Batting collapse results in capital punishment for Selkirk's cricketers

David Gardiner finished with five wickets for 17 runs against Marchmont IIs, Selkirk’s first five-for of the season (Photo: John Smail)

Marchmont’s seconds took revenge on Selkirk for their opening-day defeat by the Souters with a 72-run victory at Edinburgh’s Cavalry Park in their East of Scotland Cricket Association division three rematch on Saturday.

Batting first, the hosts made slow but steady progress. At the halfway mark of their innings, they had only lost two wickets and were hopeful of pushing on.

Selkirk’s David Gardiner was brought on as second change in Edinburgh and promptly took two wickets in his first over, reducing Marchmont to 73 for 5.

Fielding was good on the day, and with eight batsmen out to catches, it yielded Selkirk’s best return of the season, Michael Fenton taking three catches on the day.

Navin Chetty, batting at 5, steered Marchmont’s lower order through the final overs, finishing not out on 27 and helping to add a valuable 51 runs to the home total of 124-9.

Gardiner finished with season-best figures of 5 for 17, with vice-skipper Kenny Paterson finding his rhythm and range with 2 for 22.

Selkirk’s reply was surprisingly timid, and tight bowling from Marchmont’s opening pair, Steve Clayton and Dhiraj Prakash, made it clear the visitors’ modest target of 125 would require a patient approach.

When brothers Greg and Michael Fenton both fell cheaply to tricky deliveries, followed by Kenny Paterson’s dismissal to a great catch by Will Toms, the visitors looked to be in trouble and so it proved.

The removal of Harry Murphy for 21 immediately after the drinks interval spelled an early finish.

Whereas Marchmont’s batters had soldiered on from five wickets down, Selkirk’s simply crumpled.

The Souters slumped from 47 for five to 52 all out, giving Marchmont’s change bowlers Alfie Hall (3-8) and Kuntal Choudhury (4-13) their best figures of the season.

It was a disappointing defeat for the Philiphaugh side, and they will need to put in a much-improved performance with the bat if they are to exact revenge on Haddington at home this Saturday for a low-scoring loss at Neilson Park earlier in the season.

The Borderers go into that game seventh in the 10-team table, with 131 points from 10 games, a win rate just over 2% short of that of their fifth-placed visitors from East Lothian.