Leaders strong favourites to consolidate top spot

The Strathmore and Perthshire NEC league title may not have been conclusively decided last Saturday, but the Gordonians’ disaster against leaders Stoneywood Dyce makes it difficult to see how the People’s Park outfit can be denied top spot.

The Gordonians collapse, having decided to bat, was nothing short of astonishing in a match which could have kept them in the title race.

To finish with a scorecard where extras at 20 were double the next highest score was a surrender no one expected.

It won’t be all that easy to pick up the pieces this week either as they travel to Arbroath United, who had Daryll Sinclair’s 63 and fine bowling from Richard Rennie and Jack Glover to thank for their 52-run win last week over Forfarshire II.

Gordonians had a convincing 68-run win over Arbroath at Countesswells earlier, but will have to dig deep to get a result at Lochlands.

After they picked up that 10-wicket win over Gordonians last week, Stoneywood/Dyce have to be strong favourites at home to take the points against second-bottom Forfarshire II, thus consolidating top spot.

It was close when they last met with S/D winning by three wickets but with only three balls to spare in a cracking match. However, almost a whole league separates them now and it would be a real surprise if S/D lost.

Meigle travel to Mannofield coming off a 59-run win over Dundee HSFP last week. Success could close the gap on second-placed Gordonians.

Dundee have the chance to get back on track at Dalnacraig when they take on bottom of the table Kinloch.

Dundee were unable to support Balaji Ramalingham who notched 37 of their 97 total in that defeat to Meigle, but memories of an 81-run win over Kinloch in June could buck them out of their inconsistency.

Forty-five runs each for Emuel Knoesen and Curtis Taylor saw Perth Doo’cot through against Mannofield last week although they left it late.

However, opponents Strathmore showed some of their batting strength against Kinloch when a mighty 116 from Chris Stevenson saw them to a 100-run win so this one might be close.