After week 3 of the season only 2 unbeaten records remain in Grade 1. If you don’t bat out your overs then it can come back to bite you, and so it proved for Bon Accord at Links on Saturday as quick knocks of 63 and 42 respectively from Nawaz Mirza and Adnan Mahmood helped Bons to 200 all out in the 35th over. 2nd Knight Riders were on the ropes at 93 for 7, but Shaik Nagulmeera who had taken 3 wickers earlier, added an unbeaten 62, aided by a half century from Sajid Muhammad, took 2nd Knight Riders to a surprise win with one wicket and 9 balls to spare. Knight Riders first team secured a 2nd league win of the season to go top, skittling an under strength Inverurie for 62, Vijapur and Palaniyandi taking 3 wickets apiece. Knight Riders only needed 17 overs to romp to a win, but they did lose 5 wickets in the process with the ageless John Jessiman taking 2 wickets.
Crescent had an excellent win at Countesswells restricting Gordonians to 190 for 9 with 13 year old Tanish Kirodian again impressing with 39, his textbook batting style a marked contrast to a swashbuckling 79 from Chamila Perera. Abrar Pewekar batted through the 33 overs for 86 not out to take the points for Crescent who share the top of the table with Knight Riders. AGSFPs had another bad day at the office as they were bowled out at Rubislaw for 85 by Master Blasters. The visitors lost 3 wickets in securing an excellent win against the 2021 double winners who now sit bottom of the table after 2 defeats.Half centuries from Taj Singh and Syed Ali were the building blocks for a match winning total of 236 for 9 by Cults at Allan Park. Mannofield gave it a go and Ken Yahathugoda was unbeaten on 59 as they made it to 197 for 9.
In Grade 3 Methlick and Crathie picked up 30 points each as Stoneywood Dyce and Stonehaven had to scratch their games. Dunecht made it onto the field this week and almost took the spoils at home to 2nd Methlick. Jamie Jones took 3 for 5 to help bowl out Dunecht for 124 in the 33rd over, and Deni Sarafimoski scored 41 alongside an unbeaten 35 from opener Fergus Grant who retired temporarily and returned to give 2nd Methlick a nail biting one wicket win. Umesh Basavaraju top scored with 35 for 2nd Gordonians in their away game at Huntly, but a middle order stutter restricted them to 134 for 8. Aidan Legatt bowled a miserly 10 over spell for Huntly taking 2 for 14, and an unbeaten 42 from Darren Morrison built on a good opening partnership as Huntly eased to an 8 wicket win. The 3rd Gordonians v 2nd Siyapa match was live streamed from Countesswells and whilst it wasn’t a game of expansive shot making, 12 year old Aarav Nair will be very proud of his long innings which rescued Gordos from 31 for 4 to a respectable 102 all out in the 36th over. Sultan Sikander took 5 for 34 for 2nd Siyapa who knocked off the runs for the loss of one wicket.
In the Bon Accord Cup Fraserburgh had a walkover against 2nd AGSFPs and Siyapa cruised to a 10 wicket win over 2nd Grampian chasing down 106 for 9 with 13 balls in hand. Jake Dawson top scored with 29 as Portcullis posted 118 for 6 against Grampian who lost 7 wickets getting over the winning line with 10 balls to spare. Jonny Barrett loves scores in the 60’s and his 65 was key in Ellon totalling 162 for 9 against Banchory. He followed up his batting with 2 for 18 to take Ellon to a 16 run win.
The big local derby in the SPCU North East Championship didn’t produce the expected close game as Aberdeenshire piled on the runs from the start against Gordonians. Kenny Reid was in punishing form as he rattled up 114 off 102 balls, and just as Gordos seemed to be putting the breaks on, overseas amateur Dian Forrester hit an immaculate 117 not out to take Shire to 310 for 5 off their 45 overs. The Gordos chase subsided when Saraswat and Arora were both lbw for single figures and they were dismissed for 124 with David Gamblen taking 4 for 28.
Jamie Rodger top scored with 60 as 2nd Stoneywood Dyce were all out at home to Kinloch for 188. David Kidd picked up 3 for 26 as SDCC worked through the Kinloch batting order, but an unbroken 8th wicket partnership turned the game in favour of Kinloch who won in the 39th over.
Jack Mitchell was back amongst the runs for Huntly, his 60 the major innings in their 166 for 7 which was critical as they bowled out Strathmore for 114.Dundee HSFP are having a tough time of it and this week it was Freuchie making them suffer as they smashed 410 for 7 before bowling out DHSFP for 123. Arbroath United are another club that haven’t got going this season and they were rolled over for 62 at Meigle as they lost by 10 wickets. Perth Doocot are the masters of a close finish and they bowled out 2nd Forfarshire for 155 having posted 159 in their innings.
Getting out on 99 is a bit hard to take, but Garreth Wolmarans did set Stoneywood Dyce up for a great win at Arbroath in the Eastern Premier League as they made 271 for 8. He also took 3 wickets as Arbroath were dismissed for 185.Elsewhere in the EPL, Forfarshire cruised to a 9 wicket win against Falkland, Craig Wallace scoring 82 out of their 140 for 1. Grange had a big win over Carlton and Heriots won by 8 wickets against Watsonian. In the other Edinburgh derby RH Corstorphine beat Stewarts Melville.
In the Bon Accord Cup on Sunday Methlick made 129 for 6 and Stonehaven squeaked home with 2 balls to spare and 4 wickets in hand.