Hawick’s cricketers second in table after sixth win of season but Selkirk’s losing run goes on
Hawick and Wilton chalked up back-to-back wins in the East of Scotland Cricket Association’s division three on Saturday but regional rivals Selkirk came up two wickets short in their bid to end what’s now a seven-game losing streak.
Both were at home for round 11 of this season as Hawick got the better of Edinburgh’s Holy Cross by 77 runs at their Buccleuch Park ground but it was a case of close but no cigar for the Souters at Philiphaugh versus East Lothian’s Tranent and Preston Village seconds.
Hawick lost the toss and were put in to bat by their visitors, a decision that looked to be paying off as opener Declan Solley went for a duck on his third ball, caught by Ross McLennan from a Faiz Rafique delivery, and their next two batsmen in, Gareth Welsh and captain Evan Alexander, went for one and four respectively.
Solley’s opening partner, Ryan Johnston, made it to two short of a half-century, however, accounting for more than a third of a total of 142 for ten from 37 overs, and that proved to be well beyond the reach of their capital city opposition as they could only muster a reply of 65 for nine in 19 overs.
The hosts’ other batsmen to reach double figures were Justin Tait with 20, Harris Brogan with 28 and Sadiq Shah with 12.
Chintan Patel was the pick of the visitors’ bowlers, taking three wickets – those of Johnston, Shah and Euan Stevenson – for 17 runs in six overs.
That tally was matched by three of the hosts’ four bowlers – Stuart Hair, Shah and Welsh – with their hat-tricks coming at the cost of 18 runs, 21 and four respectively.
Abhishek Pawar, with 13, and Alexander Tweedy, with 20, were the only visiting batsmen to make it into double figures.
A dozen miles up the A7, Selkirk were also asked to bat first after losing the toss, a move seemingly vindicated by two early dismissals in quick succession, with opener Greg Fenton going for one and his elder brother Michael for two, both bowled by Midhun Krishnan, leaving the hosts looking to be in trouble at 22-2.
A 65-run partnership between the younger Fenton’s opening partner, Kenny Paterson, and Rory Banks, fourth at the crease, scoring 42 and 39 respectively, steadied the ship, however, although Selkirk’s lower-order batters found Tranent’s bowlers difficult to score against, with only David Gardiner and Mikael Badenhorst, on 14 and 12, reaching double figures.
By the end of their 40 overs, the home team’s total stood at 140-7, with Krishan, on three wickets for 16 runs, returning the visitors’ best bowling figures.
Tranent’s innings followed a similar pattern to those of their hosts as they looked to be struggling at 27-2 before getting back on track thanks to a 50-run partnership between Narayan Haran and Vishnu Kuzhi, hitting 34 and 40.
Even so, after conceding three wickets in short order to leave their score at 130-8 with fewer than three overs to go, the Souters looked to be in with a chance of pulling off their first victory since May.
The visitors’ No 8 batsman, Mohammed Shareef had other ideas, though, hitting the runs required, ten not out, to steer his side to a two-wicket win.
David Gardiner, with three wickets for 19 runs, was again the home side’s best bowler, backed up by Michael and Greg Fenton, on 2-25 and 2-26.
Hawick’s sixth win of the season leaves them second in the table with a points-won percentage of 71.5.
Selkirk remain in the basement spot after their eighth defeat of this term, on 43.5%.
This coming Saturday sees Hawick at home to Livingston’s second-from-bottom seconds and Selkirk away to third-placed Boroughmuir at Edinburgh’s Meggetland.
The latter will be hoping for better fortune in the capital than Gala managed on Saturday gone versus Grange’s seconds in ESCA’s championship, having been hit by a ten-wicket thumping at Portgower Place.
The Galashiels travelling party got off to a winning start, claiming victory in the opening coin-toss, but that was as good as it got as, after electing to bat, they were all out for 61 runs in 15 overs.
No 2 batsman Sean Taylor was the only one of their number to hit double figures, reaching 16, as home bowlers Lauchlan O’Flynn and Dylan Davidson claimed four wickets apiece, for 12 runs and 25 respectively.
Their eighth-placed hosts then went on to prove equally adept with bat in hand as with ball, their opening partnership of Will Hodgson and captain Max Watson running up a total of 65 without any input being required from their lower order, scoring 40 not out and 22 not out.
Gala’s fifth loss of the season leaves them seventh in the table, with a points-won percentage of 59, ahead of a visit from second-placed Edinburgh this Saturday.
Kelso were also out of luck against capital city opposition at the weekend, losing by 55 runs hosting Edinburgh’s seconds in ESCA’s division 2.
Their visitors won the toss and opted to bat, setting a target of 195 for seven in 40 overs, Muhammad Tahir being their top scorer with 44 not out.
Kelso could only come up with 140 in response, their biggest hitters being captain Callum Davidson on 43 and Kenneth Keddie on 39.
The Shedden Park club are at home again this Saturday, to Edinburgh University’s staff side, and they go into round 12 of the season sitting second from bottom of the table, with a points-won rate of 49.5%.
Melrose also had a trip to Portgower Place lined up to take on Grange’s table-topping thirds in ESCA’s division 4 but forfeited that fixture.
They stay bottom of their table after that seventh loss of this term, with a points-won percentage of 25, ahead of a 12th-round visit to fifth-placed Haddington this Saturday.