Weekend Sport – 1st June 2019. Cricket – 1st XI defeat Heriot’s … another rare win over local rival team

Cricket:    Heriot’s CC    152 all out (46.4 overs);    Stewart’s Melville CC    153 for 5 (48 overs).     Win by 5 wickets.

1st XI v Heriot’s CC 1 June 2019

Following their recent win over Watsonians in the T20 Masterton Trophy the 1st XI cricket team secured another rare win against local rivals, this time in the Prenier League against Heriot’s CC at Inverleith giving the club a two out four record for the season so far in the league.    On this occasion the Stew Mel bowlers restricted the usually free scoring opposition to around three runs an over while taking wickets throughout.

Taking a line through our batting in chasing down 169 against Stoneywood Dyce at Inverleith three weeks earlier there were hopes that we could do so again. Patrick Ritchie and Kris Steel had to face the difficult fairly quick opening period against our former player Elliot Ruthven and Joe Kinghorn-Gray who moved from RH Corstorphine for this season. Steel was out in the 10th over to Kinghorn-Gray and Ritchie in the 15th to the first change Michael Shean. Ben Wilkinson (42) and Shaylen Pillay (28) set up our response. There was some concern among home supporters when Elliot Ruthven removed both in close proximity during his second spell but after a slow period between overs 30 and 40 Hayden Sweet (21 no) and Greg Ruthven (26 no) stepped up the pace and stayed together to achieve a win in the 47th over which most East cricket observers would have deemed unlikely. All in all a great performance and well done.

This week matches are scheduled against Grange on Thursday evening in the T20 (6.15pm) and against Watsonians at Myreside in the league on Saturday (1pm) with a Scottish Cup 1st round match on Sunday at Inverleith v RH Corstorphine (12 noon start).