St Boswells squeeze through in tight game at foot of table

Holy Cross won the toss and put St Boswells in to bat. They proceeded with extreme caution in the first 20 overs, crawling to 36 for 0 at the half way stage. But, crucially, a base was set.

Captain Jamie Glover and Jordan Broom accelerated with a stand of 65 before Broom was run out for 42. Glover was eventually caught for 46 but, with some late hitting from the tail, a total of 148 was set, which looked competitive.

In reply, Holy Cross were ticking along nicely ahead of the run rate when Mehta and Clemens were batting, reaching 85 for 1 after 24 overs.

Glover struck the first key blow, having Mehta caught behind by Graham for 46, before Clemens’ luck ran out when Marshall bowled him round his legs for 37.

But the runs kept coming and, with 27 needed off the final 36 balls with seven wickets remaining, Holy Cross were firm favourites.

Several dropped chances had gone down before Rob Needham stepped up to the plate, running in from the deep to take the hardest chance of the day and send Lothian packing for 22 runs.

Young got the second wicket of the over, trapping Fraser lbw for 8, which meant two new batsmen were at the crease for the crucial last overs.

It came down to the last over, with 11 runs needed. A boundary increased tensions all round the ground but Broom bowled well and only six were plundered in total – meaning St Boswells won an incredibly tight game and kept within one win of exiting the relegation places.

This weekend, there is another Border derby with the Villagers away to Selkirk, who lost on Saturday to table-toppers and, so far, 100 per cent win record holders, Dunfermline Carnegie.