By Graeme Anderson (abridged)

After Saturdays defeat the first eleven had the chance to make amends instantly, with a trip to Preston Village for a Small Clubs Cup match against the side that piped them for promotion last season by only 1%.
With the bank holiday weekend, exams and various other reasons, only 5 recognised first eleven players were available. In fact Clackmannan were only able to field 10 men, including 14 year old Adam Mackie who was making his debut in senior cricket.
Losing the toss, Clackmannan were asked to bat. Openers Craig Black and Geoff Logan were both looking to make amends for Saturday. Unfortunately for Logan, a defensive shot hit off his foot and rolled back onto his stumps, with only 3 runs on the board. Anderson followed quickly in the next over with a leading edge being well caught at mid wicket.
Black and Noor Jhangir were playing some nice shots, but both were bowled trying to play attacking shots off their stumps, and Clackmannan were in disarray at 20 for 4.
Auranzeb Alamgir was in typical swashbuckling form, as he hit the shot of the day. A massive 6 back over the bowlers head, which almost landed in the car park. Batting with Matthew Booth, the pair moved the score onto 48 before Auranzeb was bowled.
The remaining junior batsmen struggled to cope and were unable to support Booth. As he made his way to 20 before being the second last man out.
Preston Village showed no mercy as they continued to bowl at full pace to young Mackie. Finishing the Clackmannan innings, all out for 61 in 14 overs.
Knowing that they didn’t have enough runs on the board, the county went out to attack, hoping to snare a few wickets. With Black and Elliot Milton steaming in. Both bowled well, and it was Black who made the breakthrough, trapping their opening batsmen LBW, after several good shouts.  Black continued to steam in and got a deserved second wicket, when the remaining opener was caught by Anderson at third slip. Preston now had their last recognised batsmen at the crease with the score at only 10.   The third ball of Blacks fifth over brought great joy to the fielding side, as he tore the middle stump right out the ground. By now the score was 43 for 3 wickets, and significant damage had been done.
Milton was replaced by Geoff Logan, who beat the bat on several occasions with his leg breaks. At the other end Black was proving to be too good for the Villagers to handle, as he bowled the number five and six batsmen in the space of four balls. By now the score was 55 for 5, and a wide ball in Blacks next over which went all the way to the boundary brought the game to an end. Black taking his first five wicket haul for the club, with figures of 5 for 27 from 7.2 overs.
An eleventh player, 20 more runs and there is no doubt that the result would have been different. 62 was an appalling score for the county, but on an even playing field, they would have been far more competitive.
All in all a pretty dismal weekend for the county batsmen. Bowlers and fielders have performed their roles to an acceptable standard, but a lack of runs has cost them dear. Perhaps the batsmen have been over excited at the prospect of batsmen friendly wickets, and been over ambitious with their shot selection. Whatever the problem, it needs to be sorted fast, in time for Saturday’s trip to Holy Cross.