A vastly improved Glenrothes performance wasn’t quite enough to secure victory on Saturday, as they fell to Aberdeenshire by four wickets in a rain‑affected Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union (SPCU) North East Championship encounter at Gilvenbank Park.

Glenrothes posted 170 all out, showing far better discipline and patience with the bat than in the previous week. Sufyan Ahmed (47) gave the early impetus with big hitting, with Mayank Sautiyal (33) controlling the middle with order with support from Yasar Arfat and Anas Tanveer.

The improved shot selection and willingness to build partnerships across the team allowed Glens to set a competitive total that put the visitors under real pressure.

Defending 170, Glenrothes produced their most disciplined bowling and fielding display of the season.

Tight lines and sharp fielding reduced Aberdeenshire to 64 for 5, with the wobble-bowing of Qasim Ahmad putting the batters in doubt and Bimal Nalpurakkal Balan bowling a great opening spell of 3 for 24 from 6 overs.

The fielding was also firing, with two outstanding catches - one from Urvish Patel stretching high, another from Ben Krzyzanowski diving forward - swinging momentum firmly toward the home side.

At that stage, with rain beginning to fall, Glenrothes were ahead on the DLS par score, raising hopes of a morale‑boosting win.

But Aberdeenshire’s middle order had other ideas. Ewan Davidson played a superb, composed innings of 73 not out*, anchoring the chase with maturity. He found a confident partner in young Ethan Shedbal, whose valuable 33 helped rebuild the innings and shift the DLS equation back in the visitors’ favour.

Their partnership - calm, controlled, and increasingly authoritative - ultimately carried Aberdeenshire to 171 for 6, sealing the win despite Glenrothes’ spirited effort.

A clear sense of progress from the previous week and with performances trending upward, Glens will feel they’re close to turning effort into results.