Weekend roundup – 18th/19th May

On Saturday the 1st XI travelled north to Angus to take on Arbroath United.  Skipper Arun Pillai lost the toss and the visitors were invited to bat first.  Ru Main & Gav Murray added 34 for the first wicket but both fell in quick succession.  Daniel Da Costa and Chris McBride took the score to 90 before Da Costa was caught for 26.  Pillai came to the crease and put on 67 for the 4th wicket but then offered a return catch to the bowler to depart for 28.  McBride was the next man out for 80 with the score on 184 and the lower order were able to take the score to 225 before the Arrows were bowled out in the 47th over.  In reply Rudy Adair struck on the first over and then fellow opener Angus Beattie claimed 2 wickets to reduce the home side to 27 for 3.  McBride came on and picked up a wicket to make it 35 for 4.  A flurry of boundaries for the home side took the score to 79 before Rory Allardice pinned the Arbroath no 6 in front.  Beattie came back and picked up 2 more wickets and the skipper brought himself on to claim another.  Then Beattie completed his 5-for to bowl the home side out for 93 for a 132 run win on the road.

The 2nd XI welcomed Musselburgh to Grange Loan looking to maintain their 100% records in ESCA Div 1.  Captain Charles Stronach lost the toss and the visitors chose to bowl first.  Zaki Yusaf fell early but Ben Thurman and Ben D’Ulisse put on 140 runs for the second wicket before Thurman was bowled for 64.  Charlie Kentish and D’Ulisse took the score to 175 before Kentish was out caught behind.  Alex Fedenczuk joined D’Ulisse in the middle and the pair added 47 before D’Ulisse fell agonisingly short of 3 figures.  In the end the home side posted 238 for 4 from their 45 overs.  The visitors got off to a fast start but Jamie Beattie picked up wicket to make to 35 for 1 in the 5th over.  Ben Stronach made it 55 for 2 in the 8th when he castled the Musselburgh no 3.  The next over Beattie picked up the dangerous opener, thanks to a great running catch on the hill from James Stronach.  Beattie picked up a 3rd and then Saif Khan came on and struck in his first over to make it 79 for 5.  That became 83 for 8 as Khan claimed 3 wickets in an over and although there was a bit of stubborn resistance from the Musselburgh lower order Max D’Ulisse picked up the last 2 wickets to bowl the visitors out for 132 in the 31st over to win by 106 runs.

The 3rd XI travelled to the north of the city to take on RHC 2s at Barnton.  Skipper Brad McKay won the toss and decided to bowl first.  There was an early wicket for Dougie Firth and then Hector Murray took a smart catch of his own bowling to make it 64 for 2 in the 16th over.  After drinks Shreyas Tekale picked up a wicket thanks to a sharp stumping from Cam Moore with 108 on the board.  Matt Griffiths claimed a wicket and there was a second for Tekale but the home side were pressing the accelerator at this point.  RHC finished on 218 for 5 from their 40 overs.  In reply Tekale & Tom Hathorn put on 78 for the first wicket before Tekale fell for 48.  Wickets then fell at regular intervals until a good partnership between Aadi Khadse & Griffiths added 60 for the 6th wicket.  It was eventually broken in the 35th over with the score on 169.  That left too much for the lower order to do and despite a fine 50 for Griffiths the 3s finished on 187 for 9 to lose by 31 runs.

The 5th XI were also on duty on Saturday as they visited Old Contemptibles on the grass at Inverleith Park.  Captain Keith Murray called incorrectly and the home side chose to bat first.  Atreya Subr and Alan Ansell opened up and bowled a terrific spell on the sporting Inverleith track.  They picked up 2 wickets apiece to reduce OCCC to 7 for 4 after 9 overs.  Noah Moncur and Kartic Subr came on and carried on where the openers had left off.  Moncur claimed a brace while Subr Snr bowled maiden after maiden and also picked up one wicket to leave the home side 20 for 7 at drinks.  A good 8th wicket partnership was eventually broken by Subr Snr and then Ansell came back to claim a 3rd wicket to bowl OCCC out for 61 in the 36th over.  In reply Murray and Tom Dweck were watchful on the tricky surface and put on 19 before Dweck was bowled for 11.  Mike Kennedy entered the fray and took the attack to the bowlers as the skipper dropped anchor at the other end.  Murray eventually fell with 57 on the board and Kennedy went for a breezy 33 with the scores level.  All that was left was for John Gill to hit the winning run to set up a 7 wicket win in the 22nd over.

On Sunday the Women’s 1st XI made the journey west to take on newcomers East Kilbride in week 2 of the WPL.  Skipper Sam Haggo won the toss and chose to bat first.  Abbi Aitken-Drummond and Sarah Beith opened up for the visitors and the first wicket fell with 27 on the board.  Wickets continued to fall at fairly regular intervals and Carlton were indebted to a solid 38 from the skipper which proved to be the mainstay of their total of 133 as they were bowled out in the 27th over.  In reply Haggo mixed up her bowlers from the start and it was Saskia Aldridge who was first to strike in the 4th over with only 3 on the board.  Charis Scott then got in on the act to claim 2 wickets to make it 16 for 3 in the 7th over.  Gabriella Fontenla was the next to strike and then Ajitha Rajan took a wicket to reduce the home side to 57 for 5 in the 19th over.  Holly Sladen then struck and there was a runout before Scott came back to claim another 2 wickets.  All that was left to do was for the skipper to pick up the final wicket to see Carlton to a 37 run win in the 27th over.

The final game of the weekend saw the 4th XI entertain Penicuik 2s at Grange Loan.  Captain Al Murray won the toss and opted to bowl first.  The visitors got off to a fast start but Dan Mowat struck in the 5th over to make it 27 for 1.  Rahul Khadse was the next to strike, removing the other opener in the 14th over with 57 on the board.  An aggressive 3rd wicket partnership was broken in the 22nd over when Khadse claimed his second and then next over Abhi Mehta struck to make it 103 for 4.  Another useful partnership was broken by Tom Hathorn and Mowat returned to claim another.  Hathorn got another to make it 135 for 7 and then in his final over Mowat picked up 2 more.  The visitors finished on 160 for 9 from their 40 overs.  In reply Iain & Tom Hathorn put on 36 before Hathorn Snr picked out mid on.  2 more wickets fell before Chris Sale and Hathorn Jnr formed a useful partnership but the asking rate was rising in the face of some accurate bowling from the visitors.  Tom Hathorn eventually fell for 38 in the 26th over with the score on 80.  Scott Fraser & Sale added another 20 runs before Fraser fell to a stunning grab at midwicket.  Wickets then fell regularly, including Sale for 27, as the home side were bowled out for 112 in the 39th over to lose by 48 runs.