`Scorecard

Match Report This week Clackmannan County 1st XI played their first home game at their “adopted” ground of Doune against Glenrothes. Captain for the day, Tipu Sultan, won the toss and decided to bat on what looked to be a seamers wicket. Gordon Oliver and Neil Ramsay, opened the innings for Clackmannan and it soon became apparent that the wicket would have an important part to play in the contest. The first wicket fell when Ramsay mistimed a shot off Kitching and skied a well taken, juggled, catch to Morris at mid-on. Clackmannan, first wicket down in the third over with two runs on the board, not the best start for the local club. Tipu Sultan joined Oliver, but the partnership did not last long, as he followed Ramsay's bad example, playing too early to a ball which took the airborne route to Hopecroft at mid-off, giving Kitching his second wicket. Clackmannan 2 wickets for 5 runs. Next to try his hand was Zahid Hussain, but, a few balls later he returned to the sidelines, run out by a direct hit for 0 runs. Oliver still battling on was joined by Matthew Booth. This partnership looked like steadying the side as both players treated each ball on its merits. However Oliver, on 9 runs, succumbed to a delivery from Rolley which kept low, trapping him LBW and increasing the Clackmannan sides anguish, as the score rose to 12 for 4 wickets. With the last of the recognised batsmen gone, fifteen year old wicket-keeper Greig Taylor entered the fray. However it was Booth who was next to go, after playing well, he dropped his guard and was bowled by Roley for 5. Twelve year old Graham Oliver was next in and the pair played well until Taylor also had a rush of blood to the head and was caught by Hopcroft off Kitchen for one run. Mukhtar Ahmed then joined the fray, playing an uncharacteristic defensive innings. However a mix up in the running between the wickets saw young Oliver leaving the arena, with a score of one to his name. Ahmed was next to leave, caught at mid on by Morris off Snook for one. Number 10 batsmen, Kashif Ali, came in to join young Ross Archibald, but Ali’s appearance was to be brief lasting only two balls before quacking off into the sunset. The writing was on the wall for Clackmannan, having amassed only 24 runs for nine wickets. The last batsman was James Martell, a student at Queen Victoria High school, playing his first game of cricket for some time. He and Archibald batted for a few overs until Archibald was bowled by a cunning delivery by Snook, the veteran of the Glenrothes team, for a single run. The Clackmannan team were all out for 25 runs in 21 overs. Not the lowest ever Clackmannan score but hopefully not one to be repeated for a long time to come.
Glenrothes opened their innings with Simm and Cooper, to the bowling of Matthew Booth and captain Tipu Sultan. After Simm opened his innings with a four he misjudged a ball from Booth and was bowled, one wicket for four runs and a good start for Clackmannan. When Sultan uprooted Morecrofts off stump, with the batsman on two, a glimmer of hope was evident. The hope grew when Mearns skied a ball from Sultan straight up in the air and, after a discussion between bowler and wicketkeeper, the batsman was safely caught by Greig Taylor. The wicketkeeper’s first victim for the first team. Glenrothes held their nerve, however, and Cooper(14) and Dale(7) saw them through to victory. Glenrother 27 for three in 11.2 overs with 20 points to their credit and it still wasn’t three o’clock.
This was a depressing game for the young Clackmannan side. The more experience players failed to play themselves in and threw away their wickets leaving the younger players with too much to do. Clackmannan have a capable bowling side, probably it would have been better to field first. The commitment and effort shown in the field was a real plus point and a much needed positive aspect of the game.
Next weeks game will be played against Grange 3’s through at the Citylets Grange ground in Edinburgh on Sunday the 15th.