Mixed results for Livingston sides

First team win but reserves lose to Kirk Brae

Livingston Cricket Club faced Kirk Brae twice at the weekend – winning and losing by almost the exact same score.

The First XI continued their inconsistent season with a resounding 66-run victory against Kirk Brae’s top side, while Livi’s reserves fell to a 65-run loss.

Livingston loss the toss and were put in to bat in the Division Two match-up between the two team’s top sides.

They made the visitors pay for that decision as they scored a solid 202-8 with Sobi Asghar top-scoring with 55.

Kirk Brae had the edge in the early stages as they had Livingston in trouble at 62-3 before a solid 70run partnership between Asghar and Simon Lancaster helped ease the pressure.

However, a mini collapse which saw them lose five wickets for just 26 runs threatened to hand the initiative back to the visitors before a neat ninth-wicket partnership took Livi over the 200 mark.

In reply, the home side’s bowlers quickly turned the match significantly in Livi’s favour.

Kashif Khalid’s figures of 7-3-193 helped reduce Kirk Brae to 46-4 and they never recovered, being dismissed in the final over for 136.

Meanwhile, the clash between the two side’s reserves in Division Six resulted in a comfortable win for Kirk Brae.

Batting first, they notched up 214-7 from 40 overs with Livi being well off the pace in their reply, scoring just 149-9.

Linlithgow First XI were in a decent position at home, having held Heriots Second XI to 88-4 from 31 overs when rain stopped play and they had to settle for a no result.

The club’s reserve side were forced to concede their Division Three clash away to Boroughmuir as they were unable to field a team.

Linlithgow now sit third-bottom in the table, having won just two of their nine games so far this campaign.

And Fauldhouse Victoria’s Division Two clash away to SMRH Second XI was also a no result.

The hosts were put in to bat and had made decent progress, sitting at 158-7 from 38 overs when rain called a halt to proceedings.

Unfortunately no further play was possible.

Ricky McDonald, Jamie McIlduff and Steven Connell took two wickets apiece with the ball.

Fauldhouse remain two places above local rivals Livingston in the table, but have only been able to complete five matches this season, the lowest figure in the division.

This weekend, Linlithgow travel to Edinburgh Accies with the club’s reserves hosting Drummond Trinity. Livingston’s First XI are also away from home as they travel to a Largo side that has just one win to their name this season.

The Second XI are at home in a Division Six encounter against Teuchters.

Fauldhouse welcome RHC’s Second XI in a clash that pits Division Two’s fourth and fifth placed teams against each other.