League split into three sections for second half of season

With another full card going ahead last week, despite some nervous glances at the weather, Strathmore and Perthshire NEC entered the second half of the league programme with a pattern emerging.

There are two title contenders – Stoneywood/Dyce and Gordonians – then five mid-table players in Perth Doo’cot, Meigle, Mannofield, Arbroath United and Dundee HSFP, all of whom need to crank up their performances if they are to pose a threat to the top two.

Finally come the three stragglers – Strathmore, Forfarshire II and Kinloch – who look as though they will be the ones battling it out to avoid the relegation spots.

When league leaders Stoneywood hosted Mannofield, they thumped them by 108 runs with a total of 256 for seven but Mannofield showed that they could hit the higher numbers themselves with 248 for seven against Forfarshire last week, so this week’s match up could be a bit closer than the previous encounter.

Second top plays bottom when Gordonians take on a Kinloch side with only one win to their name from seven starts.

Neither side did too well with the bat last week with Kinloch struggling to get to 111 while Gordonians lost seven wickets before they caught Strathmore’s 131 with Agrar Ahmed’s 47 digging them out of that one.

Gordonians won by five wickets at Kinloch in May and recent form doesn’t suggest a major shock here.

The resurgence in form by Forfarshire II lasted briefly, until Mannofield demolished them by 127 runs last week, so they host Meigle this week with confidence bruised yet again and must surely hope that there can be some bat and ball support for Graeme Garden, who hit 50 out of a modest 121 and took four for 31.

Meigle need a boost as well having crashed to a six-wicket thumping at the hands of Arbroath United last week but if they need any encouragement towards taking the points today, they have only to think back to their 175-run win over Shire seconds back in May.

Last week, Zahid Rashid’s 66 and Majid Rashid’s 30 made up more than half of Dundee HSFP’s total of 180 when they went down by three wickets to Stoneywood/Dyce.

When the Dalnacraig side faced today’s opponents, Strathmore, in May, Majid slammed five fours and four sixes in his 87 so Strathie know who they have to look out for.

It was a high-scoring game when the two met previously, with Matt Simpson hitting 39. The same player scored 62 against Gordonians last week, so both sides have players capable of notching big totals.

Perth Doo’cot sit third in the table with three wins from five starts, one of those against Arbroath United who will be looking for revenge at Lochlands this weekend.