The weather proved decisive in bringing several matches to a premature conclusion last weekend but did not prevent some very exciting cricket being played.

The 1st XI travelled to Boghall to face Linlithgow, hoping to extend their unbeaten run. Bizarrely, Linlithgow asked us to bat first, given the choice. Presumably their previous two matches, in which they batted first and posted 88 against Gala and 67 against Carlton 2 and were rapidly chased down in both cases, were on their minds. Their choice gave our top order an opportunity the like of which they may never experience again. In a truly remarkable innings, Oli Hairs made his biggest score ever for the club of 196 from 89 balls (18 fours, 16 sixes). This included a 105-run partnership with Tom Wylie (29) and 148 runs put on with Donovan du Randt before Oli fell in the 25th over, getting the score to 273/3 before the halfway point. If Linlithgow thought their fortunes were looking up, Donnie and Kenneth Rae set about disabusing them of that notion. Both also made their highest scores for Watsonian, of 147* and 99* respectively, in a 228-run unbroken partnership, to see us to an incredible 501/3 from 50 overs. This was the first time in the club’s history that we have scored three century partnerships in one innings.

Besides the individual records achieved, this is also, by a distance, the highest team total ever produced by our 1st XI, beating the previous record of 440 against Falkland in 2017. It is very likely also a wider record, but I don’t know of any easy way of verifying this. From the almost complete records available between CS Live and the Cricket Scotland archive website (missing highlight figures for 2013 and 2014), our 440 was the first score of more than 400 in the leagues our 1st XI played in, at least since 2000. While several teams have surpassed 400 since, none have passed 440, let alone 500. Our 501 appears to be the first time that anyone, in the East at least, has broken that mark, though I would gladly be corrected if anyone can discover otherwise.

Donnie and Kenneth’s 228 run partnership was their second consecutive century partnership, after an unbroken 103 against Carlton in last Thursday’s Masterton fixture. It was the highest ever for the 4th wicket for the 1st XI, but not for the club. That honour belongs to Parker Neame (155*) and Rob Loomes (82*) who shared 238 for the 2nd XI against Drummond Trinity at Myreside in 2022. After 7 matches, Watsonians occupy the first, second, third and fifth spots in the Championship leading run scorers’ table.

After the huge excitement of an innings packed with action to the last ball, when the umpire broke hearts by calling Kenneth’s last run a leg bye, leaving him a run adrift of his maiden century for the club, the second innings proved hugely anticlimactic. The match was abandoned for rain after less than five overs with Linlithgow on 20/2 with no result declared.

The also unbeaten Women’s 1st XI toughed out a couple of showers at Craiglockhart on Sunday to further extend their run in similar record-breaking fashion against RHC Lynx. Here too our opponents asked us to bat, to their cost. Megan McColl batted through the 30 overs scoring an outstanding 217* off 102 balls including 27 fours and 8 sixes. This is not only a comfortable club women’s record (not-so-Watsonian Rebecca Glen made 90 for the Watsonian/Grange team in 2022, both Molly Paton and Anne Sturgess have made 67 more recently), it is also a WPL record, surpassing the 164* made by Lucy Pottinger of Stewarts Melville against MDAFS earlier this season and the previous record 159* made by Charlotte Dalton for RHC in 2018. It is also the third-highest score by any player for Watsonian, one of only four double centuries, within touching distance of George Munsey’s 220 against Falkland in 2017 and Australian professional Kim Hughes’ 218* against Forfarshire in 1976.

Megan was ably supported by Charlotte Nevard (24) in a first wicket partnership of 128 and subsequently Niamh Muir (71*, her best) for the remaining 217 runs, putting 345/1 on the board. This monster total is also a WPL record, breaking one that Megan herself helped set for Northern Lights against Watsonian in 2022 (338/2). Had she and Ailsa Lister not both sportingly retired not out on reaching their centuries in that game, that total might have been even higher.

Our bowlers were highly effective, never giving RHC a sniff. Orla Montgomery’s figures of 6-1-6-1 were outstanding, closely followed by Erin Leslie’s 6-1-11-2. Anne Sturgess chipped in with a couple of wickets, Kirsty, Abby and Macey taking one apiece and Niamh Muir, sharp in the field, took two run outs. We bowled RHC out for 107 in the final over, wrapping up a win by a magnificent 238 runs.

The 2nd XI gave us lots of excitement but in a very different fashion. Opting to bowl first at a soggy Myreside against Kelso, in a game shortened to 30 overs a side, we set about our task well. The first two wickets fell quickly before a decent third wicket stand of 55. Thereafter wickets fell steadily. Rory High and George Baltzer bowled tightly at the death, taking 3 wickets for just 8 runs in the last five overs, Kelso making 110/8. We made heavy weather of the chase. George (24) gave us a decent start and Dan Kirk did the heavy lifting (46) before splicing a pull shot to mid on with the scores level, two wickets and seven balls remaining. Ross Millar made us sweat through the final over, dotting up the first four balls before getting run out on the fifth. Abid Shinwari came to the crease to face the final ball, with one run required. He tapped and ran securing the win by one wicket in the most nerve-shredding manner.

The 3rd XI hosted Carlton 4s at Craiglockhart. Put in to bat, everyone contributed with 14 from ‘Magic’ Mike Maclean on return, Fraser Kinloch (21), Vishal Chawan (20), Dave Evans (23) and Pranjan Patel (31) helping us to 160 all out in 30 overs. Kudos to Carlton bowlers Kartic Subr (4/37) and Stuart Dawson (3/28). Despite the best efforts of Pranjan (3/14) and Sean Ridge (0/12 off 4) in particular, Carlton scored at a quicker pace and ended up taking the win on ELC when the match was halted at 121/4 after 18.4 overs.

The 4th XI also suffered a second consecutive defeat on ELC away to Dunfermline & Carnegie 3 at the Cairns. The Tuckers proved to be our backbone, Jamie taking 4/41 off 8 overs and Hamish 3/6 off 6 overs, very much the stars with the ball. We bowled D&C out for 144 in 36 overs. Jamie made 20 with the bat and dad Toby 23* but an otherwise thin scorecard saw us a good way behind at 83/8 when the match was called off after 22.4 overs.

This weekend will see our women take on similarly unbeaten title rivals Stewart’s Melville at Inverleith on Sunday in a potentially crucial fixture. Very best of luck!