Scorecard

Match Report On a cloudy cold day in Alloa Clackmannan County 1st XI played Grange 3rd XI not sure if the weather would allow the game to reach a conclusion. Clackmannan batted first with Gordon Oliver and James Mariner opening. The last time these two players opened the batting they put on an undefeated 203. The local pair started quietly against the opening Grange attack of Gareth Moran and Brian Robinson. All went well until the fifth over when Mariner was bowled for 2 by Moran, exit all thoughts of a big partnership and a good start dashed with the score on 1 for 10. Graham Bayes helped Oliver take the score to 36 before being caught behind by Leigerwood of Moran for 12. Ash Rasul came to the crease and hit a four with his first scoring shot. Rasuls partnership with Oliver saw the total rise to 46 before Oliver mistimed a ball from Robinson and was bowled for 24. Tom King took Rasuls scoring lead, his first scoring shot hit over the boundary for six runs. These two put on 32 runs for the next wicket before King was bowled by Jason Earl for 17. The total at this point, 78 for 5 in 22 overs. Tipu Sultan joined his captain at the crease and the new partnership produced the most profitable section of the Clackmannan innings. When Sultan skied the ball to James Churcher he had scored 32 and the total had risen to 136 off 35 overs. Rasul was batting well, the new pre-match training regime was obviously having an effect. His new partner James Couper was still trying to get his eye in when Rasul struck a four to complete a well earned fifty, then promptly got himself out, caught at mid-off by Moran. Couper and Jeff Thomas pulled the score along to 155 for 7 before Couper attempted to launch the ball into orbit only to be caught at point by Robinson off Seaway for 4. Alan Oliver came to the wicket and began to recreate the promise he had shown in last weeks innings, unfortunately, while backing up too enthusiastically he was run out for 3. The score was now on 171 with two overs to go with another possible bonus point to be had at 175 if that target could be achieved. It was not to be Chris Harney quacked out in the final over leaving Matthew Booth not out on 4. Neil Seaway took 4 wickets for 16 runs in 8 overs and Gareth Moran 3 for 16 in 8 overs. A fairly good looking score for Clackmannan but would it be enough against an accomplished looking Grange side?

Grange opened their innings with Bryan Kazinski and James Churcher and were gifted two wides off Chris Harneys first over. Matthew Booth got into the act with another wide in his first over followed by a four off the last ball of the over. From that point onwards however both bowlers began to settle into their rhythm and in the seventh over their tenacity paid off. Kazinski was out for 4 to a sharp catch by Tom King fielding at gully off the bowling of Harney. Harney struck again in his next over this time Churcher caught Sultan for 9, with the score now 16 for 2 off 9 overs. Neil Seaway and Brian Robertson doubled the score before Seaway was caught by King off Harney for 11. King picked up another fine catch to dismiss Robertson this time off Sultan. Nigel Gray(4) was next to go, bowled by Sultan. The score was now 5 for 36 and signs of hope in the Clackmannan camp. The hope grew to expectation as the next three wickets fell for the addition of 3 runs. The expectation was tempered with history as some of the club members recalled a game a few years ago against St Modans. Then a famous last wicket partnership by the opposition put on over 100 runs to allow St Modans to snatch victory. Jason Earl and Gavin Ryan, the last pair of Grange batsmen had begun to play as if this memory was about to be replayed, as they hit their way towards three figures. It was not to be, on the stroke of 100 Ryan was stumped by Jeff Thomas of Graham Bayes for a supportive 12 runs. Jason Earl was not out for a sparkling 43 including three fours and a six, his good work however was to no avail, Grange were all out for 100 in the thirty third over. Chris Harney the star of the Clackmannan attack with 5 for 17 in 11 overs, closely followed in his stardom by Tipu Sultan with 4 for 32 in 9 overs. The Clackmannan team played well as a unit, the fielding and especially the catching was much improved and for once luck ran Clackmannan's way. Next Saturday the 1st team travel to Edinburgh to play Marchmont.