Scorecard

Saturdays second team game was against local side St Modans two's. Due to the rain earlier in the week the game was played at the Arns on the artificial surface. St Modans batted first against opening bowlers Greg Shaw and David Mudie and got off to a steady start. What the Clackmannan attack lacked in raw pace it made up for in accuracy and experience. The bowlers tenacity paid off in the 12th over when Kaufman was bowled by Mudie for 7. Twenty eight runs off twelve overs for one wicket and so far honours fairly even. McKeown scored a rapid 13 including three fours before being bowled by Paul Nash. Atkinson was caught off the next ball but the hat-trick was not to be since Paul Nash bowled a wide the next ball. What some guys will do to avoid buying a round of drinks. Petrie appeared at the crease and like it so much he stayed there for the rest of the innings. After a good partnership Alex Pollock who had batted well for his eighteen runs misjudged a run to Bob Ramsay and was run out. Mudie and Nash controlled the game at this time and both saw out their thirteen overs. The bowlers were helped by some enthusiastic fielding and with a bit more luck some of the balls which popped up into space might well have gone to hand. Alan McKeon playing his first game for the club bowled three interesting overs for no wickets. Young Alistair Band who was brought into the side at the last minute, again, showed the commitment and enthusiasm which makes for a good club player. Alistair bowled tidily but without much luck. His final figures ten runs, no wickets off four overs. Bowling at a crucial point in the game he showed a cool head and might well have captured a couple of wickets had two difficult chances been taken. That coupled with his work in the field and his preparedness to become involved in the off field duties for the side made him a welcome addition to the team. The St Modans innings closed after the visitors had taken the option of batting the extra two overs to 47. Petrie undefeated on 36 ably abetted by Wilson on 15. Final total 127 for 6 off 47 overs.

The Clamannan innings opened with the vastly experience Neil Tranter and Ian Davies against the slightly younger and quicker opening bowlers Atkinson and Bain. By the time the first wicket fell in the seventeenth over there was 54 on the board and Clackmannan were off to an excellent start. Ian Davies was out for 22 trying "not to hit the spinners". Scott Malcolmson came to the wicket stayed a little while then retired to remove his spikes which he had inadvertantly forgotten to change. Bob Ramsay can to the wicket after this confusion, but didn't stay long, bowled round his legs for a duck, maybe taking a guard to the right of off stump would have been an idea! Scott returned properly shod and the partnership with Tranter took the score to 100 before Malcolmson was caught of Atkinson for 22. Both Alan McKean and Greg Shaw supported Tranter well against the guile of Petrie, who must consider himself unfortunate not to have taken more wickets. Paul Nash was next to the crease and for the first time this year failed with the bat. Duck number two, Paul out, a catch to Bain at extra cover of Atkinsons bowling. Richard Passe(2) saw out the innings with Neil Tranter. Neil, not for the first time the anchor of the Clackmannan innings scored a fine 50 runs. His experience and class as a batsman shone throughout his innings and his help and advice to the younger players on and off the field was an excellent example of how to get the best from the players. Final score 128 for 6 in 38 overs. A much needed win for Clackmannan and an enjoyable game.

Well it wouldn't be Saturday morning without changes to the Clackmannan County 2nd team. This week however the changes and inclusions meant that for the first time in as many weeks the team finished a game with eleven players. That the Alloa team had eleven was due in part to the opposition, St Modans would not sanction Jim Pennycook (our grade 1 qualified umpire), doning the white coat. They conspired to achieve what our team had singularily failed to achieve, get Jim to play. Not that the game started with eleven, Scott Malcolmson was delayed by work, eventually making it in time to field the last ten overs. Hmmm! Good ploy Scott, wish I had thought of that!