Falkland Blown Away by Watsonians

Watsonians (10) : 183 for 9 in 50 overs.
(M Versfeld 34, A Chalmers 31, B Strachan 4 for 31, J Smithhurst 2 for 40)

Falkland (0) : 36 all out in 16.3 overs.
(A McKay 5 for 21, A Sadler 3 for 12)

Watsonians beat Falkland by 147 runs

Falkland were decisively beaten at home on Saturday by an excellent Watsonians team who are, on this showing, deservedly top of the Eastern Premier League.

Acting captain Ben Strachan won the toss and opted to field on a pitch that had seen a little rain over the past few days. Following a dreadful start, Falkland steadied the ship and then 4 wickets fell to Strachan and Ditchmen with the score on 67 to add to the one that had fallen previously, and Watsonians were struggling at 67 for 5. But then Watsonians showed that they are champion material by their ability to dig themselves out of a hole as Versfeld and Chalmers "nurdled" to good effect so that they finished off with 183 for 9. It was, nevertheless, not a bad bowling and fielding performance from Falkland, although 22 Wides were far too many to concede.

Falkland started respectably but lost their first wicket to an excellent piece of fielding which ran out Ruhode, but then a veil must be drawn over the rest of the batting performance, for frankly they had no answer to the pace of Andy McKay, ex-New Zealand Test Match player who numbers Sachin Tendulkar among his victims. At the other end Ally Sadler also bowled well, and Falkland subsided to a humiliating 36 all out, one of the lowest scores in the club's history.

David Potter