Weekend Sport – Sat 21st July 2018. Cricket – 1st XI v Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire 189 all out (49 overs) Stewart’s Melville CC 174 all out (49.3 overs)
Captain Greg Ruthven won the toss for the umpteenth time this season but in a change of tactics elected to bowl first on a green wicket, a rarity this summer. The tactic seemed to work in so far as the visitor’s batsmen struggled against opening bowlers Shaylen Pillay and Tom Hilton with the exception of Chris Venske batting at 2 in an innings of 3 hours and 10 minutes struck 113. Shire’s final score of 189 was not considered beyond our capabilities but required more than achieved in any other league match this season. In reply openers Kyle McCallum and Greg Bissett were dismissed with 20 on the board leaving our hopes of challenging the target mostly in the hands of Shaylen Pillay, Mikey Miller and Hayden Sweet. On this occasion Shaylen and Mikey set about the task with purpose and put 101 for their partnership taking the score to 121 for 3 in the 35th over. Fifteen overs to score 69 to win was certainly achievable but with no one showing much confidence in supporting Shaylen we both lost wickets and drifted behind the required run rate forcing Shaylen to go for a big hit in the 48th over and being caught on the long on boundary with the score on 157. Nine out, prospects of the win gone and still 14 runs required to collect bonus points Chris Miller and Tom Hilton did well to defy pavilion expectations and take the score up to 174 in the final over before Chris was caught behind. The two bonus points gained were welcome but the feeling was that this was an opportunity for 10 win points lost.
Scorecard: http://www.totalcricketscorer.com/TCSLive/TCSScorecard.aspx?id=69287