Glenrothes 1st XI made the long trip north to Dyce on Saturday hoping to secure their first win of the SPCU North East Championship season, but the wait continues after a frustrating performance in conditions that proved far trickier than they first appeared.

On what looked a good surface, skipper Qasim Ahmad chose to bat first. Openers Sufyan Ahmed (31) and Govind Singh (18) justified that call early, putting on a confident 48 without loss by the 10th over.

But the pitch’s unpredictable low and sometimes popping bounce soon turned the innings on its head. Five wickets fell for just 20 runs as batters continued to play back to balls that didn’t rise, collapsing to 68 for 5. The frustration was compounded by the fact that the home attack was steady rather than threatening, and several fielding errors went unpunished.

A much‑needed rebuild came through Mayank Sautiyal (20) and Bimal Balan (26), who restored some stability and pushed the total towards respectability. But once they departed, Glenrothes couldn’t stretch the innings deep, bowled out for 157 in the 34th over.

Sautiyal struck early in the second innings to give Glens a lift, but a composed partnership between Himanshu Saraswat and captain Jamie Rodger swung momentum firmly back to the hosts.

Glenrothes struggled to maintain pressure: too many wides, too many attempts to stop the ball with feet rather than hands, and some questionable field placements allowed the batters to settle. Even when Tanveer claimed two wickets and Sautiyal added another, Rodger remained unmoved, accelerating freely and guiding his side home with a commanding 56 not out.

The hosts crossed the line with plenty in hand, leaving Glenrothes to reflect on what might have been.

A disappointing result for Glenrothes - not because they were outclassed, but because they know they let key moments slip. There were spells where they showed they can compete at this level, but inconsistency and recklessness proved costly on the day.