The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
SORE ONE FOR ABERDEEN PLAYERS AS THEY LOSE
Now Stoneywood-Dycemust re group to prepare for promotion clash with K el so
Stoneywood-Dyce’s slim hopes of winning the Strathmore Union for the second successive year were comprehensively dashed at Scroggie Park on Saturday when Falkland clinched the title.
Victory for Falkland leaves the People’s Park side relying on a playoff game in which to claim promotion to the Eastern Premier in two weeks when they meet Kelso.
Vice-captain Liam Lindsay admitted the eight-wicket thrashing had not been good for morale and has urged his side to bounce back for their crucial promotion decider.
He said: “We chose to have a bad day when it really mattered.
“We have handed Falkland the league just too easily, but we have two weeks in which to get our act together.
“It’s vital we prepare well, starting with a good warm-up game at home to Strathmore next week, but make no mistake this was a poor performance from us. In fairness Falkland bowled well. Ben Strachan was in great form, grabbing four wickets for them.’’
Strachan’s four for 17 was ably supported by club professional Harsha Cooray. The former Aberdeenshire pro, chipping in with three for 16 to help bowl out the hapless visitors for 123, with only Andy Maclaren (42 not out) and Jamie King (44) offering any resistance in an eighth wicket stand of 59.
Falkland opener Calum Nellies then proceeded to rub salt in the gaping StoneywoodDyce wounds, racing to a brisk unbeaten 77.
Gordonians lost out in
“We handed Falkland the league too easily but we have two weeks to get our act together”
their bid to claim third place, failing to kick on after being given a solid start by openers Himanshu Saraswat (21) and captain Aman Arora (47), tamely sliding to 151 all out to the annoyance of Arora, who said: “Not for the first time we collapsed in the middle order. It’s just not acceptable. We can’t expect to win anything if we play like this. But I would like to think we would perform well in the Twenty10 Challenge Cup at Mannofield next month.”
Set such a low target 2nd Forfarshire eased home with four wickets in hand, although the loss of three early wickets gave the Countesswells side some hope which was quickly dashed by Les Robinson, who stroked a sensible unbeaten 64 to see his side home in the 42nd over.
Mannofield made it a poor weekend for all three Granite City sides, losing out, albeit only by six runs to lowly Strathmore. After doing the hard work of bowling out the visitors for only 159, Mannofield crashed to 153 all out, this despite a defiant 42 from captain James Musgrave. The pick of the home bowlers was David Gamblen with three for 31.