This week marked the end of the first half of the ESCA league season, already! From next week, we go round again, playing the same opponents in the same order but home rather than away, or vice versa.

The 1st XI faced the only other unbeaten side in the Championship, Heriots 2s, at Myreside. While a 2nd XI cannot be promoted to the EPL, every point counts in our effort to top the table at the end of the season. On a green seamer of a deck, in the captain’s words, we opted to bat first. Our batting scorecard looked quite different to its usual state, however. In a little over 41 overs we were bowled out for a team total of 195 with extras top scoring with 31. Everyone chipped in but no-one with very many. Oli, Mike, Tom and Kenneth all just cleared the 20-run mark, and Gareth got his highest score for the club of 19 not out. Only one six was scored in our innings, and not by Oli (kudos to Mike). Young Jared Rubly got Heriots’ best figures of the day taking 4/38 off his ten overs, not quite as deadly as the 7/39 he took recently against Drummond Trinity!

After a rain delay, Heriots were set a revised target of 174 to win from 40 overs. Donnie set the tone with the ball, taking wickets early on, ending with his best figures for us yet of 3/14 off eight overs. Heriots never settled or built a substantial partnership (their highest was 26). Each of our bowlers, including Callum Martin on his welcome return, took wickets to stop Heriots on 132 after 36 overs, for a 41 run win on the ELC method. This result sees us standing clear at the top of the Championship table at the halfway point, unbeaten after seven completed matches (plus one abandoned and one cancelled). That’s our best league run in over twenty years and a brilliant sign for the promotion campaign, though there is still much to do.

The less said about the 2nd XI’s performance on the tricky pitch at Cavalry Park against Marchmont, the better. That a teammate getting hit in the box was the Frogbox highlight of the week is telling. We won the toss and elected to bat but did so without distinction. Only Sukhrajveer Singh (17) could outscore the 12 extras or even make it into double figures. Marchmont are adept at bowling to their home conditions, meaning slow and unpredictable. Gareth Bevan took 4/10 against us and Karan Nagpal 3/18 as we collapsed to 64 all out. Marchmont’s openers suffered no such difficulties and knocked off the required runs inside eight overs. If the target had been even a tiny bit higher, Sam Byrnes (47*) would very likely have reached his half century. A heavy ten wicket defeat was one to forget. Only winless Kelso are beneath us in the Division 1 table at the halfway point giving us plenty to do in the second half to ensure safety in the division.

The 3rd XI hosted Gala 2s at Craiglockhart. Our visitors won the toss and opted to bat. Our bowlers were very economical, Ethan Haire’s figures of 1/10 off seven overs being exemplary. Tom Mullin, on his return, managed three maidens in his eight overs, taking 1/14. Both Vikash Gautam (2/18) and Fraser Kinloch (2/27) took a brace with Jamie Reid a seventh, restricting Gala to 120/7 from their 40 overs. As with the bowling, the batting was a team effort too. Vikash made 15, Laurie Cox 24 and Dave Evans a vital 31as we eased our way to our target, finishing 122/7 in just over 25 overs, winning by 3 wickets. The result takes us just out of the relegation zone but in a very tight cluster of four teams at the bottom end of Division 5. There have been some encouraging signs that we can do what we need to this year.

The 4th XI travelled to Falkirk to play Westquarter & Redding 2s. We were asked to bat first and did so with aplomb. Captain Chris Cox (20) opened with Matt Burgess (36) for a solid 66-run partnership. John Boothman joined Matt at the crease until Matt got bowled with the score on 88 in the 18th over. In Boothman and Wanderers graduate Lochlan Morris we had found a golden ticket. The pair batted through the remainder of the innings putting on an unbeaten 138, the fifth highest partnership in 4th XI history. Boothman finished on 59*, a new high after his maiden senior half century earlier in the season. Morris finished on an outstanding 83* off 74 balls, including 8 fours and 5 sixes. Our total of 226/2 is the highest for the 4th XI since 2022.

Care was needed on a very good batting track with a quick outfield, especially when it became clear that it wasn’t turning much even for Magic. Two early wickets from Aryaman Apte (3/36) set a good tone but the first of two big partnerships brought W&R right back into it (82 runs between Rory Sheehan and Nas Hussain). Alec Fair (2/12) took the crucial third wicket immediately after drinks and further wickets followed soon after from good straight bowling and tight fielding to put us well on top as the sixth wicket fell with the score on 147. Rory McArthur at number eight for W&R proved to be a strong straight hitter and built a dangerous 52-run partnership with Kris Peel, before being run out by Hamish Tucker. At 199 for 7 with just 6 overs to go the match was very much in the balance. However, Aryaman took a wicket in the next over having come back into the attack and Hamish (3/29) finished matters off taking the final two wickets in the 36th over with W&R on 200, still 26 runs short of our total. The match was played in an excellent spirit with an lbw given at the death. Like the 3s, the 4s are now just above the relegation zone and a few more spirited performances like this one should give them every chance of staying in Division 8.

The WCC/DCC Womens Premier League match against West of Scotland at Craiglockhart was shortened to a 20-over game due to showery conditions. West won the toss and opted to bat first. Maryam Faisal made an excellent 69 and Jenna Stanton 26 in West’s 129/5. Anne Sturgess took 3/21 with Megan McColl and Tessa MacDonnell taking a wicket apiece. Megan paired with Niamh Muir at the top of the order and they got us nearly all the way there by themselves, with a 120-run opening partnership. Abbey Gore bowled first Megan (71) and then Niamh (37), leaving Emily Tucker and Charlotte Nevard to knock off the final few runs to see us finish 132/2 in 12.1 overs, wrapping up another comprehensive win by 8 wickets. A win at Craiglockhart on Sunday 29th June against East Kilbride would seal an unbeaten season and the WPL title. The whole club is rooting for this. We would love to see some support from 1pm at Craiglockhart to cheers the girls on.