Methlick Cricket Club keep unbeaten run going
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It was a glorious day at Lairds as the Methlick Cricket Club's second XI played hosts to the first XI.
The wicket has just kept getting harder and harder as the outfield looked like a batsman’s dream and it turned out that runs would flow as the firsts had the opportunity to set a high target.
Mark Woodhouse and Tom Acton opened up against the bowling of Shahid Choudry and Graham Fowlie, the former managing to extract a lot of swing.
When it was pitched on a good length it gave the batters problems but anything short was punished. If boundaries were not available then some quick runs kept the scoreboard moving along.
Acton did provide an early chance which was put down at mid-off by Mo Rehman, but the first 10 overs kept up a pace of six an over.
Lewis Crutchfield, skippering for the second team, and Benny Hill came on to try and stem the flow but to no avail.
On 40 Woodhouse unfortunately pulled his groin, but limped through to bring up his 50 with a boundary off Hill and then retired hurt.
Acton quickly followed with a six bringing up his own milestone and was joined by the Australian batting sensation, Adam Veersema, who kept up the flow of runs.
Two hundred was reached with no sign of a wicket as the seconds wilted in the heat, and Rehman and David Low were brought on to try and stem the run-rate in the last seven overs. No success here as both were heavily punished.
Acton finally reached his maiden century and with one ball to go Veersema recorded his second century of the season with a boundary off the last ball.
A very punishing day in the field for the second team as the firsts put on 284 without losing a wicket. Choudry had the best of the bowling with 44 off his 10 overs.
Scoreboard pressure reigned as the second team came out to bat facing an imposing total. Daniel Reeve struck in his first over to remove Dave Chalmers for a duck.
Deni Serafemoski clubbed Mike Hordley for four. He received the same treatment from last week’s hero, Bryan Carr, but any hope was cut short as Hordley reaped revenge by bowling the Aussie for nine.
Skipper Duffy, itching to get in the action as first change, promptly bowled Carr for five and then had Hill on toast for six with a catch by Reeve.
Graeme Fowlie was the next victim for the elegant bowler, LBW for one and suddenly the seconds were five down for 42 off 16 overs.
The only resistance had been from Rehman who reached 24 but was cleaned up by Grant Cordiner with a spectacular caught and bowled as the batsmen attempted to blast his delivery to the boundary.
This opened up the tail and Cordiner cast his pie-eating spell over the remaining batters as he took five wickets for 24 off a devastating nine overs. Duffy took three for 18 off his 10 as the innings closed on 79.
A huge win by 205 runs will take Methlick first team into this Saturday's encounter against Dunecht at Lairds surely as champions with only three games to go. The target now being to remain undefeated for the remainder of the season.
Sunday saw a cricket milestone for Methlick as the new juniors outfit took part in their first ever tournament at Stoneywood Dyce against two Stoneywood teams and a team from Aberdeenshire.
Expecting to be overwhelmed by greater experience the Methlick youngsters won their first two games against both home teams and lost narrowly in the final against the Mannofield side. A great success which is surely the backbone of future Methlick cricket.
