Stoneywood-Dyce have seven games left to save their season after losing to Eastern Premier League leaders Grange.
Grange shrugged off a poor start in which they lost two wickets for eight runs, going on to amass 257 runs and then dismiss the home side for 83.
It was certainly not the birthday Peoples Park captain Lennard Bester would have wanted – although he remained faithful to his charges, insisting Stoneywood-Dyce are only one good win away from getting back on track and avoiding relegation.
Bester said: ”Once again we failed with the bat, but turned in another great performance in the first half of the Grange innings, only to come up a side who know how to win – which is why they are top of the league.
“We also failed to demonstrate the kind of patience required at this level.
“Giving away so many extras doesn’t help, but we have a much less difficult challenge in Edinburgh next week, where we meet Stewarts-Melville.
“With bottom side Meigle failing to win, we are very much in charge of our own destiny.”
Stoneywood-Dyce won the toss and elected to field.
Bester’s decision looked totally vindicated after Shaun Wolmarans dismissed Grange opener Ben Davidson with his first delivery, followed quickly with the scores on eight when Jon Grant bowled Harris Carnegie for one.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man in the form of Grange No.3 Thomas Foulds, who – in the company of Finlay McCreath – calmly rescued the visitors with a stand of 107.
McCreath’s contribution was 46, while Foulds went on to rack up 98, before in a rush of blood to the head, he was cleaned bowled by Wolmarans, who was the pick of the home attack, claiming four for 27.
Even then, the torment was not over for the home side, as former Peoples Park favourite and Scotland player Gordon Goudie entered the fray, and hit a blistering 72 from 45 balls, including six mighty sixes, taking his side’s total to 297 for the loss of nine wickets.
Unsurprisingly, faced with such a total, Stoneywood-Dyce were never in the hunt, fading to 83 all out with no home batsman reaching 20.
Rizwan Dharani took the bowling honours for Grange with five for 22, leaving the homesters to reflect on another bad day.
Gordonians outclassed by Arbroath; big upset in Grade 2
In the North East Championship, Arbroath United made light of the Gordonians total of 214, racing to their ninth win in nine games for the loss of only one wicket.
”We played well enough, but Arbroath are in a different league,” said Mayank Bandari, the Countesswells captain, who top-scored for the visitors with 63.
Abrar Ahmed, the Gordonians opener hit 54, while capturing the only home wicket to fall.
In the derby game at Castle Park, Huntly had too much firepower for an understrength Aberdeenshire, who were bowled out for 83 when chasing the 186 set them.
Jack Mitchell, the Huntly captain, underlined his growing status as a bowler, taking four for 19, keeping him at the head of the averages in the league, while Frank Summers top-scored with 40 when they batted.
In the Aberdeenshire Grades, there were no surprises in Grade 1, as Bon Accord and Master Blasters eased to comfortable wins at home to AberGreen and Knight Riders, respectively.
Gordonians’ win at Mannofield was not a shock, but the 195-run margin was.
There was, meanwhile, a major upset in Grade 2 at Rubislaw, where Portcullis ended Aberdeen Grammar’s unbeaten run, easing through by four wickets after successfully hunting down the 226 set them.
Aman Sood’s 102 not out was the rock on which Grammar perished, leaving Grammar’s Karan Anand an unlucky centurion on 100 not out.
