Scotland: Grange and Forfarshire go top

With the Covid lockdown in Glasgow delaying the start of the Western Premier League, attention for the top tier of Scotland men’s domestic cricket has inevitably focused on the East.

In Saturday’s second round of matches Grange and Forfarshire established themselves as early leaders, the only sides with two wins out of two, with victories over RH Corstorphine and Stoneywood-Dyce respectively.

At Barnton, RH Corstorphine worked their way pretty satisfactorily through Grange’s top and middle order after putting the visitors in, but an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 99 between Scotland U19 pair Tom Mackintosh (84 not out) and Charlie Peet (53 not out) enabled their side to reach an imposing 267 for six.

Peet then ensured that this was more than enough by taking four for 9 in ten overs as the home side collapsed to 67 all out and lost by exactly 200 runs.

Stoneywood-Dyce’s total of 122 all out at Peoples Park was almost entirely due to South African Lennard Bester, who contributed 84 of their runs and remained not out at the end.

Forfarshire were soon in trouble in reply, Jamie King taking three wickets as the visitors slumped to 54 for six, but they were rescued by Jack Hogarth (24 not out) and Lewis James (33 not out), who saw them home with a seventh-wicket stand worth 69 vital runs.

The closest game of the day was at Goldenacre, where Heriots withstood a determined challenge from old rivals Stewarts Melville to win by 12 runs. Batting first, Heriots were dismissed for 200, thanks in no small measure to a third-wicket stand of 77 between opener Lloyd Brown (57) and player-coach Peter Ross (42), with Ryan Brown chipping in with 36.

Stewarts Melville looked to be well placed at 107 for two with Ben Wilkinson in excellent form on 62, but once he was run out by Ross the innings declined, and it closed on 188 for eight, despite a valiant 37 not out from Joe Newman.

At Myreside Carlton recovered from their opening defeat by Grange to overwhelm Watsonians. The home side were bundled out for 63 in just 19 overs, Chayank Gosain taking five for 18 and Omar Agmad five for 23, and Carlton then knocked off the runs for the loss of three wickets.

And at Victory Park newcomers Meigle made history with their first win in the top flight, beating Arbroath United by 61 runs.

Hero of the day was Majid Rasheed, whose 38 had been a big contribution to Meigle’s total of 141, along with Charles Clark’s 42, but who then made sure of victory with six for 28 as Arbroath collapsed to 80 all out.

In Sunday’s first round of the Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup, there were comfortable victories for Helensburgh over Dunfermline & Carnegie, Morton over Gordonians, Kinross-shire over Comrie, and Stenhousemuir over Aberdeen GSFP.

But Leith FAB had to battle all the way against Huntly, defending their total of 181 to dismiss their opponents for 173, just eight runs short.

Helensburgh will now be away to Glasgow Accies in the second round on 20 June, while Morton will travel to Galloway, Kinross-shire will be at home to Kelso, Stenhousemuir will entertain Northern Counties, and Leith will travel to Aberdeen to face Bon Accord.

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