Stoneywood-Dyce crashed to their fourth consecutive Eastern Premier defeat – after finding they were no match for an on-fire Forfarshire at Forthill.
Forfarshire look good value to give leaders Heriots a run for their money in the second half of the league campaign after their comfortable eight-wicket win.
The consolation for the north-east visitors was three of their four defeats of late have come not just away from home, but against top-five teams, while the lone home loss was against star-studded Heriots.
Stoneywood-Dyce were also well under strength at the weekend, missing their two strike bowlers, captain Jamie King and Jon Grant, while the highly-influential Jan Stander and George Ninan were unavailable for the trip to Broughty Ferry.
Stand-in captain Lennard Bester refused to make the absences an excuse for the reverse, though, and said: “The replacements all put their hands up and made contributions over the afternoon. I am very proud of them all.
“This is a seriously good Forfarshire side with a core of four players who are among the best in the league. Craig Wallace’s 70 was just magnificent, while former Stoneywood Dyce favourite Michael Leask hit a quickfire 40 to finish the game off.
“Our total of 201 was never going to enough, but we have two much easier games to come against Falkland away and then Arbroath United at the Peoples Park, although there are no easy games in this division.”
Put into bat, the visitors made a good fist of things, battling against a quality attack in which Jack Hogarth (four for 44) and Lewis James (three for 23) were the pick.
Stoneywood-Dyce had their own heroes, led by last week’s century-maker Garreth Woolmarans, who hit a splendid 46, while Nathan Elliott demonstrated his fighting spirit with a defiant 43, and then finally captain Bester weighed in with a belligerent 40 to help break the 200 mark.
But, given they were four bowlers down, 201 was never going to be a target beyond Forfarshire, who sailed home in the 27th over with eight wickets in hand.
Elsewhere, Heriots continued their winning ways at the head of the division, beating Arbroath by 90 runs and Grange were comfortable 138-run winners at home to RH Corstorphine, but the game of the day was at Grange Loan, where Carlton and Falkland tied – each scoring 222.
Meanwhile, in the north-east, the weather was the winner, with all four NE Championship games called off after the early afternoon rain swept through the area.
Huntly managed one over in their second-versus-third tussle against Meigle, while Aberdeenshire’s home game with Perth Doocot was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Gordonians’ game at Countesswells with Dundee High and 2nd Stoneywood Dyce’s match at home to 2nd Forfarshire suffered similar fates.
The entire NE Cricket Scotland Grades fixture list was also wiped out, although 2nd Methlick did manage some play at Lairds in unusual circumstances.
A BBC TV camera crew, filming a River Walks series on the nearby River Ythan, requested play continue in order that they could have cricket in the background.
2nd Methlick and 2nd Gordonians both agreed to the request, but, in the face of incessant rain, gave up with the visitors all out for 164 and the home side struggling on 16 for the loss of two wickets.
