Linlithgow go to bat on big week
First and Seconds gear up for crunch clashes
Linlithgow Cricket Club are gearing up for the most important week of the season as both their First and Second XI sides face crucial match-ups.
The First XI have just a single win to their name all season and currently occupy ninth spot out of 10 in the East of Scotland Cricket Association Division One table.
The only team below them, Edinburgh South, are their opponents this weekend with the West Lothian side making the trip through to the capital knowing that they must pick up a victory to have any realistic hopes of avoiding the drop to Division Two.
The Boghall side picked up their first win of the campaign, at the eighth attempt, a fortnight ago at home to Heriots Second XI, but saw their clash on Saturday against Clackmannan County cancelled due to heavy rain.
Meanwhile, in Division Three, Linlithgow’s Second XI also face a seemingly win-or-bust clash.
Sitting at the foot of the table with one win to their name in 10 fixtures, they play host to the side directly above them in the table, Selkirk.
They go into the match on the back of a comprehensive sevenwicket defeat at the hands of Marchmont Second XI.
As has often been the case this season, Linlithgow’s batsmen simply failed to shine as they were skittled all out for just 62 in 33.4 overs with no batter able to top a dozen runs.
Neil Granger swept through the line- up with sensational figures of six wickets for just 10 runs. Marchmont needed just 60 deliveries to tally the 63 runs for their fifth win of the season.
Elsewhere, Livingston First XI and Fauldhouse Vics both saw their Division Two matches at the weekend called off due to the weather.
And they’ll both be wanting to rack up victories on Saturday to boost their chances of escaping the drop but face challenging fixtures against teams bidding for promotion.
Livingston are away from home against Falkland Second XI while Fauldhouse, who sit at the foot of a congested table, are away from home at Holy Cross.
Just 13 points separate the bottom four sides heading into the weekend meaning a win for either side could prove crucial.
Elsewhere, Livingston Second XI are just off the pace in Division Six and would do their promotion bid the world of good if they could knock- off Morton Second XI in their home clash. Morton sit directly above Livi in third place.