Scorecard

Match Report

Clackmannan entered this return game against Cramond knowing that a win was vital and that in the contest earlier in the season they gifted Cramond 25 points. The wicket at the Arns was dry after being covered all week and the weather was set fair for the day. Clackmannan batted first but got off to a bad start first Neil Ramsay(1) then Mukhtar Ahmed(0) being caught in the slips. Two wickets down with 8 on the board and only four overs gone. Greg Jones and Gordon Oliver settled the innings with a fine stand of 58 before Jones was bowled by Bailey for 46. Matt Friedlander was dismissed next for a quick fire 14. The teams total, 88 for 4 in 21 overs. Before the hundred was reached Oliver had gone for 19 but Ash Rasul and Fouad Chaudhry were beginning to show promise with the bat. Both batsmen however succumbed to Scott, Rasul for 22 and Chaudhry 17. A tweak in the tail by wicketkeeper Jeff Thomas making a valuable 8 runs gave a final Clackmannan total of 154 for nine in 46.3 overs. With a full team of eleven players possibly Cramond would not have had the advantage of an extra three overs to make the runs. The high number of wickets taken was more a mark of careless batting than penetrating bowling.

The Cramond innings started little better than Clackmannans with the first wicket falling in the second over. However, Aleeq Ul-Hamed with time to spare, played himself in and with the help of Jason Bailey created a stand of 30 for the next wicket. At this stage, 18 overs into their innings, Cramond had only 35 runs in comparison to Clackmannan's 66 at the same stage. Both Zahid Hussain and Fouad Chaudhry were bowling economically but with little luck, the ball passing the edge of the bat with monotonous regularity. Chaudhry was replaced with Greg Jones and Mukhtar Ahmed an enforced change for Hussain, who had bowled extremely well. The much needed breakthrough did not, however, materialize. From there the game deteriorated from Clackmannans point of view with only Neil Ramsay taking a wicket in the last 24 overs. Ul-Hamed plugged away to remain not out on 64, a sensible innings, just what his side required. He was ably partnered by Shaun Kelly(26) who scored ten off the final two balls (a six and a four) and must have thought all his Christmases had come at once. The Clackmannan bowling attack was obviously weakened by opening bowler Matt Friedlanders inability to bowl, due to a back injury but, dropped catches and gifted runs gave the opposition an easy ride. Clackmannan now look into the chasm of demotion after failing to take their chances against a team they should have beaten. Five games to go, a lot of hard work, and more thoughtful play will be needed to put points on the table and steer away from the drop.