Weekend roundup – 19th/20th August

The weekend started with the 1t XI travelling to Barnton to take on RHC in the penultimate round of the Eastern Premier League.  Skipper Arun Pillai won the toss and chose to bat first.  Tom Simpson & Shujaa Khan opened up and put 43 on for the first wicket before Simpson fell for 18.  Daniel Da Costa joined Khan in the middle and the pair took the score to 100 when Khan was pinned in front for 43.  Pillai did not last long but Will Hardie gave Da Costa good support as Carlton piled on the runs.  Hardie fell in the 41st over for 30 with 215 on the board and although another couple of wickets fell Da Costa brought up his fourth century of the season 5 overs later.  A good cameo from Charlie Buchanan-Smith (17*) and 125 not out from Da Costa helped the Arrows post 276 for 6 from their 50 overs.  In reply Lewis O’Donnell picked up both openers and then Buchanan-Smith claimed one in the 15th over to put the home side in trouble at 41 for 3.  RHC rebuilt things a bit but a Da Costa runout sparked another clatter of wickets to leave them 74 for 6.  Ally Evans came back into the attack and picked up 2 wickets and Rory Allardice claimed the last 2 wickets to bowl RHC out for 106 in the 36th over for a fine 170 run win.

Back at Grange Loan the 2nd XI entertained Edinburgh South.  Captain Ben D’Ulisse lost the toss and Carlton were invited to bat first.  The 2s struggles with the bat continued in the face of some accurate bowling from the visitors.  None of the batters were able to get to grips with the South attack and the home side were bowled out for 72 in the 32nd over.  Only Rurai Macpherson (10) and Max D’Ulisse (11) made it to double figures.  That total was never going to be enough to trouble the Inch Park side and although Harry Simpson & Ben Stronach picked up a wicket apiece, Edinburgh South knocked off the runs in the 17th over for an 8 wicket win

The 4th XI travelled to the north of the city to take on Holy Cross at Arboretum.  Skipper Al Murray lost the toss and the 4s were inserted on a pitch still showing the effects of the overnight rain.  Murray & Shreyas Tekale made a decent start before the skipper fell in the 6th over with 20 on the board.  That was to be the biggest partnership of the day as Carlton batters struggled to come to terms with the slow surface and the accurate attack.  Tekale (17); Sam Haggo (16*) and Hamish Turner (14) did show glimpses of promise but in the end the 4s were bundled out for 61 in the 26th over.  In reply Tekale picked up a wicket but that was the solitary success as the home side chased down the total in the 13th over for a 9 wicket win.

The final game on Saturday saw the 5th XI entertain Bass Rock 2s at Newfield Arti.  Captain Keith Murray won the toss and decided to bowl first.  Lewis Broster struck in the 2nd over and again in the 10th to reduce the East Lothian side to 19 for 2.  James Deakin was next to strike and there were further wickets for Rahul Khadse, John Gill, Aadi Khadse and Stu Dawson as an excellent bowling and fielding performance saw the visitors restricted to 114 for 7 from their 40 overs.  In reply Tom Hathorn fell early but a fine 108 run second wicket partnership from Murray (68*) and Martin Robertson (34*) saw the 5s home in the 26th over for a victory by 9 wickets.

On Sunday the Women’s 2nd XI were at Roseburn to take on MDAFs.  Carlton batted first and skipper Sarah Beith lead the way with 34ret putting on 55 for the first wicket with Ajitha Rajan (12).  Aggie Foley & Abby Caton both made it to double figures for the first time this season as the Arrows were all out for 125 in the 22nd over.  In reply Sonia Amin picked up both MDAFs openers and there were also wickets for Elsie Fraser & Rajan as well as a runout from Caitlin Hutchinson which restricited the home side to 68 for 5 from their 22 overs.

Also on Sunday the 3rd XI hosted Westquarter & Redding at Grange Loan.  Paul Kentish was at the helm for this clash and lost the toss with the visitors electing to bat first.  Jamie Beattie picked up an early wicket and then Kyle Burgess claimed one in the 10th over to reduce the Falkirk side to 33 for 2.  A decent 3rd wicket partnership for the visitors was broken by Rory Ledingham in the 23rd over to leave Westquarter 80 for 3.  That became 80 for 4 as Andrew Lang pulled off an excellent caught & bowled next over.  Ledingham struck again to make it 80 for 5 but the visitors staged a bit of a recovery.  Lang sent off stump cartwheeling in the 32nd over with 102 on the board and with the opening bowlers coming back on the tail for Westquarter added some useful runs.  Shaun Smith (1) and Beattie (3) claimed the final wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 135 in the 40th over.  In reply the home side got off to a fast start despite losing Anish Amin in the 6th over with 30 on the board.  Zaki Yusaf (65) and Ledingham (38) put on 90 for the second wicket to get the 3s with in sight of the target before both fell in quick succession.  Carlton also lost Ben Thurman cheaply but James Stronach & Kentish saw the Arrows home in the 23rd over for an excellent 6 wicket win.