Scorecard

Match Report Clackmannan County 2nd XI played Cramond 2 at The Grazings in Doune on, for the first time this season a rain effected Doune pitch. David Henderson, stand in captain for Alison Ramsay, who is away at the Womens ICC international tournament in Wales decided to bat. Openers Richard Passe and Ian Davies started well taking the score to 29 before Passe was caught behind by Riaz off Kamath for 11. Graham Bayes, playing against one of his old clubs, started confidently nudging the ball and rotating the strike to great effect. The score had risen to 48 before Davies misjudged a ball from Rafiq and was bowled for 24. A fine innings by the in-form veteran. Gordon Kidd joined Bayes and began hitting powerfully to all parts of the ground. Bayes and Kidd took the score to 156 with a fine controlled display of batting, then in the 36th over Kidd was caught behind by Riaz off Rafiq for 56. Young Alisair Band joined Bayes and got off the mark with a four. The partnership was broken when Bayes went down the wicket to Singh and was stumped by Riaz for a fine 55. With the total on 162 and in the 36th over twelve year old Blair Campbell joined the expansive Band, who was blazing away at the bowling. Band however, was next to leave, bowled by D'Sousa for 24, all of his scoring shots being boundaries. Muktar Ahmed took over the lead batting role and saw young Campell bowled by Singh for nothing then, Bob Ramsay hitting a four before being bowled round his legs by the same bowler. Captain David Henderson also got off the mark with a four but maintained his cool to finish the allotted overs, not out on 8. Ahmed maintained his average with a sensible innings which left him not out on 6. A good batting display against an accurate Cramond bowling attack saw Clackmannan on 210 for 7 after 45 overs. David Henderson opted to go for experience in his opening bowling attack and began with Gordon Kidd and Muktar Ahmed, Cramond opened their batting with Wane Nally and Rojhavendra Kamath. Kidd struck with the fourth ball of his first over, danger man Kamath bowled for no score. After a break for rain the Clackmannan attack resumed where they had left off, Nally bowled by Kidd for 7. Cramond two wickets down for nine runs after five overs. Vimar D'Sousa and Abdul Riaz were to put a different complexion on the game and the score had reached 66 when Riaz was dismissed LBW to Graham Bayes. Ric Finc joined D'Sousa and nudged the score along to 87 before D'Sousa was caught for 28 by Ian Davies at third man, mistiming a hit off Ben Cravens bowling. Ranjit Singh joined his captain and took the score to 154 before being caught behind by Richard Passe off the bowling of Gordon Kidd for 49. Vijay Anad was bowled by Kidd without scoring and Clackmanan saw the game move back in their direction with the score on 154 for 6 with 15 over to go. Mohammed Rafiq and his skipper had other ideas and it was another five overs before Clackmanan got the breakthrough, Rafiq bowled by David Henderson for 16 with the score on 192. A tight finish was now on the cards. When Graham Bayes caught Finc, after a captains innings of 57, off the bowling of Henderson with the score on 199 in the 40th over, it was game on. Only two wickets to fall, with the tail enders in situ and 12 runs to get. Falknor Crichton, suffering some pain from his back, and Micheal Rodriguez worked away pushing the ball into the gaps in the field. Clackmannan failed to capitalize on a couple of missed chances and the batsmen managed to reach the required total in the 44th over. Cramond, a win and 20 points, Clackmannan 10 points and the feeling that with a full side, the gaps in the field, due to being a man short, would have seen a different result. But as Bruce Forsyth would say, good game, good game! Next week the two's are away on their holidays to Dunbar to play a strong Dunbar side.