Glens will have big say in destination of title

Glenrothes may not be featuring directly in the race for the title, but head-to-head contenders Arbroath and Grange are all too aware that the Fifers will have a big say in who will be crowned champions.

Grange burst the competition wide open by comprehensively beating the pace-setting Lochlands brigade at Raeburn Place.

And by a quirk of fixture-list fate, both sides will square up to Glens during the climax to the campaign.

Arbroath had taken a gamble by opting to bat first in tricky conditions and the punt ultimately failed to pay off.

At 57 for one, they looked set to post a challenging target, only for wickets to fall in a flurry, leading to an all-out total of just 113.

Fraser Burnett was the only batsman to pass the 30 mark, while Tom Foulds grabbed four cheap wickets.

The chase proved easy for the hosts, who completed the triumph with only two casualties, skipper Preston Mommsen ending on 38 not out.

Arbroath captain Marc Petrie insisted: “There is no sense of panic in our camp – we know that if we win our last two matches we will be champions.

“We knew the run-in would not be easy, given the quality of our opponents and it will go down to the wire.

“We are aware that we have to raise our level in every department.

“Grange were by far the better team on the day and thoroughly deserved their win. But I have enormous confidence in my guys and their ability to lift things when it matters.”

Glenrothes skipper Safyaan Sharif believes Arbroath are still favourites – but only just.

After leading his side to success against Watsonians to virtually make sure of a top-four finish, he said: “They have their noses in front but anything could happen.”

On Glens’ victory, he added: “It was an excellent result, but we are still frustrated about losing several matches we should have won earlier in the season.

“If that hadn’t happened, we would have been right up there fighting for the championship.

Sharif’s five-wicket haul was the highlight of the 14-run victory at Gilvenbank.

Falkland’s last hope of dodging the drop vanished as they crashed at the hands of Heriot’s at Goldenacre, where home seamer Adrian Neill took five for 24.

The shaky sequences of Forfarshire and Aberdeenshire continued when they were outgunned at Carlton and SMRH respectively.