Top two showing no signs of slacking off

With three rounds of league action to go, the clash between leaders Falkland and chasers Stoneywood Dyce on August 18 has become definitive with the game either going to the final match if S/D win or clinching the title for Falkland if they come out on top.

Falkland turned over Perth Doo’cot by seven wickets. Perth got to 190-8 thanks to a half-century from Rizwan Akbar and the late intervention of Jack McCreanor coming in at number eight and smacking a swift 30, but Dan Pearce’s 3-36 and a couple of wickets for Hamsha Cooray kept the target down. Falkland then found themselves on 32-2 and looking vulnerable before a stand between Ian Gallagher and Cooray took the score to 97-3.

Ben Strachan came in and sorted things out, together with Cooray, making 39 as Cooray increased his average with an unbeaten 85 as Falkland reached the target without further loss.

Stoneywood Dyce made short work of Dundee HSFP, making sure the visitors got no momentum chasing a target of 205. Dundee succumbed in less than 34 overs with 144 on the board.

Visitors Mannofield batted first against Forfarshire 2nds and had 173 on the board when the last wicket went down with two balls to go. Justin Haddon had 37 for Mannofield but Forfarshire were soon into their stride and Graeme Garden and Will Hardie with 76 and 48 were there at the end for a nine-wicket win.

At Lochlands in June, Arbroath United picked up one of their only two wins by a five wicket margin over Meigle but were unable to repeat the trick at Victory Park as they found themselves on the wrong end of the same result. Arbroath struggled to reach 117 in just over 36 overs before everyone was back in the pavilion with only Jon Burnett’s 33 taking visitors Meigle into three-figure territory, and it took Meigle less than 31 overs to pass the target with Tom Duff’s 40 the main pick.

ASI Gordonians got back on track at Countesswells with a seven-wicket win over Strathmore. The visitors were never in the groove and Gordonians finished it off with almost 10 overs to spare and seven wickets in hand as Himanshu Saraswat with 71 and Sandy Richard’s