Scottish Cricket: West's title drive slips down a gear (17 August 1999)

17 August 1999

Scottish Cricket: West's title drive slips down a gear

Keith Graham

West of Scotland had a disappointing weekend. Not only did they lose Sunday's Scottish Cup final, but also lost some ground in the SNCL Premiership race on Saturday when they had much the worse of a draw against bottom club Ferguslie.

Although they still hold a 10 percentage point advantage over nearest rivals Aberdeenshire, whose game at Mannofield against local rivals Stoneywood Dyce was abandoned after a few overs due to rain, West will need to perform with greater conviction than they showed at the weekend if they are to maintain their drive for the title.

Their performance at Meikleriggs on Saturday was lethargic, almost careless. After a delayed start on a dead strip, their bowlers could not find the right line or length to make inroads into a home batting line-up which has under-performed all season.

However, home professional Mark Atkinson's excellent unbeaten century, accumulated largely through the leg-side and augmented by some wristy cutting, supported by an effective and at times flamboyant innings of 44 not out by Richard Rutnagar, saw his side to a 52-overs total of 225 for 3.

And it was Rutnagar who also made the vital inroads when the leaders batted, his return catch from a hard drive to dismiss Corey Richards starting a slide in which he snapped up five for 30 in a 15-over spell of accurate medium pace.

Stoneywood Dyce's odds against avoiding the drop were lengthened by West Lothian's 22-run win at Grange Loan which increased the gap between the two teams, in eighth and ninth places respectively, to nine percentage points.

The Boghall side suffered an early innings collapse but Craig Light's determined half-century took them to 156, Cedric English taking 4 for 31. Light then became the bowling hero taking four for 40 as Carlton's batsmen found runs even harder to come by, reaching only 134.

Grange made short work of Ayr on a lively Raeburn Place pitch, Nick Peet taking 5 for 28 as the following day's Cup Final winners were bowled out for 91. The home team took maximum points with just three wickets down.

The surprise packet of the weekend came in the famous form of Phil Simmons. The West Indian was a late deputy for the injured Dene Hills for Greenock's visit to Heriot's. His impact was immediate when he rolled over four home batsmen, Australian Chris Swan going one better with a haul of five as Heriot's were skittled out for 68, Chris Goddard top-scoring with 19. The visitors fared even worse when Simmons was bowled by an unplayable ball and his side subsided to 59 all out, Chris Martin taking five for 21.

The games involving the First Division's top two, Prestwick and Clydesdale, were both abandoned,

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