Aberdeenshire clocked up a notable double against local rivals 2nd Stoneywood-Dyce to keep themselves in contention for a top three place in the North East Championship.
Shire ran out convincing 10-wicket winners after dismissing the visitors to Mannofield for 45.
Put in to bat, the Peoples Park side had no answer to the pace and guile of Shire’s opening bowlers Lewis Munro and Nathan Elliott, who tore through the understrength visitors’ batting. Munro was the more accurate of the twin attack, claiming two for 10, but it was Elliott who did the most damage, taking seven for 30.
Set such a paltry total, the home side knocked it off in the 11th over without losing a wicket, leaving Shire captain Kenny Reid a happy man.
He said: “It was a comprehensive, satisfying victory. We did most things right, but must stop giving away so many extras.”
Gordonians were denied the opportunity to improve on their third place in the league when their game with Huntly was called off after the outfield at Countesswells was deemed unfit for play.
In the vital NE Grade 1 clash of the the top two, Aberdeen Grammar FPs put one hand on the league trophy when they eased to a seven wicket win over Bon Accord.
Grammar captain Rob Sweirgon was delighted with the victory, but refused to accept the title was won, saying: ”The hard work was done in the field when we contained them to 183 for nine from their allocation of 40 overs, but it’s a job well done against a very good Bon Accord side who will continue to push us us all the way.”
Sweirgon led from the front, top scoring with 57 while enjoying a partnership of 81 with Hamish Penman, who hit a splendid unbeaten 52, and then in the company of Fraser Proud saw the game out with a stand of 79. Proud’s share was 39 not out.
SPCU BREEDON NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Gordonians v Huntly – No Play Outfield Unfit
Stoneywood Dyce 45 (0 points) (N Elliott 7-30, L Munro 2-10) Aberdeenshire 46 for 0 (25 points)
Arbroath United 214 for 8 (25 points) (G Fraser 80no, J Salmond 57, S Hangetsu 3-41) Dundee HSFP 84 (5 points) (P Saravanan 4-11, J Burnett 2-16)
Perth Doocot 104 (5 points) (K Khalil 40, B Ditchman 4-14, L Robertson 2-15) Falkland 106 for 6 (25 points) (M Mohsin 4-28)
Kinloch 120 (8 points) (L Sweeney 4-7, R Hedge 2-7) Strathmore 122 for 8 (25 points) (R Bowman 3-19)
ion8 Forfarshire 2nd XI 184 for 7 (25 points) (R Bailey 54no, G Garden 50, G Birrell 3-27, R Wright 2-23) Freuchie 183 for 9 (9 points) (I Stonebridge 90, G Birrell 52, J Sim 3-26, P Murgatroyd 2-50)
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND CRICKET GRADES
GRADE 1
Culter Curry Bon Accord 183 for 9 (13 points) (N Mirza 53, P Poosappadi 4-26, R Knudson 3-24) AGSFPs 184 for 3 (30 points) (R Swiergon 57, H Penman 52no)
Crescent v infquick.com Cults – No Play Pitch Unfit
Knight Riders (30 points) Inverurie Don Valley (0 points) Match Conceded
Grampian 151 for 7 (14 points) (M Raj 29no, M Bhandari 3-29, J Shaikh 2-36) Gordonians 152 for 6 (30 points) (A Bashir 51, A Mehta 36, J Varghese 2-15, B Jacob 2-23)
Siyapa 179 (30 points) (K Haseeb 29, A Narne 3-18, N Livingstone 2-34) Master Blasters Aberdeen 111 (15 points) (R Mantha 31, M Shahid 3-9, T Khan 3-19)
GRADE 2
Mannofield 238 for 9 (30 points) (I Yahathugoda 150, R Duthie 2-47, L Broadley 2-49) Fraserburgh 78 (12 points) (M Watson 27, S Rajapaksha 4-14, A Cummings 3-23)
2nd AGSFPs 121 (30 points) (T Murray 37no, M Nattrass 30, M Rehman 3-20, G Cordiner 3-25) Methlick 116 for 8 (16 points) (M Rehman 33, A Sood 5-14, A Haider 2-31)
Quilter Cheviot Ellon Gordon 187 for 6 (30 points) (J Barrett 58, S Davies 47, D Mitchell 2-28, K Paterson 2-29) Portcullis 161 (15 points) (K Vijayakrishnan 59, J Barrett 3-14, R Greenfield 2-19)
GRADE 3
Crathie v 2nd Methlick – No Play Pitch Unfit
Dunecht v Banchory – No Play Pitch Unfit
2nd Grampian 134 (30 points) Huntly 114 for 7 (15 points)
2nd Gordonians 120 (9 points) (R Davis 31, S Chouksey 30, A Kossman 4-10, B Campbell 3-38) Stonehaven Thistle 122 for 3 (30 points) (R Van Gijssel 64no, R Davis 2-17)
Bon Accord Cup goes to Mannofield
Mannofield cruised to a nine-wicket victory in the final of the Bon Accord Cup on home soil on Sunday, with Fraserburgh unable to cope with the all round teamwork of the winners.
Fraserburgh were put into bat, scoring a respectable 112 for seven in their allocation of 20 overs, mainly due to a sparkling 45 from their captain Liam Bowie.
The principle wicket-taker for Mannofield was Sampath Rajmahap, whose five for 19 stilted any hopes the Broch had of setting a challenging total.
The Mannofield reply was led by their captain Indika Yatathugoda, who scored an unbeaten 67, enabling his side to reach their target in only the 13th over.
The win means Mannofield are poised to win a league and cup double, having a near unassailable lead in Grade 3.
“We have played as a team all season. Our youngsters got the reward they deserved today,” said Yathathugoda.
Meanwhile, an eventful Reid Cup Final was eventually won by 2nd Grampian, but not before a bizarre innings from them had yielded 47 extras, including 27 wides bowled by the wayward Banchory attack.
Even more unusually, 2nd Grampian were then penalised 15 runs for running on the wicket when batting.
2nd Grampian looked to have total control of the game at the halfway point, having smashed their way to 84 without loss. Mynul Nadim, who three weeks ago set a Grades record 232 not out, top scored with 29, but was still 18 runs behind the extras total.
Luke Henrickson was the pick of the Banchory bowlers, claiming four for 20.
Chasing 142 to win less the 15 penalty runs, Banchory struggled to 61 for four, but were rescued by a stand of 48 between captain Mark Herbert and Ross Devlin, who both scored 26, leaving them 22 to win.
The Burnett Park lower order were not up to the task, falling just eight runs short of victory in a final which ranged to the bizarre to eventually brilliant, but whether it was all cricket is another matter.
Alwin Nimmy, the winning captain, said after the battle of the top two Grade 3 teams: ”It was a great game of cricket played in the best spirit of the game. The result was always in doubt.
“We are now on course for a league and cup double.”