Akbar dazzlesfor Doo’cot
Perth Doo’cot finally broke their run of defeats in an astonishing match at Dundee High School last weekend.
And, with results elsewhere going in their favour, the Fair City side jumped from eighth to sixth to better 2016 and 2017s final position.
Doo’cot had been told midweek that the High School playing fields had reverted to rugby ahead of the winter.
Long grass on the outfield was expected but Perth players were not expecting a minefield of a wicket that was unfit for SPCU cricket.
Skipper Kash Khalil lost the toss and was asked to bat and it did not take long for the wicket to have its effect.
Balls shot along the ground, making batting a challenge and giving the bowlers the edge.
Quickly the Perth side were 10-3 and only Fawad Ali with 14 and Rizwan Akbar with 28 reached double figures.
Doo’cot were bowled out for 86 in 29 overs but knew there remained a strong chance of winning the curtain-closing fixture.
Enter Akbar, who produced a deadly performance of pace bowling which decimated the Dundee line-up.
He delivered figures of 8-17 in nine overs with Jamie Koo and Rory Pennycook taking a wicket each as High School crumbled to 59 all out.
All the Dundee wickets bar one were either bowled or lbw in what was a fine performance from Akbar, who now returns to Pakistan.
With Mannofield losing to Meigle, Doo’cot leapfrogged them and High School to finish the season in sixth place.
Doo’cot’s second XI had a winning end to their season with a 68 run victory against a young Forfarshire third XI.
Batting first, Perth scored 1829 with Graham Ferguson (46) and Asif Hussain (43) the main contributors.
Father and son pairing David and Ross Armstrong provided a crucial 40-run partnership for the last wicket.
The visitors could only amass 114 all out in reply, thanks mainly to 46 from skipper Clark McConnachie.
Hussain completed a fine allround performance with 3-6 with the rest of the wickets shared.
That means the second XI look set to finish fourth in Division One, which is an excellent achievement over such a long and competitive season.
The third XI match at Kinross on Sunday was rained off but three home fixtures remain.
Meigle Cricket Club’s first XI ended a positive season on a high with a hard-fought but clinical victory over Mannofield in Aberdeen.
The win secured a top-three finish for a sixth consecutive season and qualified them for the Citylets Scottish Cup next season.
Results from the weekend: Perth Doo’cot 1st XI 86 all out (M Rizwan Akbar 28) beat Dundee High School 59 all out (M Rizwan Akbar 8-17) by 27 runs.
Perth Doo’cot 2nd XI 182-9 (G Ferguson 46, A Hussain 43) beat Forfarshire 3rd XI 114 all out (C McConnachie 46, A Hussain 3-6) by 68 runs. Chloe is on a high