Huntly Cricket Club win first away fixture in Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union north-east championship against Strathmore
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Huntly travelled to Forfar on Saturday for their first away fixture of the Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union season against hosts Strathmore.
Thursday evening had seen the team suffer a chastening first defeat of the year in the T20 cup, however they went into this north-east championship fixture looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to their league campaign.
Skipper Jack Mitchell lost the toss and was invited to field first on an overcast afternoon. Opening up the attack for the visitors was paceman Irtaza ‘Hoff' Hussain who certainly raised the heartbeats of the opening batters with a display of fiery pace bowling.
At the other end the distinctive slope was proving troublesome for Barry Newlands who struggled with his run up coming up the hill, unfortunately giving the batters some loose deliveries to feast upon early on. Despite struggling with ball in hand, Newlands was in the game as he took a good catch at deep fine leg when ‘Hoff's' fiery bouncer saw opener Ahmed top edge a ball that was on to him too quickly, giving the bowler a deserved breakthrough.
Skipper Mitchell replaced Newlands with Andy Petrie who dealt with the slope slightly better as he settled into line and length, which bore fruit in his second over as he had Strathmore’s other opener caught behind by keeper Elijah Ward-Armstrong.
This brought Armstrong to the crease, fresh off a hundred. The home side's overseas star briefly showed his class with some crisp strokes, however his stay at the crease was ended when he chased a wide delivery from Petrie and was caught by skipper Mitchell who took an outstanding diving catch at point.
Mitchell's next move was to turn to spin when he introduced in-form Jordan Squire to the attack to replace Petrie and brought himself on to replace young pacer Innes Parkin who again found that luck was not on his side as several airborne shots fell safely between placed fielders as the scoring rate increased.
It was the left arm wizardry of Squire that become the focal point of the next phase of the game as the maverick spinner produced a superb spell of bowling. A solid looking batting performance had seen the home side set for a decent total when on 99 for 3, Squire struck.
Firstly he broke a 40-run partnership when Mitchell pouched another catch as Blackie attempted a drive through cover. In his next over he bamboozled the Strathmore middle order with clever flight and drift to clean bowl two batters with successive deliveries before adding to his tally in the following over by bowling the dangerous Simpson for 32, turning a delivery almost square as it beat the bat and crashed into the stumps.
Mitchell joined in the party when Parkin caught young Scotland women's star McColl before Squire picked up his fifth wicket by bowling Grant. When Mitchell trapped the Strathmore tail ender lbw, the home side were dismissed for 118 having collapsed from 99 for 3.
Hats were tipped for Squire’s departure from the field as the young spinner took the plaudits with an outstanding display. His spell of 5 for 20 was backed up by skipper Mitchell (2 for 14), Petrie (2 for 17) and Hussain (1 for 18).
In form openers Jay-Dee Oliver and Mitchell then set about the victory target of 119 with team-mates watching on, confident of an early journey back up the A90.
Despite losing Mitchell early, the victory target looked like it would be a routine affair when Elijah Ward-Armstrong joined Oliver in the middle, the overseas duo showing their class by punishing any loose deliveries as they made steady progress.
When Oliver (28) chased a loose ball outside his off-stump with the score on 41 the home side sensed an opening, however the rock-solid Calum Whyte quickly quietened the volume from the large home support as he and Ward-Armstrong played with sense and poise as they cruised steadily towards their target.
With the score into the 90s the game looked gone for the home side, however Ward-Armstrong (34) then looked to clear the boundary with an expansive shot only to be caught in the deep. The temptation to entertain proving the demise of the Aussie.
When Innes Parkin (2) quickly followed, trapped lbw by Sweeney the score was 93 for 4. The home side's bowling duo of Sweeney and Trueman sensed an opening and suddenly cruising towards victory became an attritional slog for the Huntly batters.
Whyte became key to victory and together with 15-year-old Lewis Myron-Petrie looked to blunt the buoyant bowlers who were approaching the end of their spells. Unfortunately, Whyte (20) was bowled with the score on 94, bringing veteran Frank Summers to the crease. He and young Myron-Petrie inched the score beyond 100 only for the youngster to fall to the last ball of Truman’s spell.
Bowling hero Squire strode purposefully to the crease as the home side gathered in a huddle. He quickly cracked a couple of fours to signal intentions to put an end to the collapse that had ensued beforehand, however unfortunately he chipped one up and was caught only a couple of balls after Summers did the same as they both looked to finish the game with boundary-bound strokes.
Newlands and Hussain found themselves at the crease with the score 115 for 8 and the game on a knife edge. The crowded bar at the ground was now empty as the home crowd sensed an incredible victory as Huntly looked ominously like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
With each ball that passed the bat, the atmosphere crackled and the tension grew.
Cometh the hour though, as ‘Hoff' Hussain, fresh off a destructive six-laden innings in Thursday's T20 game, picked a length ball from the Strathmore bowler and sent it skywards over the boundary. Players were shaking hands before it had reached the ground, such was the connection on it, bringing an end to a fantastic game of cricket.
A welcome finish for the travelling Castle Park side and another league victory. A great game for those watching and played in the correct spirit which was reflected in the fact all 11 Huntly players headed to their hosts' bar to reflect on what turned into a thrilling contest.
Huntly head back to Castle Park on Saturday and a clash with Forfarshire 2nd XI.
Thanks go to the day's match ball sponsor, The Royal Oak, Huntly and to Shaun Squire for travelling down the road and scoring the match.
Strathmore: 118 – J. Squire 5 for 20, J. Mitchell 2 for 14, A. Petrie 2 fir 17, I. Hussain 1 for 15
Huntly: 121 for 8 – E. Ward-Armstrong 34, J. Oliver 28, C. Whyte 20 Huntly win by 2 wickets.
