Gala cricketers hit top form to stay in pole position

Gala got off to a good start through Sid Siddhu (21) and Finlay Rutherford (21) but both fell in quick succession, followed by Duncan Millar and Dinesh Tharanga.

At 60 for 4, Jamie Crooks (22) and Robbie Irvine (21) rebuilt the innings before Crooks was bowled by Brookes.

Evans and Robbie Irvine added another 30 runs to take Gala up to 116 but the runs then dried up, as three maidens in a row were bowled.

However, the patience of Evans and Ross Patterson (18) was rewarded as the pair added a vital 34 runs in five overs.

Gala got off to a brilliant start as Brookes edged behind a Dean Moir delivery to Duncan Millar to leave Linlithgow 0 for 1 after three balls.

Millar claimed another catch when Irvine’s brilliant lifting delivery caught the glove of Stump to depart for 12.

Tharanga then ripped apart the Linlithgow middle order, leaving the visitors 48 for 5.

But Nettleton (17) and Whitton (9) supported remaining opening batsman Strachan well, as Linlithgow fought their way back into the game to set up a tense finish.

Up stepped Evans, who claimed Whitton and then the vital wicket of Strachan, who made 50.

The Kiwi then wrapped up the innings as he finished with 4 for 23, while Tharanga claimed 4 for 27, with Moir (1 for 20) and Irvine (1 for 18) also bowling superbly.

Gala/Hawick Development Team put in a creditable against promotion-chasing Drummond Trinity at Buccleuch Park.

The development team scored 134 for eight from their 40 overs, with Evan Alexander (35), James Boyle (23) and Harris Brogan (19) top scoring.

In reply, Liam Skeldon (2 for 15), Ryan Johnston (2 for 12) and Brogan (1 for 29) claimed the wickets but Drummond Trinity – who have won all but one game all season – got home with five overs and four wickets to spare.

Conor Young switched from rugby to cricket to lead Melrose to a shock win over Gala in the Border 2020 League at Huntlyburn.

Scotland club rugby internationalist Young claimed three wickets and scored a half-century as Melrose won by six wickets.

Batting first on a very difficult wicket, Gala tried to hit their way out of trouble rather than build an innings, failing to even reach the end of the 20 overs as they were all out for 88.

Gala got off to a decent start before Duncan Millar was deceived by the low bounce of the wicket and was caught out lbw.

It led to a succession of wickets as Gala were reduced to 49 for 6.

Finlay Rutherford (28) and Kenny Paterson (8) patiently rebuild the innings, putting on 35 before Paterson made a poor decision to run himself out, which led to another collapse as Gala were all out with 10 balls left to bowl.

Australian Young and Douglas Crawford put on 31 for the first wicket but, when Crawford was out, Young continued to dominate, smashing five sixes in his innings of 53.

He was out with the score on 76 and, although Melrose lost another wicket, they eventually got home with seven balls to spare to claim a fine win for the Division Four side.

Jamie Crooks claimed two wickets for Gala.

Scoreboards:

Gala v Linlithgow

Gala

S. Siddhu ct S. Ahammed b A. Williamson 21

F. Rutherford ct & b G. Raven 21

D. Millar ct C. Whitton b A. Williamson 2

D. Tharanga ct A. Napoli b A. Williamson 0

J. Crooks b P. Brookes 22

R. Irvine ct A. Williamson b P. Brookes 21

S. Evans not out 25

R. Patterson ct W. Nettleton b R. Thomson 18

D. Moir not out 4

Extras – 21

Total – 155 for seven wickets

R. Thomson 5-0-34-1; A. Williamson 9-3-24-3; G. Raven 9-1-18-1; J. Strachan 9-1-25-0; P. Brookes 9-1-32-2; S. Ahammed 4-2-12-0.

Linlithgow

P. Brookes ct D. Millar b D. Moir 0

J. Strachan ct R. Irvine b S. Evans 50

K. Stump ct D. Millar b R Irvine 12

R. Saunders b D. Tharanga 9

S. Ahammed lbw b D. Tharanga 0

A. Napoli b D. Tharanga 0

W. Nettleton lbw D. Tharanga 17

C. Whitton ct D. Tharanga b S. Evans 9

A. Williams ct & b S. Evans 5

R. Thomson not out 1

G. Raven lbw S. Evans 0

Extras – 14

Total – 117 for ten wickets

D. Moir 7-0-20-1; R. Irvine 8-1-18-1; S. Evans 8.4-1-23-4; D. Tharanga 9-4-27-4; J. Crooks 5-0-23-0.

Gala/Hawick v Drummond Trinity

Gala/Hawick

A. Hastings b V. Puli 8

J. Boyle ct M. Inturi b DK Siddalingaiah 23

E. Alexander b S Yavagaari 35

R. Johnston ct & b V. Puli 3

C. Ormiston b UB Narayana 7

J. Tait run out 11

R. Paterson ct G. Modi b V. Duvvuri 7

H. Brogan ct & b V. Duvvuri 19

L. Skeldon not out 1

Extras – 20

Total – 134 for eight wickets

V. Puli 8-2-13-2; U. Narayana 8-1-32-1; V. Duvvuri 7-1-23-2; N. Billipelli 8-1-34-0; S. Yavagaari 3-0-9-1; DK Siddalingaiah 6-1-18-1.

Drummond Trinity 4s

S. Yavagaari ct E. Alexander b H. Brogan 23

D. Siddalingaiah b R. Johnston 38

S. Balakrishnan ct E. Alexander b L. Skeldon 7

C. Jennings b L. Skeldon 0

G Modi ct H. Brogan b R. Johnston 26

K Balasubramanian not out 19

M. Inturi run out 1

N. Billipelli not out 2

Extras – 20

Total – 136 for six wickets

A. Hastings 4-0-18-0; H. Brogan 7-0-29-1; L. Skeldon 3-0-15-2; C. Ormiston 4-0-14-0; F. Hastings 5-0-21-0; J. Tait 3-0-11-0; R. Johnston 6-1-12-2; R. Paterson 3-0-9-0.

Gala v Melrose 2020

Gala

S. Siddhu ct D. Crawford b C. Young 27

D. Millar lbw R. Williams 6

J. Crooks b D. Howard 4

D. Tharanga lbw b D. Howard 0

S. Evans ct M. Rogerson b C. Young 1

F. Rutherford ct D. Howard b M. Rogerson 28

R. Irvine b O. Phillips 1

K. Paterson run out 8

M. Hastings ct D. King b C. Young 2

A. Hastings b M. Rogerson 0

L. Skeldon not out 0

Extras – 11

Total – 88 for ten wickets

D. Howard 4-0-23-2; R. Williams 3-0-16-1; C. Young 3.2-0-10-3; D. King 4-0-17-0; O. Phillips 2-0-17-1; M. Rogerson 2-0-5-2.

Melrose

C. Young ct J. Crooks b S. Evans 53

D. Crawford ct R. Irvine b D. Tharanga 10

D. King ct M. Hastings b J. Crooks 7

R. Williams not out 16

M. Rogerson ct F. Rutherford b J. Crooks 2

C. Howard not out 1

Extras – 3

Total – 92 for four wickets

D. Tharanga 4-0-15-1; S. Evans 4-1-14-1; R. Irvine 4-0-21-0; J. Crooks 4-0-25-2; F. Rutherford 2.5-0-16-0.