3rd XI Victorious at a Windy and Chilly Leith Links

For the third time this season, skipper Craig Gould called incorrectly and lost the toss, with Leith FAB 2nd XI skipper Secker, with only a team of 8; deciding to have a bat.

Glens opened the bowling with two generations of the Graveling family, Daniel and his father Keith. After a tight 1st few overs it was Keith Graveling who struck, clean bowling Kaz for 6 and he was also unluckily robbed of a second wicket by very poor umpiring when everyone could see he had trapped Watt LBW. The Graveling lads kept it tight and gave away very few runs and this vein was continued by the change bowlers, Richard Cox and Manju Kadanaik; although any loose balls were punished by the incumbent batsmen Spence and Watt.

Skipper Gould brought on spinner Ross Mearns and left armer Brian Morris to try and force the batsmen to hit out at slower bowling, and in Morris' second over this was the case when Watt drove straight back at Brian, who for the second week running recorded a caught and bowled. Not to be out done Mearns found himself on a hattrick in the next over when first Spence tied himself in knots and played on to his own stumps for a fine 27. Ross' next delivery flew up off the bat of Fleunde and skipper Gould ran in to take a fine catch diving forward at full length.

Rossco's hat-trick ball to Sammi was driven at catchable height past the flailing arms of Andy McAulay. There was an audible sigh of relief amongst the Glens players as they would never have heard the last of it if Ross had taken a hat-trick!!!!

Brian Morris struck twice more with Birendra Kumar, in his last game for Glenrothes before heading to Dubai, taking a fine catch at slip, then Chris Yarwood safely holding on at square leg. A final bowling change saw Birendra Kumar come on and he wrapped things up forcing last man Fisher to play onto his own stumps. The Leith innings ended on 78 after 32.4 overs of stubborn batting from the 8 men.

Andy McAulay and Chris Yarwood opened for Glenrothes and were quickly in the swing of things pushing the score onto 25 after 9 overs. Andy (12) played a half shot in the 10th to give Watt an easy catch of his own bowling. Keith Graveling (0) came in at 3 and was looking very comfortable against the pace of Watt before he was bizarrely given out LBW by umpire and teammate Morris when he was half way down the track. An understandably angry Keith trudged back to the pavilion.

Ross Mearns made a cameo at number 4 quickly reaching 11 before playing and missing the softest looking ball from Sammi. Richard Cox joined Chris in the middle with the score on 52 and both players looked assured until Yarwood (12) walked in front of his stumps to be trapped LBW by Sammi with the score now on 64, 15 runs from Victory.

Andy Muir took to the middle and in no time at all he and Cox had taken the Glenrothes score to 82 and an easy win. Richard finished on 14 not out and Andy on 10.

Credit has to go to Leith who had to scratch a game last week due to not haing a team, for the way they battled through the game with 8 men, albeit being aided by Glenrothes providing a fielder for them when they bowled.

Glenrothes 3rd XI are finally at home next week and all things being good will play the inaugaral game at the Club's Gilvenbank facility.