ROUND-UP Forfarshire off mark but rain proves a pain

IN a day ravaged by rain showers, all the CSL Eastern Premier games were completed with many affected by Duckworth/Lewis calculations.

Forfarshire recorded their first win of the campaign with a narrow 11-run success over Glenrothes at Gilvernbank.

Batting first, the Fife side had posted a decent-looking total of 202 for seven with Saffy Sharif top scoring with 69, Forfarshire skipper Umair Mohammed taking four for 24 in his spell.

In reply, numerous rain stops interrupted the Forfarshire innings.

They reached 151 for five when the game was abandoned, meaning they won on the D/L by 11 runs, Matty Parker top scoring with 38.

Arbroath continued their 100% record in a tight finish against Watsonians at Lochlands. Ross Mclean had scored a fine 90 in the Lichties’ total of 241 for seven, with Andy Mckay taking four for 32 from his 10 overs.

Watsonians looked to be on their way to victory until the vital wicket of George Munsey for 93 saw them fall behind the run rate and they finished 10 runs short on 231 for six.

Aberdeenshire got the better of visitors Falkland in another tight finish at Mannofield.

Hasha Coorey scored 84 in Falkland’s 175 for nine in their innings before the Dons scrambled to 142 for six when the rain intervened, which meant they won by 11 runs on D/L method.

Grange recorded a thumping 235-run win over SMRH at Inverleith with Preston Mommsen again showing his class with a masterful 110 in Grange’s 267 for four.

SMRH then slumped to an embarrassing 32 all out, with Andy Brock claiming a fivewicket haul.

In the final game in the division, Carlton came out on top against neighbours Heriots.

Ali Shah scored a quickfire 83 in Carlton’s 231 for six before left-arm spinner Chyack Gossain took three for 20 as Heriot’s slumped to 115 all out.

In the Western Premier Division, Prestwick were knocked off the top of the table after they lost at home to Ayr.

Andy Mcalnae scored 60 in Ayr’s 181 all out, before Mitcell Rao’s 66 not out proved in vain for Prestwick as they finished 14 runs short on 167 all out.

Ferguslie took over at the top i n an exciting Paisley derby.

Chasing Ferguslie’s 211 for six, Kelburne finished on 210 for nine after a couple of rain delays had reduced the second innings to 45 overs, which saw them lose by 11 runs after the D/L calculations.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Dumfries over Greenock and Clydesdale over Poloc.

In the Western Championship, only three games went ahead as leaders West of Scotland stretched their lead at the top with a thumping win over Weirs.

Drumpellier got the better of Renfrew and Irvine defeated St Michaels at Marress.

INDIA kicked off their Champions Trophy defence with a crushing 124-run victory over a ragged Pakistan, who were broken by Virat Kohli i n front of a global audience of up to a billion.

Worldwide interest in the Asian derby, last played in the one-day format at the 2015 World Cup, dwarfs that of the Champions League Final, but aside from Kohli’s glorious strokeplay at the end of the Indian innings the excitement of a full house at Edgbaston was not matched by a quality contest in the middle.

Kohli’s unbeaten 81 hit all the right notes as India plundered 117 from their last 10 overs, 72 of which came from the final 24 deliveries, on their way to a winning score of 319 for three.

Pakistan were asked to pursue 289 i n 41 overs on Duckworth/Lewis after a series of rain delays but could only muster 164 for nine at the close.

Forfarshire captain Umair Mohammed shows delight at capturing a Glenrothes wicket during his side’s first league win of the season in which he took four wickets for 24 runs.