Scorecard

Match Report The Clackmannan county 1st XI had Largo as the visitors at the Grazings in Doune for the first game of the second half on the season. With one win to their credit the Clackmannan side have to begin to put a string of results together if they are to survive in this division. After last weeks win the side were hopeful that their fortunes might be on the up. Clackmannan were first to bat and openers Neil Ramsay and captain Scott Malcolmson took on the Largo attack of Sharif and Chris Barclay. The accuracy of the Largo attack meant that when Malcolmson(7) was caught behind in the tenth over there was only 15 runs on the board. Richard Passe joined Ramsay and the right and left hand combination put on a further 24 runs before Ramsay was caught at slip off Bob Mowat for 14. Mowat also picked up Passe(13) and Mark McAlpine(8) as the score rose to 63 for 4 by the thirty second over. Graham Bayes playing sensibly saw Zahid Hussain(7) Alan Oliver(2) Auranzed Alamigir(0) and Matthew Booth(1) come and go in the next six overs as the accuracy of all the Largo bowlers took its toll. Gordon McNee stayed with Bayes as he approached his fifty but McNee was bowled by Alistair Mathews for 7 then David Henderson failed to trouble the scorer leaving Bayes marooned on 44. The Clackmannan innings closed on 113 all out in the forty ninth over. Largo opened their account with Sharif hitting the first ball for four through the legs of Neil Ramsay at point. Ramsay made up for his sloppy fielding next ball taking a diving catch to dismiss Sharif for 4 off the Matthew Booths bowling. One wicket for four runs in the first over, a good start for Clackmannan. The next wicket, however did not fall until both the opening bowlers had been put out to pasture. David Henderson, bowling first change, for the first time in a few years, had Mowat leg before wicket for 11 in his fourth over and in the eighteenth over of the innings. Unfortunately for Clackmannan the score had risen to 63 for two wickets and the pressure on the Largo side had eased considerable with a target of 51 to win in 32 overs. Guy Robinson and Gordon Kinnear set about the task with a will and picked off the runs to remain not 59 and 30 respectively. The final Largo total 114 for 2 in 29 overs gave them the full 20 points with Clackmannan picking up the crumbs with 2 batting and one bowling points. The Clackmannan side were well beaten by a better side who bowled accurately, fielded well and had the wherewithall to knock off the runs in short order. Back to the drawing board for the young side, success will come playing as a team and for one another. Next Saturdays game is against Glenrothes away and since the roads round the Arns will be closed off all day special travel arrangements will be in place for the teams departure.