Prayers for good weather

Just as things were tootling along nicely, along came the rain and wiped out four of the five matches in the eighth round of the Strathmore and Perthshire NEC and in the fifth match, Mannofield wiped out Strathmore.

Going into the last weekend of the first half of the league campaign, nothing has changed at the top, with Stoneywood Dyce left frustrated at having fellow league leaders Falkland on the ropes at People’s Park last week, only for a touch of indecision by the umpires and more than a touch of the damp stuff rendering their efforts fruitless.

It will have crossed the minds of the Strathmore men that said frustration could well be taken out on them when S/D turn up on Saturday.

This is particularly in light of their struggle to get 70 runs on the board against Mannofield last week.

A stiffer task faces Falkland at Scroggie Park when Forfarshire 2nd come to call with the third in the table outfit having a four from seven win record.

And if Graeme Garden and Will Hardie put in a similar shift to the one they put in against Strathmore, then the visitors could make a game of it.

Tyler Ridder has been showing a bit of form with bat and ball, with Rizwan Akbar putting a few on the board as well for Perth Doo’cot but today’s opponents Dundee HSFP’s efforts have been pretty sporadic.

Having seriously duffed up Strathmore in the only league game played last weekend, Mannofield travel to Meigle, who are probably still reeling from their last outing when they scraped up a mere 69 in 35 overs against Stoneywood Dyce.

At Lochlands, bottom of the table Arbroath United will have to pull out something to add to their one league win so far since ASI Gordonians turn up with four wins on the bounce after a zero from three start to the season.

However, the home side have shown that, despite a nasty run of results, they can build a total so the Aberdeen outfit may not have things all their own way.