Dylan Budge’s stunning spell gives Grange the points in Scotland

There are not many days when a partnership of 276 and an individual one-day innings of 180 not out are pushed out of the headline but something even more remarkable, but Saturday in Scotland’s Eastern Premier League was one of those days.

Pride of place must go to Grange seamer Dylan Budge’s demolition of RH Corstorphine at Portgower Place, his figures of seven for 8 in eight overs among the finest achievements of this (or any other) season.

It all began quietly enough after the visitors won the toss and elected to bat, RH Corstorphine reaching 7 without loss in the first three overs.

But 54 deliveries later they were on 16 for eight, Budge and Chris Sole having allowed just three scoring shots in that time and Budge having claimed seven of the wickets.

His full figures were 8 – 4 – 8 – 7, while Sole had a relatively modest 6 – 3 – 9 – 1. Jack Jarvis then chipped in with two for 4 to finish off the innings as RH Corstorphine were all out for 25.

Grange needed only 24 deliveries to complete the win, although they did lose two wickets along the way.

At nearby Inverleith, it was the batters who were in control, as leaders Heriots ran up 402 for two against the hapless Stewart’s Melville attack.

After Peter Ross (54) and Mathew Cross put on 93 in an opening stand which lasted just 13 and a half overs, Cross and Hayes van der Berg batted almost to the end, Van der Berg hitting 11 fours and seven sixes in his 107-ball 135.

Cross remained unbeaten at the other end with 180 not out, made from 158 deliveries with 17 fours and seven sixes – five of them in a ruthless onslaught on Chris Bissett’s final over.

His third century of the Premier League campaign takes his aggregate to 622 at an average of 220.67 and a strike rate of 106.43.

Once Stewart’s Melville had slumped to 3 for two in 14 deliveries it was only a question of how big Heriots’ winning margin would be, and the answer turned out to be a massive 333 runs as Elliot Ruthven, Joe Kinghorn-Gray and Adrian Neill picked up two wickets apiece and Gavin Main cleaned up with four for 12 to bowl the visitors out for 69.

Most unfortunate player of the day was Carlton’s Tom Simpson, who was bowled on 99 at Grange Loan, the last of three wickets for Watsonians’ Lachlan Hillis.

Carlton had been given a great start by Murray Whitaker, who scored 70 of his side’s first 99 runs before he fell to Hillis, and then Simpson and Alasdair Evans (62) added 135 for the third wicket, enabling Carlton to reach 267 for five.

Ollie Hairs made 65 for Watsonians, but with Evans completing a fine all-round effort with three for 7 from six overs and Angus Beattie snaring three for 33, the innings closed on 130.

Forfarshire had no difficulty in defeating Stoneywood-Dyce at Forthill, bowling the Aberdonians out for 116 and knocking off the runs in 15.2 overs for the loss of one wicket; Fergus Duncan and Jack Hogarth took four wickets apiece, while Chris Wallace and Michael Leask saw their side home.

Arbroath United consolidated their mid-table position with a 173-run victory over Meigle at Lochlands, Matthew Parker making 97 and Ross McLean 95 in their 260 for five before Meigle collapsed to 87 all out.

In the Western Premier League Clydesdale, Ferguslie, Prestwick and Uddingston all won, the most significant result being leaders Clydesdale’s hard-fought 17-run defeat of Stirling County at New Williamfield.

Patrick Barbour’s 57 was the mainspring of Clydesdale’s 211 for nine, Chris Morton taking four for 34, and although Brandon McMullen made 70 the County were dismissed for 194 in reply.

Riyaad Henry’s 75 was the basis of Ferguslie’s 321 for eight against Poloc at Meikleriggs, and the visitors could only manage 103 in response, Calum James’s unbeaten 54 contributing more than half their runs.

An opening stand of 95 between skipper Jacob Stafford (32) and Fraser Macdonald (62) gave Prestwick a great start against West of Scotland at the Henry Thow Oval, but a fightback led by Callum Dutia (three for 37) and Graeme Etheridge (three for 20) enabled West to restrict the home side to 179 all out.

Ian Young made a useful 40 when West replied, but with Azeem Akbar taking for four for 30 and Sachin Chaudhary and Majid Haq picking up two wickets each he received insufficient support, and they were all out for 151, a deficit of 28 runs.

A second-wicket partnership of 248 between Muhammad Awais (164) and Harmanjit Singh (106) set up Uddingston’s total of 369 for six against Greenock at the Bothwell Castle Policies, and Ross Lyons’s four for 19 in ten overs was then instrumental in containing the visitors, who limped their way to 141 for nine.

The bowlers were in complete control at Albert Park, where Dumfries dismissed Langside for 138, only to be dismissed themselves for 129. Langside’s hero was skipper Sameer Zia, who top-scored with 49 and then took five for 20 as Dumfries’s last six wickets fell for just 27 runs.

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