With Gilvenbank Park unavailable on Saturday, Glenrothes made the short trip to Freuchie to welcome Huntly for their latest fixture in the SPCU North East Championship. Huntly had inflicted a bruising defeat in the opening match of the season.

Determined to reverse their fortunes, Glenrothes won the toss and chose to bat first, though the innings began nervously as Ali Tahir Chaudhry pushed too early at a ball that held in the pitch and was dismissed in the opening over. Yasar Arfat joined Ikram Ullah, who had already survived a chance at gully, and the pair looked to steady things. Ullah, promoted from the 2nd XI, quickly showed why he had earned his place, playing with a destructive confidence that visibly unsettled Huntly’s fielders.

Arfat’s calm start was cut short when he was trapped LBW by visiting skipper Jack Mitchell, bringing Sufyan Ahmed to the crease. Ahmed immediately matched Ullah’s tempo, and Glenrothes looked to be building something meaningful. But the introduction of Magmoed Petersen changed the momentum instantly, as his first ball tempted Ullah into a big shot down the ground, only for Ian Kennedy to take a composed catch at long-off. Ullah departed for 49, agonisingly close to a deserved half-century.

Muhammad Osama followed with a brief but promising cameo before Petersen bowled him, and although Mayank Sautiyal and Ahmed worked hard to rotate the strike, Ahmed - also nearing fifty - edged spinner Calum Howard into the slips just before the drinks break. Sautiyal fell soon after, leaving Glenrothes teetering at 138 for 6.

The innings was revived superbly by Jerin Mathew and Anas Tanveer, who shared an excellent seventh‑wicket partnership built on smart running and punishing any loose deliveries. Their stand carried Glenrothes past 200, but Declan Lorimer struck twice in quick succession, with Lewis Myron‑Petrie taking both catches to remove Tanveer for 25 and Mathew for 32. Skipper Qasim Ahmad added a brisk and valuable 21 to push Glenrothes to a competitive total of 233 before they were bowled out in the final over.

Osama gave Glenrothes an ideal start to the defence, trapping Frank Summers LBW in the second over. Aditya Mukhopadhya and Petersen rebuilt steadily, taking Huntly close to their team fifty, but Arfat returned to trap Petersen LBW for 17. Sautiyal then produced good pace to bowl Mukhopadhya for a patient 31, and when Mitchell began to look threatening, Tanveer removed him for 23 with a neat catch by wicket‑keeper Ahmed, leaving Huntly 117 for 4.

What followed proved decisive. Michael Myron‑Petrie and Charlie Kennedy came together and produced a partnership that changed the complexion of the match. Both batted with confidence, defended soundly, and dispatched anything off‑line to the boundary. Glenrothes’ field placements did them few favours, with gaps left in areas the batters repeatedly exploited. It was ironically a poor delivery from Sautiyal that broke the stand, as Myron‑Petrie dragged a ball straight to Wahab Tawheedi at fine-leg and departed for 54 with Huntly now 188 for 5.

Kennedy continued to bat well, but Huntly’s nerves began to show as Ullah - Glenrothes’ eighth bowler - was introduced. He bowled Calum Howard, then Sautiyal removed Lewis Myron‑Petrie with a low catch taken by keeper Ahmed, and Ullah produced an excellent caught‑and‑bowled to dismiss Kennedy for a crucial 58. It felt like a moment that could swing the match back Glenrothes’ way. But the ninth‑wicket pair, Ian Kennedy and Andrew Petrie, held firm under pressure and guided Huntly to victory in the 48th over.

Despite the defeat, Glenrothes can take several positives from the performance. Their batting showed maturity, partnerships developed throughout the innings, and they pushed a top side hard once again. Yet small habits - dropped catches, slack fielding, and poorly protected gaps - proved their undoing. With the intent and belief shown here, Glenrothes will hope that the deserved win is not far away.

Match scorecard available on PlayHQ.