Weekend roundup – 16th/17th May
The 1s hosted Falkland in round 3 of the Eastern Premier League. Bowling first the Arrows were a bit wayward early on before Conor Regan eventually made the breakthrough with 51 on the board. Shovik Chakraborty struck next before Regan claimed another 2 wickets to make it 93 for 4. Shiv Jhala then produced 4 lbw dismissals to reduce the visitors to 166 for 8 but the tail saw the Falkland number 3 to three figures before eventually being bowled out for 226. In reply, wickets fell at regular intervals as the Arrows struggled to form any significant partnerships. Chris McBride (45) and Jhala (44*) were the only 2 batters to really get going as the home side was bundled out for 194 in the 38th over to lose by 32 runs.
The 2s were away at Goldenacre looking to make it 3 wins in a row in the ESCA Championship. Inserting the home side didn’t go according to plan as Heriot’s added 91 for the 1st wicket. 2 more wickets fell on the same score and then the Arrows started to make steady inroads into the home batting line up. In the end Heriot’s were bowled out for 171 in the penultimate over with Max D’Ulisse taking the bowling honours with 5 for 20. In reply Barry Vosloo fell with 0 on the board but Pete Gill and Tom Simpson steadied the ship, adding 118 for the second wicket before Gill went for 63. A couple of more wickets fell cheaply but Simpson (88*) steered the Arrows home in the 35th over for a convincing 6 wicket win.
The final game on Saturday saw the 4s make the short journey to Craiglockhart to take on Watsonians 3s. The home side chose to bat first and there was an early strike for Elliot Peltenburg but Watsonians dug in. Atreya Subr took a wicket with his first ball thanks to a smart catch from dad Kartic and Subr jnr struck again on the cusp of drinks to make it 62 for 3. A fine 100 runs partnership for the home side was broken by the Subr family, this time with the roles reversed. Peltenburg came back and picked up 2 wickets in an over and then Dan Mowat also claimed a brace. Peltenburg then completed his 5-for in the final over to bowl out Watsonians for 183. The reply never really got going with wickets falling regularly. Only skipper Al Murray (23) made it to double figures as the Arrows subsided to 86 all out, finishing a comfortable second.
On Sunday the Women’s 2s Challenger Cup game was postponed to a date where the opposition have better player availablity.
The 3s were away at Inch Park to take on Edinburgh South 2s. Bowling first Hector Murray picked up the first wicket and then captain Brad McKay removed the other opener to make it 59 for 2. Spinners Tom Hathorn & John Gill claimed the next 5 wickets to leave South 126 for 7 before Murray came back and got 2 in 2. The home side safely negotiated the hattrick ball and finished their 40 overs on 139 for 9. For the Arrows both openers fell cheaply and then a run out saw the 3s under the pump at 14 for 3. Pavan Yaridi (35) and Robbie Murray (37) repaired the damage but when they were out the 3s still needed 49 runs. Another 2 wickets went down but John Gill and Lewis Broster got the Arrows within range. There was still drama to come as wickets fell bringing McKay to the crease with the scores tied. A legside nurdle secured the win with Gill finishing on 20* to get the 3s season off and running.
The final game of the weekend saw the 5s host Leith FAB 4s at Grange Loan. Inserting the visitors brought early dividends with Scott Fraser claiming 3 wickets, skipper Euan Murray 2 and Stu Dawson also struck to reduce Leith to 55 for 6 but a fine 7th wicket partnership frustrated the Arrows. It took the introduction of Alex Fedenczuk to the attack the make the breakthrough with 143 on the board. John Carpenter then picked up a wicket before Fedenczuk claimed the final 2 wickets to bowl the visitors out for 156. In reply Martin Robertson & Fedenczuk put on 96 for the 1st wicket before Robertson holed out for 28. Shortly after Fedenczuk brought up his 50 but was bowled next ball. Vijay Ragahavan added 24 before Ishan Samanta and Fraser saw the Arrows home with 7 wickets and 12 overs to spare to get their first win of the season.