Freuchie Didnae Wilt in the Heat (13 August)

Catching up on a backlog of reports....

Glenrothes 2nd XI hosted Freuchie 2nd XI at Gilvenbank Park on Saturday 13 August in the Breedon Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union (SPCU) Division 2.

On a scorching hot day, with drinks breaks being taken every 10 overs to keep the players hydrated, home skipper Paul Culleton was delighted to win the toss and bat first. It wasn't only the players struggling with the heat though, as the gazebo for the scorers had went missing so a make-shift one with slalom poles and a kids parachute was made up instead!

With openers David Snook and Brian Morris back in the pivvy after scoring one each, it was the young change bowlers Michael Sheerin (2 for 4 off 3) and Michael Bissett (2 for 6 off 3) who were to completely change the game as the home batters offered up catches which were well taken.

Skipper Culleton though, who came in at number 5, soon found solid support from Jay Lewis (13) and Mayank Sautiyal at the tail of the order - though never quite settled in his innings, Culleton regularly found the boundary with good shots and rotated the strike well to bring up a well deserved half century. Culleton though was to be last batter out, dismissed for 63 off the bowling of Brian Russel (3 for 19 from 5.3), with Sautiyal 32* and the Glenrothes innings closed on 150 all out in the 36th over.

Iain Wilkinson and Andy Creswell opened the batting for Freuchie in the 2nd innings, and soon started exerting their dominance with a number of boundary shots. It was to be young Glens bowlers to make the breakthrough though, as first Muhammad Tayyiub had Wilkinson (14) caught behind by keeper Culleton then Irsraq Riahan drew Kieron Fowler into a false stroke to hit a catch to Lewis at silly cover.

It was to be Sautiyal, bowling slow offies, to make further inroads into the Freuchie line up, claiming two wickets (bowled and caught and bowled) and then claiming a run-out with the assistance of Culleton as keeper. Culleton was to then claim a second catch as keeper, this time of the bowling of Coppisetty has he dismissed opener Creswell for an excellent 55.

The personal battle between Lewis and Freuchie skipper Callum Glasgow played out across both innings - Lewis trapped LBW by Glasgow in the first, then Glasgow bowled by Lewis in the second. Freuchie at this stage were 110 for 7 in the 27th over, requiring 40 runs whilst defending 3 wickets.

But it was to be an excellent partnership between Gordon Moffat (25*) and Craig Gould (11) - the latter dismissed by Kevin Le Roux - to take Freuchie almost to the winning line, before it was finally claimed by Brian Russell with a good boundary shot. Freuchie finishing on 152 for 7 wickets in the 36th over.

An excellent game, played in great spirits by both teams and with all 20 outfield players across both teams bowling showing that giving everyone the chance to contribute is far more important than playing with a win at all costs mentality. Many thanks to Freuchie for a great game.