First team remain on form as Methlick 1st faced Methlick 2nd for the very first time
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Methlick 1st XI v Methlick 2nd XI
Finally the game of the season was upon us writes corespondent Mark Woodhouse and the two Methlick sides meet face to face in the Grades for the first time in their history with Lairds looking magnificent under an azure sky.
The question for skipper Duffy, the first team being the “home” side, was whether to prolong the game and put the seconds out of their misery by bowling first, getting them out quickly, getting the runs and retiring to the View for a welcome pint.
As it happened Methlick 1sts batted first and faced a highly spirited and staunch defence by the seconds.
Woodhouse and Smith opened the batting and were resolutely at their business in what was becoming a settled opening partnership.
During the season each had taken turns in holding up one end whilst all batted around them.
This time they proceeded on the front foot and gave little in the way of chances to the opening pair of youngsters Liam Davies and Fraser Grant. When the first bowling change came around the firsts were already 50 runs to the good.
Lewis Crutchfield, a product of the Methlick Academy, and the statuesque Charlie Davis were first change bowlers.
A great occasion as it meant that the opening four were all from the junior section.
However it took the wily councillor, John Morgan to make the breakthrough as the firsts approached a century and had Smith caught and bowled for 39.
The dangerous Murphy joined Woodhouse in the middle and signalled his intentions with some quick boundaries but was pegged back by another junior, David Low, who had him LbW for 148 playing across the line.
With a strong batting line-up the ominous big hitters didn’t stop coming.
Unfortunately Mike Hordley came out only to be sent back without scoring by Ross Moir.
The seconds were doing a good job in taking wickets but the scoreboard was increasing continually and with eight overs to go was already showing 168 runs.
Addison further increased the pain, dealing in boundaries, but his personal pain limit was reached trying to keep up with the brisk Woodhouse and pulled his thigh muscle taking on an extra run.
Shortly afterwards he was caught by Moir off Crutchfield.
Woodhouse reached his half century with a pulled shot for 4 but in the ensuing last few overs was caught in the deep off Grant.
That was the final wicket to fall as Jamie Jones and Grant Cordiner closed off the innings at 220 for 5 off the allotted 40 overs.
After tea a daunting total was made even more difficult when Tom Acton, bowling with pace and venom on a hard, dry wicket, had Dave Chalmers caught behind by Woodhouse for 4.
The next over saw Dod Duncan going for a duck to Acton with Duffy taking a top edge in the slips.
Not a good start to the innings but at least Ross Moir was defending resolutely, and the swarthy captain, Deni Serafimoski, playing in the direction he knows (cow corner) was giving some back to the bowlers and disposed of the accurate in-swingers of Duffy.
That only led to Addison taking his place and outsmarted Serafimoski in his first over with a catch to Duffy for 17.
Hordley came into the action and removed the resolute Moir for 13 in his second over.
At the halfway stage victory was looking a long way in the distance as the seconds toiled to 55 for 5, still needing 166 for victory off the last 20 overs.
Charlie Davis chipped in with three well struck boundaries until bowled by Hordley for 14 and Morgan went for 2, caught Jones bowled Cordiner. Crutchfield, who had bowled so well earlier, then handled the bat with great maturity and built a marvellous partnership of 44 with veteran Scott Gordon until being castled by Murphy for 21.
Gordon had almost carried his bat until Acton returned and had another fizzing delivery edged to Woodhouse with a top score for the seconds of 31.
Duffy brought himself back on to finish the tail and the innings ended on 131; a defeat by 89 runs but still a lot of positives for the young Methlick side to take into the remainder of the season.
For Methlick 1st X1 they carry their 100 per cent record in to next week’s encounter at Lairds against Gordonians whilst the second team travel south to Stonehaven with much more confidence in their abilities.
On Sunday, a weakened Methlick side travelled to Huntly for the T20 Reid Cup quarter final against a much strengthened home side.
Batting first Methlick got off to the worst possible start, losing 3 wickets without scoring and it was only Duffy and Woodhouse blasting away in the final overs that gave a chance to the visitors to put up a total of 80.
Huntly, despite some top leg spin by Mohammed Rehman reached the total with 6 overs spare but not without losing 5 wickets.
