Weekend roundup – 11th/12th July

On a misty Saturday the 1s hosted Edinburgh South at Grange Loan.  With a wet outfield and poor visibility the umpires waited to see if conditions would improve.  They eventually did and a 28 overs a side contest began with the Arrows batting first.  Angus Guy & Pete Gill put on 117 for the first wicket before Gill was caught behind for 26.  Skipper Daniel Da Costa didn’t last long but Guy found good support from Olly Davidson (sponsored by Haldi).  Guy brought up his century in the 24th over and continued to pile on the runs as the home side finished on 233 for 2 with Guy 139* and Davidson 62*.  The visitors reply got off to the worst possible start as they subsided to 0 for 2 after 3 overs with Davidson and Ben Stronach bowling consecutive wicket maidens.  A solid 3rd wicket partnership for South threatened to make a game of it but Davidson came back and got the breakthrough to make it 114 for 3 in the 19th.  The visitors resistance rather petered out and with wickets for Davidson; Stonach (3); Jamie Beattie (2) and Rudy Adair as the Arrows bowled out South for 137 in the 26th over to win by 96 runs.

The 2s were away at Goldenacre 2 to take on Championship leaders Drummond Trinity.  The match was delayed for an hour and reduced to 45 overs a side.  Batting first Oli Stones made a bright start before falling for 23 and then Tom Hathorn went cheaply but Ben D’Ulisse and Gav Murray gave the innings some impetus.  Murray brought up his half century in the 26th over but fell next ball with the score on 129.  D’Ullise went shortly after for 46 and none of the other batters could make a meaningful impact on the score.  In the end the Arrows were bowled out for 189 in the penultimate over.  In reply a good opening spell from Charles Stronach and Felix Lisher kept the home side in check before Stronach picked up both openers to make it 30 for 2 in the 12th over.  A strong 3rd wicket partnership, however, started to take the game away from the Arrows.  Aadi Khadse eventually made the breakthrough in the 24th over but the score had moved on to 134.  There were further wickets for Lisher & Rory Ledingham but DTs cantered home in the 38th over to consign the Arrows to a 5 wicket loss.

The 3s travelled west to play Linlithgow at Boghall.  Skipper Brad McKay lost the toss and was inserted by the home team.  The Arrows got off to a poor start with the bat, reduced to 19 for 4 in the 11th over.  Scott Fraser and Cam Moore recovered things somewhat and took the score to 55 before Fraser was pinned in front.  Moore went shortly after for 28 but John Gill found some form with the bat.  Wickets continued to fall and things looked bleak at 91 for 9.  McKay and Gill added 28 for the final wicket before McKay was bowled for 11, leaving Gill stranded on 24*.  An early strike from Dougie Firth gave the Arrows hope but it took until the 15th over for the next wicket to fall courtesy of the introduction of Elliot Peltenburg with 45 on the board.  Runs continued to flow and although Finlay Thompson picked up a wicket in the 24th over the score was 104 for 3.  Peltenburg then picked up 2 in 2 and Thompson claimed his 2nd wicket the home reached the target in the 28th over to win by 4 wickets.

The 5s game against league leaders Dunfermline & Carnegie 3s fell victim to the weather as Meadows 1 was unplayable after overnight rain.

On Sunday the Women’s 1s welcome Grampian Thistles to Grange Loan in round 9 of the WPL 40.  Captain Samantha Evans won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first.  There was an early strike for Maisie Maceira but the score moved on to 69 for 1 at drinks.  The skipper struck 2 ball after the break and in the 24th over Varsha Suresh picked up the 3rd wicket.  An over later Evans claimed her 2nd to make it 85 for 4.  Worse was to come in the 28th over as Ikra Farooq claimed a hat-trick to reduce the Northerners to 103 for 7.  Maceira then returned to pick up the final wicket to bowl the visitors out for 115.    In reply the Arrows lost Holly Sladen early and then fellow opener Sarah Beith was bowled for 14 to make it 44 for 2 in the 5th over.  Sophie Thomas then went for 23 to leave the Arrows 63 for 3, but the experienced pair of Annette Aitken-Drummond (12*) and skipper Evans (36*) saw the Arrows home without further alarm in the 13th over for a 7 wicket win.

The Women’s 2s were away at Inverleith to take on Stew Mel 2s.  The Arrows batted first and scored 143 for 4 from their 30 overs.  Captain Amelia Beattie led the way with 42 and there were useful contributions from Mathilda Ellis (18); Alison Amin (12*) and Eve Wilkie (10) as well as an unbeaten 24 from Sarah Law holding the back end of the innings together.  With the ball there was an early strike for Ellis and then Eva Vaughan Shaw chipped in with a wicket.  A strong 3rd wicket partnership for the home side was eventually broken by Law and Vaughan Shaw claimed a 2nd wicket but Stew Mel got over the line in the 28th over to claim the win by 4 wickets.

The final game of the weekend saw the 4s travel to Leith Links to take on Leith FAB 3s.  Skipper Al Murray won the toss and chose to bowl first.  Things didn’t go according to plan as the home side got off to a fast start before Tomos Hunt broke through with 49 on the board.  Another strong partnership took them to dinks with the score 106 for 1.  Stu Dawson eventually struck in the 24th over but some big hitting kept the scoreboard moving.  Aaradhy Khadse claimed a well deserved wicket in the 32 over but the score had moved on to 180.  Khadse picked up one more and Taha Khan took 2 with Hunt claiming his 2nd in the final over as Leith finished on 239 for 7.  The Arrows got off to good start before Murray went for 27 in the 10th over with 67 on the board.  2 more wickets fell quickly included Basil Khan (36) but Chris Sale & Hunt dug in a kept the scoreboard ticking over.  At the halfway point the Arrows were well placed at 121 for 3 and things looked up as Hunt brought up his first ever half century.  With 66 needed of the last 10 overs Hunt fell for 51.  Sale kept going and got support from Harley Durnin-Cox but the rate was beginning to climb.  Sale fell 1 short of his half century and with 20 needed off the last Durnin-Cox holed out for 25.  In the end the Arrows finished on 224 for 6 to lose by 15 runs.