Weekend preview – 20th/21st July

Seven fixtures for the Arrows this weekend with a double header for the 3s and the return of the WPL.

The First XI will welcome Arbroath to Grange Loan on Saturday.  Arbroath are currently 9th in the EPL with 3 wins and 6 losses.  The two sides last met in round 3 of the EPL at Lochlands.  In that match 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. Daniel Da Costa is still in charge but Will Hardie, Charlie Buchanan-Smith, Rory Allardice and Ruari Macpherson all return to the side.

The Second XI will head to Lewisvale Park where they will meet Musselburgh.  The East Lothian side are currently in 6th place.  In their 11 completed fixtures they have picked up 5 wins and 6 losses.  In the first meeting between the sides this year 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.  Ben D’Ulisse is back this week and Shreyas Tekale makes his debut for the 2s.

The Third XI’s first game of the weekend will take place at Peffermill against RHC 2s.  RHC 2s are currently top of the league this year and are yet to lose a game.  In the match earlier this season 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 Fourth XI will face off against Penicuik 2s at Kirkhill.  Penicuik 2s are currently 2 spots below the Arrows in 7th place in ESCA Division 5.  In the game between the two sides earlier in the year 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.

The Fifth XI wrap up Saturday as they host OCCC at Myreside Arti.  OCCC are currently rock bottom in ESCA Division 7 with 2 wins and 7 losses.  In the game earlier this year at Inverleith Park skipper 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.

The Women’s First XI get Sunday underway at Grange Loan as they entertain Watsonians/Dumfries in the WPL.  The combined side are currently joint top of the WPL with the Arrows and Stewart’s Melville.  All three sides have a 100% record currently.  In last year’s fixture against Watsonians at Myreside skipper Sam Haggo lost the toss and the home side chose to bat first.  Wickets fell fairly regularly as a good bowling and fielding performance saw the home side bowled out for 94 in the 23rd over.  There were wickets for Maisie Maceira (2); Gabriella Fontentla; Flora Corbin; Charis Scott (3); Ajitha Rajan and Haggo who also chipped in with a run out.  In reply Sarah Beith fell early but Ciara Gibson & Scott broke the back of the chase before Scott fell for an aggressive 43.  Haggo joined Gibson at the crease and saw her side to the target in the 12th over with Gibson finishing on 24 not out.

The Third XI’s second game of the week takes place at McKane Park against Dunfermline and Carnegie.  Dunfermline and Carnegie are currently 4th in ESCA Division 2 with 4 wins and 4 losses.  In the fixture last year at McKane Park captain Brad McKay lost the toss and the home side chose to bat first.  The hosts made 217 for 5 from their 40 overs with wickets for Shaun Smith, Jamie Beattie, Vijay Nagarajan, Kyle Burgess & McKay.  In reply the Arrows lost 2 early wickets but Ben Thuman (34) and Euan Keatinge (33) steadied the ship.  Wickets fell regularly however and despite some good lower order resistance from Smith (25); Beattie (21*) and McKay (21) the visitors could only muster 164 as they were bowled out in the 37th over to lose by 53 runs.