Tough Start For 3rds - Read Mel's Report

Falkland 3rd XI v Glenrothes 2

Glenrothes 2 (20) : 198 for 7 in 45 overs.
(C Stewart 64*, G Dodds Jnr 34, C Langlands 2 for 22, G Porteous 2 for 39)

Falkland 3 (4) : 78 all out in 39.3 overs.
(K Glen 4 for 20, K Graveling 2 for 8)

Glenrothes 2 beat Falkland 3 by 120 runs

FIRST GAME, FIRST DEFEAT

New season, new year, new division, new captain same old result. The 3rd XI were back in Div 5 due to finishing in the top 6 last year and league reconstruction and kicked off their season on Saturday with a home match against local rivals Glenrothes looking for revenge as they added twice to our lost column last season.

The weather made Falkland Estate look more like a tropical rain forest on Friday night and the game looked a bit dubious - the words cricket, summer and Scotland should never be used in the same sentence. However, it dried up on Saturday morning and the game was on.

With both captain, Gregor ‘Brains’ Lawson and vice Liam ‘Habib’ Farrell unavailable, acting captain for the day Robbie ‘The Ginger Marauder’ Nellies won the toss and elected to field. Robbie took a gamble and opened with 12 year old Grant ‘The Wee Man’ Langlands, bearing in mind Grant had gone for 58 from 5 overs in the corresponding fixture last season, and returning to the 3rd XI Dale ‘Buckfast Bob’ Wilkie. Well, how a year can change somebody, as Grant bent his back and along with Dale tied the Glenrothes openers down. The only runs they were getting were singles and Wullie Morrison was making Tinky Winky look like Usain Bolt striding between the stumps.

They had been kept to 18 runs for the first 10 overs with Grant’s first 2 overs being maidens and Dale only going for 1 from his first 2. The openers were really struggling with Grant as he kept putting the ball on the spot and giving them no width, together with some very tight fielding in the covers from Danny ‘The Chat’ Caldwell and Rory ‘The Cat’ Manson, Glenrothes were getting frustrated. Grant bowled the last ball of his 5 overs and may have bowled the ball of his life as the swing had Mark Braid in knots and his middle stump was gone. You could see the relief on the batsmen’s faces when they found out Grant was only allowed to bowl 5 overs because of his age and he finished with the amazing figures of 1-3.

Dale was still keeping it tight at the other end, but a few leg side balls were being punished. He was joined by Grant Porteous bowling form the tin hut end,. Grant was having problems with his run up and was blaming the 10 inch drop between the grass and the artificial.

A break for rain was next as the heavens opened and although Dale was down at fine leg with his shower gel we convinced him to come in.

Play resumed after an hour and it wasn’t long before we picked up our next wicket from Dale as Callum ‘The Gymnast’ Watson took a catch, making an easy catch look hard, as he did a forward roll with pike before getting his hands under it. Glenrothes had 75 runs on the board before we got our 3rd wicket. Dale had finished his 9 overs with a very respectable 1-29 and was replaced by Callum ‘The Gymnast’ Watson and took a wicket in his first over when K Glen topped edged one and straight down Grant Langland’s throat at fine leg.

The next 2 wickets fell in the same over to Grant P with Connor taking a fine catch at square leg and 2 balls later Grant’s tunnel ball took the wickets of Ali Sim. Grant was replaced at the tin hut end by Dev ‘Goram’ May but it wasn’t much of a day for spinners as the ball was like a bar of soap. Either that or Dale had the shower gel out again. Dev went for 19 from 3 overs - not a day to show his full potential, but he will be back.

We then had the name Langlands at both ends with Grant coming on at the ‘tin hut’ end and older brother Connor at the ‘not the tin hut’ end and by this time their number 5 was in and we had hockey shots, tennis shots, golf shots, squash shots and even some lacrosse thrown in, but not a cricket shot in sight as he reached 64. Grant went for a little bit more this time and finished 8 overs with 1 for 20, still a great effort from the 12 year old. Connor was bowling well at the other end and finished with the best figures of the day as he obtained 2 for 22 from 6 overs, a great display. In the meantime, Danny ‘The Chat’ Caldwell had replaced the wee man, but again fell foul to some ugly shots. The 3rd XI very often get punished by what I can only call non-batsmen who score big totals. Maybe we should be learning from this. With 14 and a run out coming off the last over, Glenrothes had finished at 198 for 7, a very gettable score and it was tea time.

Falkland opened the batting with Callum ‘The Door’ May and Rory ‘The Cat’ Manson and things looked to be going our way as 8 runs came off the first over, but that was it as it took us another 5 overs to get into double figures. The Glenrothes bowlers were keeping it tight with Bod, about the same height as Grant L, but a few decades older, bowling from the ‘not the tin hut end’ and Keith Graveling from the other. Rory was first to go as he tried to stick his thumb in the ball but only succeeded in looping it over his head and into the wickie’s hands, scoring 8.

We were going along at the Test Match Special rate of 2 an over and the opposing players were really rubbing it in as the wickie pulled out a copy of the Daily Record and asked 1st slip what he thought the answer to 5 across was! Alan ‘President Sir’ Wilkie was next up and he went soon after, L.B.W. for 4. It was Connor ‘Lager Lout’ Langlands turn and after a beautiful cover drive for 4 off his second ball, nicked one to the wickie, who had now completed aforementioned crossword.

We were now sitting at a lowly 32 for 3 and it soon became 32 for 4 as captain for the day Robbie (1) also edged one to the wickie, who was now on the Daily Express crossword. Danny joined Callum at the crease, Callum was batting sensibly, but not troubling the scorers much, who were now playing dot to dot in the scorebook and trying to guess what it was. Once Callum gets a little bit more aggression and control into his batting, he is a 1st XI player in the making. Danny was next to go again being caught by Cammy Ross, the wickie, who was now stuck on the Daily Sport crossword.

Callum May eventually fell and yes, you’ve guessed it, caught behind, for 12. Dale fell for 0, Callum Watson 4 and Grant P and Grant L put up a bit of a fight but all they could manage to do was frustrate the bowlers as they scored 7 runs from 8 overs. Grant P finished top scorer with 21 and Grant L defended really well and even took a swipe at a few of them. His batting has come on over the winter months.

We finished 78 all out, well short of the required total, and the game was over. A game that was winnable, but the batsmen failed to put pressure on the opposition and another defeat in the first game of the season. It was a strong team out on Saturday and we still have 5 players to come back. The Steamroller will be back and should keep their place in the league if not pushing towards the top.

Mel