Squad step nearer title

Meigle took another step towards the league title with a convincing win at a bright and breezy Arbroath on Saturday.

They didn’t have it all their own way though as, after choosing to bat first, Meigle lost opener Majid Rasheed LBW to Hayes after the first delivery of the match.

Shahzeb Saeed followed soon after, but Raju Gayashan looked good from the start and, in conjunction with Alan Neave, the pair reached 100 without further loss.

Meigle had another mid-innings hiccup as they lost Neave and Josh Edington to successive deliveries, leaving the side on 107-4.

Hayden Guest joined Gayashan and matched him stroke for stroke as the duo compiled a 97-run partnership to take the game away from the home side.

Gayashan went on to complete his third league century of the season before falling on 110.

The innings was finished off with fireworks from Zahid Rasheed, as he smashed a quick-fire 69 to propel Meigle to 300-8.

In response, Arbroath never really got going. Majid Rasheed and Guest bowled a disciplined opening 14 overs between them to put the game out of sight.

And it was left to the spin trio of Murray Scott, Saeed and Neave to hoover up the wickets once the Arbroath middle order opened up.

Saeed bowled Hayes to end the innings on 125 and pick up his fourth wicket in the process.

The win leaves Meigle needing a victory in the final league at home against Dundee High School FP on Saturday.

Last week’s match ball was sponsored by Mike Duncan Window Cleaning Services.

Elsewhere, Meigle’s second XI continued their good league run with a solid home win over a Dundee High School FP XI at Victory Park on Saturday.

After losing Tom Duff early on, Fred Kelly and Neil Wimberley formed another good partnership before Wimberley went for 27.

Kelly and Andrew Ross continued to pick up the runs until the former was dismissed two runs short of his maiden half century on 48.

Thereafter Ross and Fergus Barron never looked troubled as they batted until the end of the innings, with Ross unbeaten on 70 and Barron 49.

In reply, Dundee never threatened to get close after a miserly opening spell, and they ended well short for a total of 80-7.

Meigle’s wickets were shared by Matthew Sinclair (2), Sohail Ahmed (2) and one each for Jamie Morrison, Callum Murray and Fred Kelly.

Meanwhile, the Black and Golds’third XI notched 99-3 to beat Freuchie’s 97-6.

G Croll Landscaping sponsored the ball.