Falkland Win Thriller in Edinburgh

Falkland 164 for 8
(G Doig 43, C Buitendag 36, W Sullivan 29, R Brown 3 for 55)

Heriots 161 all out
(K Morton 51, A Yadav 3 for 47, B Ditchmen 3 for 49)

Falkland Won by 3 Runs

In one of the best games of cricket all season, Falkland narrowly beat Heriots at Goldenacre on Saturday by three runs. Falkland won the toss and opted to bat. The score of 164 was solid but rarely spectacular, a steady accumulation of runs by men like Wayne Sullivan, Grant Doig and Cloete Buitendag on a difficult pitch. Wayne Sullivan achieved the rare feat of being run out while standing at square leg! He had been injured and was batting with a runner. It was an unfortunate incident, but Buitendag and Doig steered the team to a total which was good in the context of the pitch and the game.

Falkland started well in the field and when Heriots were 107 for 8, the game looked over. But Morton and McLean steadied the ship for the home side and they were in sight of victory when after an unfortunate rain break, Falkland took the final wicket when Sullivan caught Morton off the bowling of Henderson and Falkland scraped home by 3 runs. Both Ditchmen and Yadav took 3 wickets, and a special word is required for young Ewen Doig playing his first game for the club who bowled 7 Overs and conceded only 23 runs for 1 wicket.

In the context of the League the game did not matter all that much, but it was a great advertisement for the game of cricket played by two equally matched teams who played the game in the right spirit in a totally sporting encounter from which both clubs emerge with a great deal of credit.

David Potter