By Dan Smith

Clackmannan continued their excellent run of form with a comfortable 126 run victory against Edinburgh outfit Stewarts Melville Royal High II. In unpredictable weather conditions Clackmannan skipper Craig Black had no hesitation in electing to bat upon winning the toss, hoping to take advantage of the opposition only managing to raise 10 players for the fixture. Due to rain the match was reduced to 40 overs per side.
Clackmannan batsmen Tippu Sultan and Dan Smith opened the innings with Sultan playing aggressively, launching a massive cover drive for six which endangered the clubhouse windows. He perished shortly afterwards for 15 runs in the 8th over, playing around a straight delivery from SMRH opening bowler Abhi Mehta. The in-form Craig Black then came to the crease, with himself and Smith playing sensibly and looking to rotate the strike. The pair put on 28 for the 2nd wicket before Black was trapped LBW on 17, with Clackmannan sitting on 60 for 2. Keith Hefer then joined Smith, looking assured at the crease and finding the boundary with ease. The pair brought up the hundred for Clackmannan, before Hefer played a cracking pull shot straight into the hands of deep mid wicket, having scored a fine 24. This brought Ash Rasul to the crease, who then set about building a sizeable partnership with Smith. During this time Smith brought up his first fifty of the season, with Rasul supporting him ably. As the 30th over came up with the score on 131, skipper Black gave the message for the pair to up the ante with wickets still left. The pair then set about aggressively swatting the bowling, before Smith was eventually bowled for a fine knock of 74, amazingly only including a single boundary. A calamitous run out then did for next batsman Alan Oliver, who departed without scoring. Ash Rasul continued his aggressive stroke play, supported by vice captain Paul Hooper. However Rasul’s attractive knock eventually ended on 37, perishing caught and bowled. This left Hooper and the in form Riswan Ashraf to conclude the Clackmannan innings, finishing on eight and one not out respectively. Credit must go to all of Clackmannan’s batsmen for their running between the wickets, as only 9 boundaries were scored in the imposing total of 208 in forty overs.
Clackmannan then opened the bowling with Riswan Ashraf and Keith Hefer. The pair opened very well, bowling with pace and control. Ashraf picked up the wicket of opening bat Stephen Parker in the 3rd over, caught behind by the outstanding Paul Hooper. Opener Victor Coltherd and number three Stephen Kerr set about building a partnership, before Keer was caught superbly at slip by James Couper off the bowling off skipper Black. Coltherd was dismissed soon after, drilling a Matthew Booth ball straight to Smith at deep point. This left SMRH sitting precariously on 44 for 3, a position from which they never recovered. The visitors predicament was not improved with the introduction of Tippu Sultan and Alan Oliver. Sultan, in a perfect display of pace bowling, took four wickets for only 11 runs, including sending one batsman’s middle stump cart wheeling with what was undoubtedly the ball of the day. Oliver also bowled very well, and after a wayward first over settled into his rhythm nicely and ended with impressive figures of 2 wickets for 9 runs from his 5 over spell, the pair taking the remaining six wickets with only 20 runs coming off the bat. This concluded an excellent bowling performance by Clackmannan with a great all round effort. The star bowlers Oliver and Sultan supported by wickets from Black, Booth and Ashraf.
Man of the Match was awarded to Dan Smith for his resilient knock, although the bowling of Sultan provided stiff competition.