Stewart’s Melville CC 226 for 9 (50 0vers); Glenrothes 138 all out (35.3 overs)

There was one result we wanted on Saturday – a win to secure our East Premiership status. This we did by 88 runs, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

On losing the toss, a rare event this season, not surprisingly we were asked to bat , however it produced our best opening stand of the season by some distance. Kyle McCallum with 49 and Greg Bissett with 42, batting with caution worked very hard to put on 95. Being in such a strong position in the 21st over, it all became a bit of a struggle. Several of our batsman found ways of getting out. Shaylen Pillay made a patient 29 and Steve Parker looking in good form made 18 before being run out. This week again we had a lively last wicket stand with Adam McHoul (24*) and Tom Hilton (9*) putting on unbroken 33 runs – a very vital contribution to help push our final total to 226 for 9. We were not safe at tea, but at least the task for Glenrothes was more challenging.

Glenrothes, in spite of their ‘no wins’ season to date, have batsmen who can score runs – indeed they have been very close to winning at least 4 games this season. Our bowlers stuck to their task – 2 early wickets helped. It took a while to shift their middle order, and 48 runs for the 6th wicket to take them to 131 showed they weren’t giving up easily. However, we moped up the lower order quickly and the celebrations were soon underway.

Saturday sees our last home match of the season for the 1st XI against Watsonians with a 12 noon start with a final match against league leaders Grange at Raeburn Place on Saturday 25th.

RH Corstorphine   154 for 5 (25 overs);   Stewart’s Melville CC   74 all out  (22.1 overs)

Match reduced to 25 overs a side

With the heatwave ended  prolonged rain overnight and on Saturday morning meant a lot of time hanging around at Barnton waiting for the umpires to agree conditions had improved sufficiently to allow a reduced overs match.   Ultimately cricket got underway at 4.10 pm (instead of 12 noon) with RHC winning the toss and electing to bat.  Opening bat, Robert Taylor facing Shaylen Pillay didn’t seem tuned in when he hit the first ball of the match straight to midwicket (unnamed to save embarrassment) and was dropped only to be bowled by Shaylen with the very next ball.   Things didn’t get any better for Stew Mel as the remaining bats pushed the score along at 6 runs an over although four further wickets were taken, two each for Adam McHoul and Sam Tait.    The Stew Mel reply never reached the required rate with only Hayden Sweet (26) and Kris Steel (21) achieving double figures.   In reality the early dismissal of professional Shaylen Pillay for a duck left the team facing an uphill struggle and supporters wondering if all the waiting around for the game to start was worthwhile.   Three home games now follow against Carlton next week and Glenrothes the following week, the two teams we defeated in the first half of the season and then Watsonians who we didn’t play at Myreside due to a rare day of heavy rain.   Thereafter only an away match at Raeburn Place against league leaders Grange remains.

On Saturday following the match with Carlton the club hold their annual race night in the clubhouse (upstairs) starting at 8pm.   All supporters of the club are encouraged to come along.

Stewart’s Melville CC     90 all out (34.3 overs);    Forfarshire    91 for 2  (13.3 overs)

At hot and sunny Broughty Ferry, Captain Greg Ruthven won the toss and chose to bat first but thereafter things did not go quite as planned.   Openers Hayden Sweet and Greg Bissett batted with care and attention putting on 28 runs in 40 minutes when Hayden fell lbw to a ball which flicked off the back of his leg.   Misfortune enough but Mike Miller followed next ball, also lbw to opening bowler Scott Cameron who bowled aggressively throughout his 10 over spell taking 3 wickets and conceding only 10 runs.  The wickets of Greg and Shaylen Pillay, both caught,  followed quickly reducing  us to 32 for four.   The rest of the innings was the inevitable struggle and the total of 90 was far from a score that would stretch the home side’s powerful batting line up.   Shaylen Pillay and Tom Hilton opened our bowling and were successful in removing both Forfarshire openers for 6 runs.   This brought together two of Scotland’s World Cup batsmen Craig Wallace and Michael Leask who went along untroubled at a run a ball securing the win in only the 14th over.   In summary this was a disappointing performance although expectations for a win had not been high against one of the leagues best sides.     The twitter followers among the team and supporters then suffered further as the league’s bottom side Glenrothes seemed to be heading for an unlikely win against Arbroath before capitulating to a six run defeat losing their last five wickets for 13 runs.

Saturday sees the 1st XI back at home for a 12 noon start against Aberdeenshire who we defeated in the corresponding match last season.   Let’s hope for a repeat.