Clackmannan County Cricket Club 2nd XI travelled to Townhill on a dry but overcast day to face Dunfermline 3rd XI in the second East league Division 8 fixture of the season. Dunfermline won the toss and elected to bowl on what looked like it might be a tough scoring wicket. Clackmannan opened the batting with Captain Neil Ramsay and Dan Smith, both of whom set about their task with a determination. This opening partnership proved to be a valuable one for Clackmannan taking the score to 97 before Ramsay fell to Gibson for 45.  This brought Graham Oliver to the crease to continue the work of the opening pair; however Oliver was unlucky to pop up a good length ball to cover on the extremely slow wicket. Patrick Mitchell soon followed after misjudging the line of a straight ball and being trapped LBW.  Nick Bryant-Nicholls joined Smith and proceeded, in short order, to increase the scoring rate with a succession of boundaries, before being dismissed for 31. Alan Oliver was next to join the fray and the pair looked to rotate the strike, however Dan Smith was dismissed for a fine 46 and was replaced by James Cox. Oliver and Cox took a few overs to settle and just as they looked to be finding their stride, Oliver was to run out looking to push the scoring along. Aurangzeb Alamgir replaced Oliver and quickly capitalized on any scoring opportunity that presented itself.  In one noteworthy over the young batsman hit three sixes.   Cox however, was unfortunate to lose his wicket to a ball which kept low and slow off the testing pitch. Alamgir was joined by Kashif Ali and this pair saw off the last few overs of the innings with Alamgir finishing on 38 not out.
Clackmannan County amassed a final total of 234 for 7, an excellent effort on a fairly poor surface.  With a solid total to defend Clackmannan used Ramsay and Bryant-Nicholls to spear-head the attack. With wickets falling with reassuring regularity the Dunfermline top order were soon removed. Ramsay finished his spell with 5 wickets for 9 runs in four over’s and Bryant Nicholls put in a steady tight performance claiming 2 wickets in his four over spell. Alan and Graham Oliver replaced the opening attack and with both bowling tightly, Graham Oliver soon capitalised on the slow turning wicket claiming wicket number eight.  Brother and sister, Callum and Morven Ross, replaced the Oliver brothers, with Morven taking her first League wicket.  It was then left to skipper Ramsay to close the Dunfermline innings with a sharp throw which allowed wicketkeeper Dan Smith to whip the bails off, leaving Dunfermline all out for a total of 38.
All in all a most enjoyable game played in good spirit despite the adverse pitch conditions.  A successful start to the 2008 league campaign for Clackmannan County 2nd XI.  On Saturday the 2nd team travel to Leith to play Leith FAB 3.