Stoneywood-Dyce ended the Eastern Premier League season with a defeat against Carlton.
It was a season of what might have been after a bright start saw them win four of their first five games, only to fade from the dizzy heights in the Eastern Premier, losing 10 of their next 12 matches.
But despite the six wicket defeat at the hands of fourth placed Carlton, stand-in captain Ewan Davidson was defiant about his side’s prospects for next season.
The 20-year-old said: “Once again we failed to post a challenging total, though there were fine knocks from Garreth Wolmarans and Du Preez Stander, but in the field we were superb, bowling and fielding like demons.
“We got four wickets but probably deserved more. We are a young team who have learned much in a very difficult campaign.”
The home side batted first and were best served by Wolmarans (39) and Stander (57) who held the innings together.
The majority of People’s Park top order batsmen made good starts but failed to build on their efforts, resulting in them being bowled out for 154.
A total that was never going to be enough, especially as the Edinburgh side’s openers put on 106 for the first wicket, this despite the tenacity of the home attack of which Fraser McLean was the pick, returning figures of three for 32.
Meigle claim title with easy win
Meigle, as expected cruised to the NE Championship title after bowling out Dundee High for 36 and then knocked off the required runs for the loss of one wicket, leaving Aberdeenshire and Huntly also reflecting on what could have been.
Huntly, in particular, were rueing two early season defeats before ending the campaign with an amazing run of 12 straight wins, including Saturday’s 57 run victory at home to Gordonians.
Huntly batted first on a tricky, testing track, struggling to 125 all, and then turned the screw, dismissing the Countesswells side for 68, inspired by captain Jack Mitchell who scored a priceless 30, following up with four wickets for 17.
“It’s tough on the guys but it bodes well for next season,” said Mitchell.
Shire defeated 2nd Stoneywood-Dyce who did well to score 178, only to be hit off the park by teenager Lewis Munro who notched up a belligerent 107, but only good enough for second place in the division.
In Grade 1, all three of the title contenders won, including leaders Knight Riders who chased down the Mannofield total of 99 for the loss of three wickets.
Captain Pehlaj Penneti scored an unbeaten 24 to see his side home.
They now have their destiny in their own hands but face a testing challenge at the Links where they meet Crescent who beat relegated Aberdeen Grammar by five wickets, successfully hunting down the Grammar total of 214 for nine.
In the meantime Bon Accord kept themselves in contention, beating Gordonians by 67 runs after bowling out the Countesswells side for 150.
In the relegation area 2nd Knight Riders will go down with Grammar after failing to match the 264 for six set by Master Blasters Aberdeen, falling 99 short at Allan Park.
Bon Accord claim Shire Cup
Bon Accord and Crescent took time out from their pulsating attempt to wrest the Grade 1 title away from leaders Knight Riders when they met in the final of the Aberdeenshire Cup at Mannofield yesterday.
Given their scintillating form in the league, it was no surprise that the two Aberdeen teams served up a high scoring cracker in the near perfect late summer conditions.
Bon Accord won the toss and elected to take first use of the wicket, and with opener Fazal Awan in superb form, it proved to be a wise decision by Bons captain Tauqeer Malik, as he strode to an imperious 113 which included 12 fours and six sixes in the company of Varinder Sood who hit an equally impressive 86 in a partnership of 183.
Crescent to their credit did not wilt in the face of such fine batting, doing well to contain the late order batsmen, while restricting them to 299 from their allocation of 40 overs.
Rajeevan Sujaya was the pick of the Crescent attack with four wickets for 37.
Faced with such a challenging total, Crescent fell behind the required run rate of 7.5 an over, while losing wickets, leaving them facing near certain defeat at the halfway point of the innings and their main batsmen out, including captain Nathan Thangaraj and Rajeevan Sujaya. In the end it was Kamal Reddy who top scored with 49, while his side battled to 252, including a last wicket stand of 34. Malik took four for 42.
Malik said: “It was a great game in which we saw some fine cricket. This win means a lot to us.”
His opposite number Thangaraj said: “We have had a great season and we can still win the league next week.”
