Weekend roundup – 31st August/1st September

Saturday saw the final league game for the 1st XI as they took on near neighbours Watsonians at Grange Loan.  Skipper Arun Pillai won the toss and chose to bat first.  A blistering start for the Arrows saw Ruari Macpherson & Chris McBride put of 47 for the 1st wicket before Macpherson was bowled in the 7th over for 20.  Daniel Da Costa joined McBride in the middle and the pair continued to take the game to the bowlers adding 180 for the 2nd wicket.  McBride eventually fell 3 runs short of three figures in the 33rd over bringing skipper Pillai to the crease.  Da Costa did bring up his century in the 36th over and fell 4 overs later for 112 with the score on 265.   Wickets fell regularly from that point as the batters looked to add quick runs with useful cameos from Pillai (29); Gav Murray (14) and Rory Allardice (16*) seeing the home side to a total of 327 for 9 from their 50 overs.   In reply Lewis O’Donnell picked up the ‘Sonians danger man in the first over to make it 12 for 1.  O’Donnell claimed the next wicket at the start of the 9th over to leave the visitors on the back foot at 47 for 2.  That became 52 for 3 with a runout in the 12th over but the Myreside men dug in.  It took another 21 overs before the next wicket fell as Pillai snuck one through to make it 145 for 4.  The visitors consolidated once more and another runout in the 45th over saw them in trouble at 215 for 5.  With the required rate into double figures O’Donnell and Allardice each picked up 2 more wickets as Watsonians were restricted to 252 for 9 from their 50 overs to set up a 75 run win for the Arrows.  That results saw them finish in 6th position in the Eastern Premier League for season 2024.

On Sunday there was an inaugural fixture for Carlton against the MCC in a 40 overs a side match.  The visitors included several past & present Arrows players as well as representatives from Grange, RHC & Watsonians as well as a couple of players from further afield.  Daniel Da Costa had the reins for this match and on winning the toss invited the MCC to bat first.  A good start for the visitors was broken by the introduction of Angus Beattie to the attack as he induced a top edge from Arrows veteran Umair Mohammad, well caught by brother Jamie at cover, making it 47 for 1 in the 7th over.  Rory Ledingham was the next to strike in the 10th over with the score on 59 as Max D’Ulisse took a steepling catch at mid off.  That brought Ben D’Ulisse to the crease and he just about avoided getting out to his little brother before the returning Angus Beattie had him pinned in front to make it 103 for 3 in the 18th over.   Beattie picked up another after drinks and then Saif Khan got in on the act in the 23rd over with 2 wickets to make it 120 for 6.  A decent 7th wicket partnership was broken in the 30th over with the leg spin on Lewis O’Donnell with 163 on the board.  O’Donnell claimed a 2nd 4 overs later to make it 180 for 8 which brought Carlton legend Fraser Watts to the crease.  Watts marshalled the tail well before Da Costa struck in the penultimate over and then Jamie Beattie nicked off the last man to bowl out the MCC for 230 with 1 ball of the 40 to go.  In reply O’Donnell blasted 14 off the 1st 4 legitimate balls before missing a straight one to make it 16 for 1.  Gav Murray fell cheaply but Ru Main and Angus Beattie added 50 for the 3rd wicket before Main fell to fellow Arrow Harry Simpson for 19 in the 10th over to make it 74 for 3.  Hector Murray made his way to the middle but he too fell to Simpson for 12 in the 14th over with 88 on the board.  Simpson then bowled Ledingham 1st ball but Jamie Beattie kept out the hattrick delivery.  The Beattie brothers then produced a fine 114 run partnership to tip the game firmly in the home side’s favour.  Jamie Beattie eventually fell for 48 in the 28th over with only 29 runs needed.  Da Costa’s stay was brief and when Angus Beattie fell for 80 in the 31st over that made the score 221 for 8.  That became 225 for 9 in the 32nd as Arun Pillai departed leaving the final pair of Max D’Ulisse and Khan to get the last 6 runs needed for victory.  An eventful couple of overs eventually saw D’Ulisse slap the ball over point to the boundary to win the game by 1 wicket in the 34th over and a fitting way to end the season for the Arrows.