League derby next up for Hawick and Selkirk cricketers after T20 trophy win for Souters
Gala were hit by their fourth defeat on the bounce in the East of Scotland Cricket Association’s championship away to Edinburgh Accies on Saturday.
The Borderers lost by 36 runs in the capital after the coin-toss went the way of their eighth-placed hosts and they opted to bat first, setting a target of 268 for five in 50 overs, with Sidhiq Ajmal their top scorer on 72.
Captain Jamie Crooks and Iqbal Qasim claimed two wickets apiece for the Galashiels club, with Edward Eyre taking their other at a respective cost in runs of 48, 43 and 22.
Gala could only manage 232 for ten in reply in 45 overs, with Ben Potgieter top-scoring on 58.
Pervaiz Khan was the home bowler with the best figures, taking three wickets for 23 runs, those of opener Crooks, Darius Maritz and Robbie Paterson with their scores on five, 28 and six.
That seventh loss of the season, 13 rounds in, leaves Gala second from bottom of the table with a points-won percentage of 52.
Round 14 sees fifth-placed Morton visiting this coming Saturday.
Two divisions down, Kelso lost by ten runs at home to Linlithgow on Saturday.
That was their tenth defeat of the season and it leaves them second from bottom of ESCA’s division one with a points-won rate of 42.5% ahead of an away-day against Edinburgh South’s table-topping seconds this Saturday.
Both the region’s representatives in division three notched up wins at the weekend – Hawick and Wilton by six wickets away to Westquarter and Redding in Falkirk and Selkirk at home to Murrayfield Dafs’ seconds after being set a target of 93 for nine in 40 overs.
Hawick won the toss on the road and elected to bowl, a decision vindicated by Ryan Johnston and Euan Stevenson taking four wickets each, for 13 runs and 32, restricting their hosts to 83 for ten from 21 overs.
The visitors’ top scorer as they responded with 84 for four in 17 overs was captain Evan Alexander with 28.
Selkirk opener Greg Fenton scored 57 not out and his brother Michael, third to the crease, added 29 as they mustered a reply of 94 for two in 18 overs.
Hawick host Selkirk this Saturday and they go into that derby sitting second in the table with a points-won percentage of 77.5, eight places better off than the basement side Souters, currently on a points-won rate of 53%.
That league match at Buccleuch Park offers Hawick a chance to make amends for a T20 defeat away to Selkirk at Philiphaugh last Wednesday.
Batting first, the hosts finished on 125-5, built around a third-wicket partnership between Blaine Gillie and David Gardiner, scoring 32 and 22 respectively.
The visitors got off to a flying start in reply with quickfire knocks of 30 from Ryan Johnston and 31 from Justin Tait, but after their dismissals, wickets began to fall at regular intervals and they were all out for 107 in the 20th over, conceding the Ronnie Simpson Memorial Trophy to their hosts.