Falkland Gain Promotion

Falkland 175 all out
(L.Robertson 50. H Cooray 47, J Halls 5 for 32)

Gala 152 all out
(J Irvine 71, A Hamilton 6 for 38 including a hat-trick).

Falkland won by 23 runs

Falkland brought down the curtain on a good season in fine style on Saturday with a win in the play-off for the Eastern Premier League against Gala at Freuchie. The game was close, and for a long time, it looked as if Gala might emerge victorious, but in the end Falkland won by 23 runs.

The game began at 11,00 am and Falkland batted first. Their total of 175 looked adequate but no more than that, and it was largely due to a 4th wicket stand of 88 between Harsha Cooray and Lyle Robertson that this total was reached. Gala's fielding was excellent as was the bowling of John Halls who took 5 wickets, including the vital ones of the two men who scored the runs.

Gala's reply owed almost everything to the innings of captain John Irvine who hit 71 and when supported by Ash Rhode, looked as of he could win the game. The efforts of these two batsmen are all the more praiseworthy, because at one point the innings was in tatters at 4 for 23, and Alan Hamilton had just taken a brilliant hat-trick bowling up the hill. Once Irvine went however, caught in the outfield by Steven Meikle, the game was more or less over.

Both teams emerged from the game with a great deal of credit. Falkland were obviously the winners and now go on to play among the big boys of Scottish cricket in the Eastern Premier League next year, but Gala did themselves and the East League a great deal of credit by a gutsy performance. The closeness and excitement of this game will be remembered by the large crowd who watched it, and as far as Falkland are concerned, April 2022 and the new season simply cannot come quickly enough!

At the end of the game, the trophy for winning the Strathmore Union was presented to captain Adam Ferguson. It has been a good season for Falkland who also won the Fife Cup, and have seen several young players come to fruition in a way which reflects great credit on the youth development system in place at the club.

David Potter