Another Fine Win For Falkland

RHS Corstorphine 268 for 4 (50 overs)
(L Naylor 116 not out, G West 69)

Falkland 271 for 6 (48 overs)
(H Cooray 69, L Robertson 59 no, C Cassell 53, S Meikle 52)

Falkland 1st XI won by 4 wkts.

The game was of no major significance but it was still very rewarding to get a win in Edinburgh and to move up another place in the League. If this sort of form had been shown earlier in the season, 2022 might have been totally different. But there is hope that Falkland can progress from this in 2023 with another year's experience.

The conditions were far from congenial with rain still threatening, and with a strong and unpleasant wind at this strange ground where the pavilion is somewhat distant from the playing area, and where the Falkland changing room and the scorebox are in fact storage containers! Falkland won the toss and may well have wondered why they did so when RHS Corstorphine posted a formidable total of 264 for 4 with a fine century from Liam Naylor and a couple of other useful totals. Falkland used seven bowlers, but no-one really mastered the batting in difficult conditions, and as the outfield was fast, the total mounted to what seemed a winning score.

But Falkland's batting was extremely impressive and four men - Steven Meikle, Charlie Cassell, Lyle Robertson and Harsha Cooray reached 50 or more as Falkland eased home with two overs to spare, with Corstorphine making the mistake of turning too often to pace when they had good spinners available. They also at key points of the innings dropped a few catches, which might have changed the game. But full marks to Falkland for talking advantage and winning another game.

RHS Corstorphine's players and spectators deserve credit for their sportsmanship and the fact the game was played in the right spirit. Tribute too was paid to the late Sandy Scotland who was one for the great men of Scottish cricket, and who always said that coming to Falkland was one of the real pleasures of the Umpiring circuit.

On the debit side, it has to be said that the tea provided was one of the worst I have experienced in Scottish cricket for many years. It made me homesick for Falkland!

David Potter