Scottish Cricket: Kelburne seen off by Shahid (25 Aug 1998)

25 August

Scottish Cricket: Kelburne seen off by Shahid

By Keith Graham

SHAHID ASLAM took a five-wicket haul in Heriot's Conference A victory over Kelburne to take his seasonal tally to 55.

Heriot's, already assured of first division status, won by four wickets after Shahid set about the Kelburne attack, taking five wickets as the batting side subsided to 110.

Ayr, second in Conference C and also guaranteed first division status, were steered to victory by professional Kevin Roberts. Though primarily a batsman, the Australian took his tally to 30 wickets with four for 46 as Uddingston slid to 143 all out and then reached 56 not out in partnership with Alan Simpson (59no), to ensure an eight-wicket win. His individual aggregate is 940 at a staggering average of 188.

West of Scotland were also victorious. Corey Richards, another Australian, reached 848 runs for the season with 118 against Falkland at Hamilton Crescent. RHSM, in the same section, surrendered further ground when they lost at home to Strathmore. Their professional, Zahoor Elahi, scored only 13 before being caught at slip by Dion Taljard and he also failed to take a wicket.

The former Pakistani Test player has had a mixed season, hitting high spots with scores of 201 and 174 together with some remarkable bowling performances but his failure to find consistency may cost his team a first division place.

Stoneywood Dyce held on to third place in the same section despite their seventh defeat of the season at Perth. Like their opponents, they have drawn but one match, perhaps reflecting a lack of depth in batting, but their professional, Cumbrian Steve Knox, has performed well. On Saturday, though, he was out tamely, giving an easy caught and bowled chance to Yogi Kaudare, Perth's Indian amateur.

Knox had earlier taken two crucial catches, one a brilliant effort to dismiss Perthshire's professional Lal Rajput, the ball clutched inches from the turf at at extra cover. Kaudare's unbroken 15-over spell yielded three for 46 and exposed the Aberdeen team's vulnerable middle and late batting as they crumbled to 96 in reply to the home team's modest 127, Andy Bee taking five for 27.

Clydesdale's depressing Conference C season continued with a heavy defeat at Aberdeen despite Ian Stanger's 65. Australian amateur Garth Nottle (61 no) and skipper Neil MacRae (55) saw the home team to an eight-wicket win. Amir Hanif's poor run continued when he was one of Grant Wigney's six victims.

Prestwick took a crucial step when they bowled out Freuchie for 77, Andy Tennant taking four wickets in a nine-wicket win to climb above the Fifers into the fourth qualifying place.

Greenock's defeat at Arbroath saw them slip to sixth, though only a single percentage point separates these three in the battle for the final place with automatic first division qualification.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)