Falkland see positives in record hammering

Skipper hails efforts as Watsonians put up 440 for three

Falkland skipper Stuart Campbell hailed his inexperienced team for refusing to throw in the towel as they suffered the most comprehensive defeat in Scottish competitive cricket history.

Just when Falkland began to think that their season couldn’t possibly get even worse, along came George Munsey and Mike Carson.

The Watsonians pair smashed a series of records to floor the league basement boys at Scroggie Park.

Munsey smashed 220 and Carson hit 167 in a stand that propelled Sonians to 440 for three and the biggest winning margin in the history of the Scottish game as Falkland were all out for 124.

Campbell admitted: “George and Mike were brilliant and they made it incredibly hard for our bowlers and fielders, who never gave up. Some of the ball-striking was the cleanest I have ever witnessed.

“Credit must also go to the Scroggie Park ground staff for producing a great track, which these guys took advantage of.”

Campbell’s predecessor as captain, Ryan Hepburn, stressed there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Fife club.

He explained: “We lost a few players at the start of season and they haven’t been replaced.

“With additional injuries, work and uni commitments it has been a real struggle.

“We have had to throw young boys in at the deep end and they are finding it tough.

“It is very much a transition period for the club, but our junior section from under-15s down are thriving.

“It will, however, be a few years before we see this impacting our first team squad.

“The attitude and effort is still really good and although we know some of our players are not Premiership standard, it is good exposure for them with the future in mind.”

The savagery of Munsey and Carson was such the umpires were forced to add 30 minutes to the Sonians innings to allow repeated searches for lost balls.

Elsewhere, Arbroath leapfrogged Grange to return to the top of the table.

Arbroath shrugged off a dose of the middle-order jitters to edge out champions Carlton in a low-scoring tussle at Lochlands.

Grange were outgunned by Glenrothes at Raeburn Place.

Safyaan Sharif (95), Aidan Justus (59) and Fred Culley (56) carried the visitors to 290 for four.

Then Chris Mohale’s five-wicket haul helped to dismiss the home brigade for 234.

Forfarshire cruised to their expected win over SMRH at Inverleith.