Scotland: Shean clinches double for Heriots

Heriots added the Eastern Premier League trophy to the Scottish Cup they won the previous weekend by beating Arbroath United at Goldenacre on Saturday.

Although there is one round still to be played, with Heriots due to play third-placed Grange and current runners-up Carlton taking on Stoneywood-Dyce, the leaders’ points average puts them beyond reach of their rivals.

The clincher for Mark Watt’s side was an unbeaten century from Michael Shean, which steered them to an impressive 346 for five. Shean’s 102 came from 71 deliveries and included six fours and as many sixes, and he shared a devastating fifth-wicket stand of 146 with Durness Mackay-Champion, whose 87 took just 55 balls and featured six fours and seven sixes.

Opener Ross McLean made 41 for Arbroath and Bryce Carnegie, batting at eight, contributed 37, but with Adrian Neill taking three for 40, including the wicket of McLean, and Shean cleaning up the tail with three for 18, the visitors were dismissed for 177.

Carlton and Grange both won, but they proved to have been battling for second place as Heriots ensured that there was no last-moment slip-up in their progress to the double.

After a solid start at Grange Loan, Arun Pillai (35) and Shujaa Khan (36) putting on 85 for the first wicket against Forfarshire, Carlton slumped to 112 for six, and it took Umair Mohammed’s 51 to get them up to 205. Aman Bailwal with four for 27 did most of the damage for the county, and there were two wickets apiece for Scott Cameron, Glenn Carnegie and Jack Hogarth.

Craig Wallace (78) and Rory Johnston (34) gave Forfarshire’s reply a great start with an opening stand of 90, but thereafter it was downhill all the way, Ali Evans starting the decline and Pillai finishing the job with five for 30 as Forfarshire were all out for 163.

Grange had a much easier task at Portgower Place, where Freddie Huddleston’s five for 19 helped reduce Meigle to 82 all out in 41.4 laborious overs, and the home side needed only 12 overs to complete the win, Harris Carnegie making 34 not out and Ryan Flannigan 43.

It was a similar story at Myreside, Stoneywood-Dyce subsiding to 94 all out, Ben Jones picking up three for 15, and Watsonians knocking off the runs for the loss of just one wicket, Michael Carson dominating the reply with an unbeaten 61.

Two lowly-placed teams produced the thriller of the day at Inverleith: thanks to Michael Miller’s 89 Stewarts Melville posted 214 for eight against RH Corstorphine, who fell short by just one run in their reply.

Corstorphine appeared to be cruising at 176 for four with James Dickinson and John Bryden well set, but when Brydon was run out for 39 it started a decline, Joe Newman taking three for 39 and another run out turning the game around.

When Dickinson was dismissed for 66 six were still needed, but Stewarts Melville held firm and the innings closed on 213 for nine.

With three rounds remaining in the Western Premier Division Clydesdale already have one hand on the trophy, and the leaders will be hoping they can wrap things up before they take on nearest challengers Ferguslie in the final round of the competition.

Clydesdale, Ferguslie and Prestwick all won on Saturday, but the pursuers will need to hope that the Titwood side slip up in the next couple of weeks if they are to have any chance of stealing the title.

Clydesdale were hard pressed by West of Scotland at Hamilton Crescent: after Richie Berrington’s unbeaten 97 saw the visitors to 227 for eight, Callum Dutia taking four for 33 for West, a spirited reply in which John Oliver contributed 51 not out brought the home side to 216 for five, just 11 runs short.

Ferguslie dismissed Uddingston for 165 at the Bothwell Castle Policies, Muhammed Awais the top-scorer for the home side with 62 and Hamid Mahmood and Hamza Tahir taking four for 32 and three for 17 respectively.

Then Mohammad Ghaffar made 49 for Ferguslie, and despite Ross Lyons’ three for 24 the visitors secured a four-wicket victory inside 40 overs.

Prestwick had a scare at Albert Park when Langside bowled them out for 102, Farhan Shah, Mohammed Ali and Muhammed Khan all taking three wickets, but on a day for the bowlers Langside did even worse as the Ayrshire side skittled them for 42.

No-one reached double figures for the Albert Park outfit, while Sachin Chaudhary claimed four for 14 for Prestwick and Azeem Akbar four for 15.

Stirling County maintained their position in the top half of the table by beating Poloc at Shawholm: a second-wicket stand of 143 between Matthew Tweedie (69) and Brandon McMullen (88) was the foundation of County’s 240 for seven, and Poloc could only manage 147 in reply.

There was deep frustration for Dumfries in their relegation battle with Greenock at Glenpark: after posting 231 for eight, their highest score of the season in which Alan Davidson made 59, Dumfries were informed that one of the Greenock players had been informed that he had tested positive for Covid-19, and that the match would be abandoned.

The outcome has been registered as a No result, but it is understood that Dumfries are contesting this and claiming that the match should be awarded in their favour.

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