Stoneywood Dyce go clear at top with win over Gordonians

The clash at Countesswells between Gordonians and Stoneywood Dyce was certain to ensure that one of them lost their joint top spot in the Strathmore and Perthshire NEC table.

There was always the potential for this one to be a high-scoring encounter but in the event Stoneywood took the points and claimed sole ownership of the top of the league in a match smacking more of craft than clobber.

The visitors did what they have done in each of their wins so far this season, batted first, posted a decent total and challenged the opposition to match it.

Certainly overcoming the 162 for eight that Stoneywood Dyce rattled up was by no means a formidable task, with only overseas amateur Liam Lindsay getting to grips with the Gordonians bowling with 54. Aman Arora was the main man keeping the SD batsmen in check, although his three wickets came at a pretty costly 47 runs.

Gordonians never really got to the pace to make a realistic challenge, though, with only Himashu Saraswat making any real dent in the bowling attack with 53, but in the end it was the two South African youngsters – Lindsay with three for 16 and Jacques Koster with three for eight – who ensured that Gordonians were all out in less than 34 overs for 126.

A century from Peter Drummond had set Meigle well on the way to thumping Dundee HSFP as they reached 263 for six but, with the visitors heading for a big defeat as they sat on 90 for five, rain intervened. However, with 30 overs having been bowled, the points were calculated and Meigle extracted enough from the shortened game to take them into second place above Gordonians.

Almost 450 runs were accumulated at Mannofield where the home side’s 217 for nine was overtaken by Perth Doo’cot with four wickets and 13 balls in hand.

Graham Tomlinson and Will Anderson set Mannofield on their way with 66 and 53 respectively as Jonathan Hill claimed three for 28, but it was the stylish 105 from Curtis Taylor that steered Perth to their second win from three starts.

That Lochlands was not going to be the ground where Forfarshire II picked up the first win of the league campaign became apparent as they found themselves all back in the pavilion for 147 before Arbroath passed that total for the loss of five wickets.

It did look as though it might be a lot closer as Arbroath found themselves on 27 for three before Darryll Sinclair and Blair Carnagie put on 83. Carnagie was out for 48 with the score at 110 with Sinclair going on to hit an undefeated 52.

Second bottom of the league going into the match with Kinloch, Strathmore leapfrogged their opponents after setting a target of 245 for the loss of four wickets thanks to Chris Stevenson’s 61 and 50 from Mohammed Shoaid.

Kinloch fell 85 runs short with Hashaid Kiana on 43 and Arun Trevidi’s 37 getting little support as Jonathan Blakie and Nigel Hazel plugged away keeping the runs down and picking up a couple of wickets apiece.