Aberdeenshire launched their NE Championship campaign in style, racing to a 10-wicket win over Kinloch at Mannofield.
They were one of the few clubs in Scotland to beat the rain which swept through the area in mid afternoon.
Shire captain Kenny Reid used his considerable experience of local weather, reasoning that if he could win the toss, he might just force a result against the Fife team.
He said: “I got my wish and thanks to some inspired bowling from our new overseas player Dian Forrester, who took five for 17 in his debut match, we then bowled them out for 102 in 29.3 overs.
“We pulled out all the stops as the rain closed in to pass their total for the loss of no wickets in the 10th over.
“It’s a great start to our season. It gives us a launching pad from which we can take off.”
The Shire captain proved not only to be a strong tactician but also the destroyer of the Kinloch attack, clubbing his way to an unbeaten 65 from 32 balls in the company fellow opener Aayush Dasmahapra who scored 26 from 25 balls.
Elsewhere it was frustration all round, particularly in the Eastern Premier at People’s Park where Stoneywood-Dyce were put into bat by Forfarshire who managed to bowl the home side out for 167, this despite a good opening partnership of 33 from Jan Stander and George Ninan.
The Angus side’s reply was brutal with opener Craig Wallace, racing to a spectacular half century, although he was dropped twice.
A defeat seemed imminent for the home side, but with Forfarshire on the brink of victory, the umpires deemed that the wet conditions were too dangerous to continue, much to the annoyance of the visitors.
Stoneywood-Dyce captain Jamie King said: “We had some good partnerships including the opening one and another involving Ewan Davidson and Andrew McLaren but failure to take our catches cost us the opportunity of forcing a result.
“But our confidence is still intact.”
Back in the NE Championship, Gordonians looked to be on their way to forcing a result after posting 215 for seven from their allocation of 45 overs against Huntly at Countesswells, only for the weather to intervene, denying Jack Mitchell’s side the chance to chase for victory.
In the North East Cricket Grades, the feat of the day was at the Links where Bon Accord amassed an impressive total of 384 for the loss of eight wickets of which Akhlaq Bashir scored an aggressive 143. The home side then bowled out Cults for 87.
The eagerly awaited clash of champions Aberdeen Grammar and Knight Riders was abandoned after the home side scored 151 for eight. Rain ended play when the visitors were 47 for three.
Gordonians were 25-run winners against 2nd Knight Riders and in the only other game in which there was a result in Grade 1 Master Blasters Aberdeen bowled out Mannofield for 163 when chasing 183.
In Grade 2 Fraserbugh had a five wicket win at home to Siyapa, while Portcullis were six winners at Banchory.
In Grade 3, despite scoring 358 for 4, Gordonians had to settle for a no result against 2nd Methlick on a day when the rain had a big say in outcomes.
This weekend’s results…
EASTERN PREMIER LEAGUE
Stoneywood Dyce 156 (E Davidson 36, L James 4-22) Forfarshire 100-2 (C Wallace 56, R Johnston 25no, N Elliott 2-33) No Result – Rained Off
Carlton 192 for 5 (A Shah 75no, N Madziva 35no, CCassell 3-32) Falkland 70 for 2 (L Robertson 31) No Result – Rained Off
Arbroath United 143 (C Cameron 40no, R McLean 40, M Watt 5-26, G Main 2-34) v Heriots No Result – Rained Off
Grange 167 for 4 (D Budge 77no, T Foulds 43, A Anil 2-22) v RH Corstorphine No Result – Rained off
Watsonian 152 for 5 (6 points) (A Brock 62no, J Newman 3-25) lost to Stewarts Melville 148 for 6 (25 points) (B Wilkinson 87no, J Stinson 3-18) DLS Target 148
SPCU NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Perth Doocot 109 for 3 v Arbroath United No Result – Rained Off
Meigle 336 for 2 (A Neave 149no, R Gayashan 105no) v Dundee HSFP No Result – Rained Off
Freuchie 264 for 5 v 2nd Forfarshire 40 for 2 No Result – Rained off
Gordonians 215 for 7 (H Saraswat 90, P Wig 67no, S Cuconits 2-34, I Hussain 2-52) v Huntly No Result – Rained Off
2nd Stoneywood Dyce 120 for 5 (S Coetzer 48, D Kidd 25no, S Ejaz 2-20) v Strathmore No Result – Rained Off
Kinloch 102 (2 points) (D Forrester 5-17, A Khalid 2-19) Aberdeenshire 103 for 0 (25 points) (K Reid 65no, A Das 26no)
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND CRICKET GRADES
GRADE 1
Gordonians 147 for 6 (30 points) (J Shaikh 37, T Kirodian 32, B Balaji 2-15) 2nd Knight Riders 122 (12 points) (M Suthanthiran 2-16, A Bashir 2-20)
Master Blasters Aberdeen 183 (30 points) (A Narne 29, S Rajapaksha 3-38, R Bandara 2-13) Mannofield 164 (19 points) (S Alawattage 66, C Cameron 26, H Chovatiya 5-16, C Aggarwal 3-29)
AGSFPs 151 for 8 (G Gill 61, A Keith 29, S Peedikayil 3-30, M Challa 2-24) Knight Riders 47 for 3 (S Deshbhratar 3-17) No Result – Rained Off
Culter Curry Bon Accord 384 for 8 (30 points) (A Bashir 143no, F Awan 85) infquick.com Cults 87 (12 points) (A Bashir 5-21, T Malik 2-9)
Inverurie Don Valley 261 for 4 (19 points) (T Norval 117, M Strachan 73) B-Secure Crescent 263 for 9 (30 points) (K Reddy 77no, A Pewekar 41, M Startin 3-36, G Coutts 2-37)
GRADE 2
2nd Grampian 134 (M Nadim 52, J Raju 3-17, J Varghese 3-25) Grampian 43 for 3 (M Nadim 2-8) No Result – Rained Off
Siyapa 116 (11 points) (S Memon 46, A Rennie 3-18, C Gospel 3-33) Fraserburgh 118 for 5 (30 points) (C Bowie 41, N Gray 31, N Ul-Hassnan 2-22, M Shahid 2-31)
Banchory 117 for 9 (10 points) Portcullis 118 for 4 (30 points)
Quilter Cheviot Ellon Gordon (30 points) walkover 2nd AGSFPs (0 points)
GRADE 3
Huntly (30 points) walkover Crathie (0 points)
Stoneywood Dyce v 3rd Gordonians No Result – Unfit Pitch
2nd Gordonians 358 for 4 (S Gollakota 110, K Morris 88) 2nd Methlick 37 for 2 No Result – Rained Off
Methlick 159 for 7 (30 points) (S Murphy 59, A Veersema 51) 2nd Siyapa 86 (11 points) (T Duffy 4-19, A Veersema 2-16)
Stonehaven Thistle (30 points) walkover Dunecht (0 points)
