibson offered a return catch for a well made 28. Moore was then out for a fine 69 with the finish line in sight and despite losing one more wicket the Arrows got over the line in the final over for a much needed 4 wicket win.