Glenrothes v Livingston

Top of the table Livingston visited the Town Park for an East of Scotland Division One fixture on Saturday but returned home minus their 100% record after a five wicket defeat by their hosts.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Glenrothes opening bowlers Darren Bremner and Malcolm Neil both struck early to leave Livi struggling at 9 for 2.

Ryan Hunter and Barry Lothian steadied the innings scoring at four an over, with Hunter in particular punishing the loose ball, but Bremner eventually managed to get a false stroke from Lothian in the 11th over and Warren Cooper took a good catch at gully – 43 for 3.

With danger man Hunter still at the crease and dominating the scoring as he passed fifty, Glens turned to the bowling of Tiro Madiseng and Ian Dale, and although they picked up a wicket each, Hunter was still there as his side reached  97 for 5 at the halfway stage of the allotted 50 overs.

Neil returned to the bowling to finish his 10 over allocation and in his penultimate over, the 31st, he made the breakthrough Glens were after when Hunter skied one and Dale safely held the spinning ball. Hunter returned to the pavilion to a well deserved round of applause after an excellent knock of 84 (12 fours and two sixes) from 91 balls with the score on 107 for 6.

Andy Lovett and Iain Murdock took the score on to 132 but both fell in successive overs to Bremner and Madiseng respectively. Number nine Jim Wilson (16 not out) managed to become second top scorer but ran out of partners as Madiseng cleaned up the tail and Livingston were all out after 43.3 overs for 149. Madiseng (4 for 45) and Bremner (3 for 18) were the main wicket takers with Cooper (3 catches) and debutant Ben Honeyman turning in excellent performances in the field.

Makeshift opener Darren Lewis was promoted up the order from number 11 to open the batting with South African Madiseng and in no time they had 50 on the board. Livingston, in need of wickets to get back in the game, turned to the experienced Wilson and batting hero Hunter and they responded immediately with Wilson bowling Madiseng for 34 and then Hunter repeating the feat by dismissing Lewis for 13 with no addition to the score.

New batsmen Greig Hopcroft and Ian Dale progressed the score to 81 but the partnership ended in the 20th over when Hopcroft played a loose shot to become Hunter’s second victim of the day. Warren Cooper, making his first appearance of the season, played a supporting role to Dale, who was in great touch and completed another fine half century. The pair added exactly fifty until Dale’s innings finished  when he was fourth out when he was caught for 58 (75 balls with 7 fours) from the bowling of Andy Lovett in the 34th over.

Although Glens lost Cooper soon after, Andy Muir (13 not out) and Ben Honeyman saw their side home without further loss with the latter hitting the winning runs in the 39th over. Pick of the visitors bowling was Hunter with 2 for 46.

Glenrothes travel to the capital to play Watsonian 2 on Saturday hoping to continue their winning ways. 

Click here for Saturdays scorecard