Falkland visited Myreside on Saturday to meet the 1st XI. Yet again Mike Carson won the toss, elected to bat and opened up with Oli Hairs. Oli was dropped on 11, but then he and Mike proceeded to take the attack to the visiting bowlers in a stand worth 163 in only 18 overs. Oli fell at that score, after completing his fourth century of the season, for 108. He faced 60 balls and struck 13 fours and 7 sixes - that’s 94 in boundaries! Mike carried on and, after a couple of wickets fell, he received support from Jacob Onyekwelu who contributed 29 to a partnership of 63 during which Mike reached his second hundred of the season before being dismissed for a run-a-ball 123. His innings contained 19 boundaries. Jacob fell almost immediately when a half-century partnership between Salaar Ali (26) and Harry Shivmangal (20 not out) saw the score race past 300 and the innings closed on 349 for 6. Falkland struggled to match the run rate required and, as a result, lost wickets at regular intervals and being eventually dismissed for 199 after 44 overs. Although eight wickets fell to catches - and special mention for Salaar’s effort to dismiss the Falkland captain diving forward to take a low chance at point - a number were spilled which, had they been accepted, would have led to an even more comprehensive victory. Oli continued his wicket-taking exploits with another three, while Tom Pratt, Gareth Weatherall and Akarshan Arora each had two.

This total is the second highest recorded by the 1st XI - the highest, co-incidentally, also being against Falkland (at Scroggie Park) in 2017. 440 for 4 was that total - in which George Munsey (220) and Mike Carson (167) registered the highest club partnership of 378 for the third wicket. Saturday’s total is the highest 1st XI score at Myreside, and second only to the record set by the 2nd XI with 365 for 3 in 1997 against Heriot’s 2nd XI.

The 2nd XI travelled to meet Clackmannan County at The Arns aiming to put the heavy defeats suffered in the last two games behind them. Losing the toss and being asked to bat first, three wickets were lost with only 23 runs on the board. Alex Hodge dug in but Rob Loomes fell for 19 and four wickets were down for 52. George Baltzer, fresh from his top-scoring effort for the 3rd XI last week, joined Alex and they added 71 before Alex was dismissed for 56. George (40), skipper Alan Sievewright (19) and Oli Robertson (27 not out) then saw the score to a competitive 195 for 8 when the innings closed. The bowlers then stepped up when Clackmannan batted. Farhan Khan struck first with two quick wickets (finishing with 3 for 12 in 6 overs), then Jonny Ramsay before Rory High’s leg-spin ran through the remainder of the opposition batting as 25 for 4 became 67 for 9 and then 86 all out in less than 25 overs. Rory’s return was 5 for 16 in 7 overs, of which 3 were maidens. And so the side enjoyed a comfortable victory and look forward to attempting to improve upon its fourth place in Division 1 in the East of Scotland Association league.

Following last week’s excellent result at Dunbar, the 3rd XI was again on the road to meet Linlithgow 2nd XI at Boghall. Batting first, Fraser Kinloch and Angus Cousin opened the innings and Fraser’s was the first wicket to fall with the score on 35. Laurie Cox then joined Angus and the pair scored at a run-a-ball in adding 123 to the total. Laurie’s excellent form continued with 51, as did Angus’s as he added a further 55 runs in partnership with Andy Sinclair and in the course of which he completed a maiden century for the club before being dismissed for 106. The innings closed on 239 for 5. This total required Linlithgow to score at six run an overs and¸ while a number of their batsmen made decent efforts to meet that rate, the 3rd XI bowlers proved up to the task. More particularly, Mike Maclean and Henry Teall were more than up the task. Mike took 4 for 30 in his 8 overs, while Henry - in his first bowling spell of the season - had figures of 6 overs, 2 maidens, 14 runs and 6 wickets. The opposition was dismissed for 153 and another excellent victory recorded.

Angus’s century was the third of the day and this is only the third occasion on which three club members have reached three figures on the same day. The first occurrence was on 3rd May 1997 when Ian Torrens made 207 not out and David Rainey 109 in a partnership of 230 for the 2nd XI against Heriot’s 2nd XI (when the highest score at Myreside was recorded, as noted earlier), while Ian Mann scored 109 not out against Holy Cross Academicals for the 3rd XI at Craiglockhart. The other occasion was on 22nd May 2010, when professional Tim Weston made 113 not out against Clydesdale at Myreside, with George Cairns scoring 161 not out and Richard Crosby 159 in a partnership of 290 for the 2nd XI away from home against Glenrothes.

The 4th XI has endured a difficult season and hosted league leaders Edinburgh South 3rd XI at Craiglockhart. Inviting the visitors to bat first after winning the toss, the side had another torrid afternoon as Edinburgh South compiled 266 for the loss of a single wicket - Kevin Weavers accounting for that wicket - in their 40 overs. In responding to that imposing target, only two of our batsmen managed to get into double figures - Jonathan Trout with 54, a maiden half-century for the club, and captain for the day, Simon Israel, with 17. The total was 121 and so another heavy defeat was the outcome.

On Sunday, the Women’s XI entertained Clydesdale/East Kilbride in the Challenger League at Myreside, following a successful first outing in the competition. The opposition was asked to bat, quickly lost two wickets and had lost five for 46 before something of a recovery was effected. After its 20 overs, a total of 82 for 8 had been reached. Interestingly, one of the opening batters survived throughout the innings for a score of 8 from 36 balls. Wickets were taken by Tessa MacDonnell (2) and Bel Russell-Lynch, Anne Baltzer and Victoria Gadd with one each. There were also three run-outs! In reply, Iona Lowry started quickly before falling for 17 (with four boundaries) in only nine balls and with the total at 19. That soon became 24 for 3 before Tessa MacDonnell (15) and captain Victoria Gadd (24) took the score on to 60. Victoria was out with 69 on the board and the score was 80 when the seventh wicket fell. Sarah Hatch then saw the team home with 10 not out and two overs to spare. Another successful outing.