Cricket: Selkirk pipped by three wickets at league leaders Clackmannan County

After losing the toss and being put into bat, Selkirk skipper Greg Fenton and vice-captain Kenny Paterson opened, and when Paterson was bowled in the seventh over the pattern was set.

Fenton continued to score off the bad ball, while his partners were outwitted by the most effective bowling attack they’ve faced this year.

At drinks Selkirk were 53 for 4, with Fenton reaching his 50 shortly afterwards with a drive to long-off.

The Selkirk opener, likely to finish top of the Division 2 scoring charts this year, was feeling the pressure to add runs as he was joined by tail enders and was caught in the deep midwicket by Sai Daddolu for 69.

The young County player was excellent in the field, taking three catches on the day and running out Kieran Toor (5). Naite Grauf finished with five wickets for 16 runs. The County bowler also stands on a hat-trick, taking the final two Selkirk wickets in consecutive balls.

The Souters were dismissed for 100 runs, and a home victory was the most likely outcome.

That Selkirk will look ruefully on this game as another missed opportunity suggests that the home run chase was not straightforward. Openers Tariq Mehboob and Keith Hefer both gave early chances which were put down.

They knocked off 32 runs before Daniel Heard (2-29) bowled Hefer. Grauf then faced only three balls before Heard had him LBW. However, Daddolu and Mehboob looked to have taken the game away from Selkirk with a partnership of 43, at which point the hosts were 79-4.

Selkirk’s Blaine Gillie finds himself in the top five bowlers in Division 2 having once again tempted and tricked opposition batsmen to end up with 4-17.

A break for drinks appeared to benefit the batting side as the nerves were settled and the home captain Tom Hutchison (10), partnered by Dave Hunt (11), gradually picked up the handful of runs needed.

This week’s home game against Kirk Brae is now a must win fixture for eighth-placed Selkirk if they want to avoid a quick return to Division 3.