Scorecard

Match Report On a sunny day at the Grazings in Doune, Clackmannan County 1st team began their game against Falkland 2 with only the two customary late changes. Clackmannan batted first with Neil Ramsay and Scott Malcolmson opening the innings. In the third over Ramsay was caught by Derrick Lindsay off Michael Morris for four with nine runs on the board. In the space of the next few overs, Richard Passe(4) was caught by Liam Farrell off Morris, Scott Malcolmson(8) was bowled by Richard Meakin and Zahid Hussain(1) was bowled by Morris. With 4 wickets down, 10 overs gone and 23 runs on the board, Clackmannan have fallen into a depressingly familiar pattern. Tipu Sultan and Mark McAlpine however, had other ideas and began to bat with a bit of spirit. By the time McAlpine was dismissed for 7 runs the total had climbed to 45. Next over Sultan was bowled by Morris for 11 with the score still on 45 and the side looked shaky again. Graham Bayes brought his experience to bear annd along with some good defending by Alan Oliver took the score on to 84 before Oliver was dismissed. Young Oliver scored only 9 runs, but his 58 minutes at the wicket was the steadying influence that the side needed and provided the foil for Bayes to craft an innings at the other end. Oliver was replaced by James Couper, fresh from holiday, and Couper and Bayes formed a partnership which stabilised the Clackmannan innings. Bayes was removed after scoring 54 which included six fours and two sixes, an excellent and much needed score for the team. The teams score as they ran towards the final four overs had reached 129 for 7 wickets, at least the chance of some bonus points for the league table. Matthew Booth joined Couper and this pair saw out the overs, Couper finished not out 24 and Booth not out 4. Late replacement Auranzeb Alamgir was not required to bat, the first time this season the Clackmannan side had completed the 50 overs with wickets in hand. The Clackmannan bowling attack opened with Matthew Booth and Zahid Hussain. The young openers received a quick return for their efforts when, in the second over Hussain had Lawson bowled for naught with 8 runs on the total. Manson who had scored a quickfire 13 was next to go adjudged LBW off Booth with the score on 20 in the 7th over. Morris(3) fell to Hussain, caught by Sultan for 3, with no further increase to the total. A partnership between Chris Jackman and Danny Caldwell was only broken when Caldwell was bowled by Neil Ramsay for 20 with the score on 80. Next wicket to fall was captain Brian Watson to an excellent catch by James Couper at point off Graham Bayes for 13. Jackman was holding the Falkland batting together at one end as Lindsay(1) was bowled by Hussain and Farrell was well caught at square leg by Mark McAlpine off Ramsay for 10. By this stage the Falkland score had reached 116 for 7 wickets and the game was still wide open. Howeve rCraig Hepburn(1) was dismissed by a catch by young substitute fielder Graham Oliver off Bayes and Meakin bowled by the same bowler two overs later to turn the game in Clackmannans favour. Jackman(48) was eventually run out pushing for the final 14 runs which would have given his side victory. The final Falkland total was 133 all out in 47.5 overs. A win for Clackmannan , the first of the year, in what proved to be, in the later stages, an ill tempered game. Next Saturdays game is at home to Largo at The Grazings in Doune, 1pm start hopefull, despite the various marches and restrictions which may be in evidence further up the road.