By Richard Passe

Clackmannan’s 2010 campaign kicked off on Saturday with their first fixture in ESCA Division Six after a fantastic 2009 season saw promotion from Division Seven. Lead by new captain Nick Bryant-Nichols, the Second Team made the relatively short trip to Dunfermline’s Pitrevie Park for their opening game against Dunfermline Wanderers.
Overcast skies and a strong wind greeted the captains as they went out to the middle of the all-important coin-toss, Clackmannan skipper Bryant-Nichols won the first victory of the day and elected to field first on a difficult looking pitch.
Opening the bowling for Clackmannan, Blair Campbell got the twos off to an accurate start, while at the other end, fellow pace bowler Ross Archibald struggled with the wind against him to find line and length, and he was replaced by Matthew Booth who found an excellent line and length. He was rewarded by his fielders with two sharp catches in the covers by Auranzib Alamgir and Richard Passe to remove impressive looking opener Westgarth and number three, Harrower, respectively. Number four Hioz, joined surviving opener Brenkel at the crease and the pair started to find their rhythm, Hioz scoring a succession of fours forcing captain Bryant-Nichols to change the bowling attack. Young seam bowler Calum Ross entered the attack, but like Archibald, struggled to find a good line in the strong wind with the batsmen punishing any wayward deliveries.
Bryant-Nichols, looking to stem the flow of runs, brought himself and spinner Richard Passe on to bowl. As was done so effectively last season, the pair started to contain the batsmen and the runs began to dry up, the breakthrough didn’t come however until Bryant-Nichols’ seventh over when the self-proclaimed “Unluckiest bowler in the world” clean bowled Hioz for thirty-seven. With the key partnership broken, Passe was able to take three wickets in quick succession: a well taken catch by Campbell from a skier to remove Gibson, a simple caught and bowled to dismiss Orr and a quicker ball successfully dislodging the bail from the top of Westgarth’s off stump.
With Bryant-Nichols and Passe finishing their spells, the captain returned to Booth to upset the Wanderer’s middle order. He found success in his second over of the spell with Archibald redeeming himself with an excellent catch at square leg. Booth’s overs complete, opening bowler Campbell returned while Auranzib Alamgir was brought on at the other end, but he was unable to hit the stumps, despite bowling the only maiden over of the innings. Campbell bowled tightly and finished his spell and the innings with excellent figures despite not getting a wicket.
Dunfermline Wanderers finished their innings on 209 for 8 from their 45 overs. 55 of these runs were extras despite some excellent work behind the stumps by stand-in wicketkeeper Scott Malcolmson.
After a quick turn around and the promise of sandwiches after the match, a hungry (in both senses of the word) Clackmannan set about their formidable looking run chase with openers Richard Passe and Ken Hutchison. Hutchison was out of the blocks immediately, hitting a scorching straight drive down the ground for four with his first ball. Passe started more slowly but the pair began a solid looking partnership, rotating the strike and keeping up with the run rate, both batsmen playing their shots and finding gaps in the field. The old adage “Catches win matches” was proved yet again however by very sharp fielding by the home side. Hutchison was the first casualty, edging a shorter ball from Gibson behind in the tenth over for eighteen. Passe was joined at the crease by Blair Campbell who, while batting with excellent technique was caught and bowled by Westgarth, unable to find the middle of the bat. The same could not be said about number four for Clackmannan, Auranzib Alamgir; striking mighty aerial blows around the ground from the moment he got to the crease. At the other end, Passe had his eye in and began batting with confidence; however he was caught at mid-off by Norman on thirty four, mistiming a straight drive.
Alamgir was next to depart, caught by Orr at gully to sighs of relief by the fielding side (as well as pilots of low flying aircraft). Skipper Bryant-Nichols started the way he meant to go on with a mighty blow for six before he too was caught soon after by McClure for just seven. Malcolmson seemed to settle at the crease, taking his time and looking to push the ball into the gaps in the field. He was joined briefly by Booth who despite playing straight was dismissed for a duck, caught by Norman. Archibald arrived at the crease and both he and Malcolmson looked to be playing straight and looking to work the ball into the gaps. Malcolmson was dismissed by yet another catch, this time from Harrower. Number nine Morven Ross lasted only one ball against the re-introduced opener Gibson, clean bowled. Archibald was next to come undone, caught again by Harrower leaving numbers ten and eleven, Steve Jelfs and Calum Ross to try and salvage another batting point for Clackmannan. Jelfs achieved this with a quick single to bring the score to one hundred and ten, where it stayed as Calum Ross was bowled next ball for nought.
A harsh introduction to Division Six for Clackmannan, who were outplayed with bat, ball and especially in the field.  An estimated nine chances were put down and a massive thirty-six wides were bowled by the visitors, who, despite the cold wind and the traditional early season rustiness, will feel that they could have made more of the opportunities which came their way.
[Net practice and fielding drills on Tuesday and Thursday folks]
Next weekend, the twos are away to Heriots threes.