Glenrothes v Watsonian 2
After last weeks polished performance at Livingston, Glenrothes Cricket Club’s 1stXI were on the receiving end this week going down by 128 runs to an impressive Watsonian 2ndXI at Riverside Park on Saturday.
The visitors surprisingly elected to bat first on the notoriously unpredictable Glenrothes wicket and, to their credit, showed that runs could be scored on it.
Glenrothes made a good start with the hard new ball and, with the odd ball doing a bit off the pitch, opening bowlers Darren Bremner and Malcolm Neil picked up a wicket each and when Darren Lewis struck again in his first over, the capital side were 37 for 3 after 14 overs.
Alistair Fleming and Stuart Johnstone took the score up to 70 until Tiro Madiseng tempted Fleming with a wide one that the batsmen only managed to get a fine touch to wicket-keeper Cammy Ross and he was out for 30 in the 21st over.
Just before the drinks interval at the halfway stage of the innings, Glenrothes were convinced they had their fifth wicket of the day when a smart piece of fielding off his own bowling by Ian Dale saw him return the ball to keeper Ross who quickly removed the bails before Ben Fox got back in his crease but to the home sides amazement, the Watsonian player umpiring gave not out.
This decision badly affected the morale of the Glenrothes side for a number of overs and sensing this, Johnstone and Fox took advantage adding 55 runs for the fifth wicket until Neil’s introduction back in to the attack saw him bowl Johnstone for 41 just when he threatened to cut loose.
With 16 of the allotted 50 overs remaining, five wickets in hand and the pitch playing better against the softer ball, new batsmen David Sweetman, after a streaky start, kept the momentum going with 51 runs from 44 balls, adding 72 runs in 82 balls with Fox to take Watsonians just short of two hundred. Eventually, both perished in consecutive balls, and in exactly the same manner caught a fly-slip by Bremner, from the bowling of Madiseng.
Although Glenrothes managed to get one more wicket, with Mike Sampson taking a good low running catch in the deep, it was little consolation as the visitors racked up the highest score at the park this season with 222 for 8. On a day the bowlers would want to forget, Tiro Madiseng returned the best figure of 3 for 43 with Malcolm Neil 2 for 32.
Glenrothes required a solid start against the new ball, which again would aid the opening bowlers, but soon they were in trouble as Greig Hopcroft, Madiseng and Dale were all back in the pavilion out caught from the bowling of Donald Milne with 32 on the board and only 8 overs gone. Ben Honeyman, occupying the crease in his accustomed manner, was joined by Mike Sampson and the pair added 30 until the latter was another to play a loose shot and was caught for 15. The collapse continued as 62 for 4 became 65 for 6 as Malcolm Neil was fifth out, another one caught, and after batting for just over an hour, Honeyman left one that cut back and he was bowled for 23.
Thereafter, with the exception of Mike Boyd (12) and Darren Bremner (12 not out), the remaining batsmen failed to occupy the crease for any length of time and Glenrothes were bowled out for a very disappointing 94 in only 29.1 overs. Pick of the Watsonian bowling was Milne with 3 for 24 and skipper Ross Brooks with 3 for 27.
Despite fielding the same eleven in consecutive games for the first time this season, the team failed to raise their game to the high standards that are now expected and, although they still hold the top spot in East of Scotland Division One, the gap has closed considerably. Glenrothes travel to Edinburgh on Saturday to play Cramond knowing that they will have to improve in all departments if they want to keep second placed Grange from overtaking them
Click here for Saturdays scorecard |
