Two wins for Meigle at weekend
Meigle continued their surge towards top spot with an emphatic victory over Rossie Priory.
Matthew Farmer’s Black and Golds were facing a side in the midst of a player crisis.
Youngster Gavin Lynch took three wickets for Priory in an over in the fifth.
The loss of the toss was looking crucial, as a damp track played into the paceman’s hands and had Meigle on the back foot with just 14 on the board. Farmer accumulated 38 runs for himself. The cornerstone of the villagers’ innings was Steve Knight. A well-constructed 84 not out was his just desserts as he was supported by Charles Clark, who struck some lusty blows in his 38 not out.
Meigle ended their 45 overs on 218 for five.
The Victory Park side opened up with the brisk medium pace of Alan Neave and the medium pace swing of Iain Stewart.
It was to prove a day to remember for Stewart as he took the first seven Rossie wickets to see them crash to 34 all out.
A wicket fell each over, with Stewart bowling his first victim and claiming ex-Perthshire bat Jamie MacIntosh LBW before three catches from opening bowling partner Alan Neave in the slip.
Stewart induced the edge but Neave took all three with one hand. Two were at full stretch and one was diving to his right. Bob Edington and ‘keeper Pete Drummond also held on to catches to see Rossie reach on 24 for seven.
Stewart looked for a brief time he may enter an exclusive club of those who have taken all 10 wickets but it was not to be as Lynch looked to play one outlandish shot too many against skipper Farmer, who replaced Neave at the pavilion end.
Farmer finished on three for 10 as Rossie ended on an underwhelming 34 all out with Stewart finishing with a fifth five or more wicket haul for Meigle.
Meigle take on Perth Doo’cot this Saturday with a 1pm start at home and hope to have opening bowler Jamie Morrison and middle order bat Neil Wimberley back in the ranks.
Meigle’s 2nd XI face the trip to Montrose on Sunday. It is also a 1pm start. ● Meigle completed a terrific weekend as they defeated plucky Inverclyde outfit Kilmacolm on Sunday afternoon.
The win ensured they reach the Davidstow National Village Cup final for Scotland, where they will meet old foes Freuchie on June 12.
The Scottish winners qualify for the British round of 32 later in June and Meigle have the right to host the final as they seek to end 25 years of hurt and claim a seventh title.
Meigle’s Village Cup skipper, Iain Stewart, had no hesitation in batting first as groundsman Criag Mitchell produced yet another high quality playing surface that was conducive to batting.
Stewart and Charles Clark opened up with the skipper reaching 27 before his scalp was claimed by Higgins.
Clark continued on and reached a deserved half century but had to contend with several wickets falling quickly.
The Kilmacolm bowling attack was erratic at times, but left-armer Aman Attalawat was finding some pace and extra lift off the firm surface.
Attalawat beat the bat a few times and created a couple of half chances for catches but it was Ian Telfer who took three of the six Meigle wickets to fall.
After the loss of three wickets in quick succession, Jim Duff struck 17 to steady the innings with star man Clark.
When Duff and Clark departed – Clark’s 63 including eight boundaries – it brought Ross McDonald to the crease with Callum Leese.
McDonald opened the shoulders to find the boundary multiple times to end 37 not out and Leese, carrying an injury, reached an impressive 47 but ran all but eight of his runs. Meigle ended on 254 for six.
Meigle opened the bowling with Alan Neave who bowled excellent pace.
It was the slow medium pace of Andy Douglas that claimed the first wicket.
Ross McDonald claimed a direct hit run-out from short square leg to up the pressure on the visitors middle order.
Kilmacolm captain Charlie Craig kept the Black and Gold’s out in the heat for longer had off spinner Chris Dickson not held a sharp return catch on his way to career best figures of five for 30.
Dickson got turn and bounce and varied flight and two sharp stumping so from stand-in wicket keeper Tom Duff saw Dickson raising the ball for five wickets as Kilmacolm’s tail end collapsed and they ended 81 all out in 21.3 overs to fall 172 runs short.