Forres won the toss and decided to bat with the usual combination of Al Farr and Fraser Merricks opening the batting. The Elgin opening bowlers of Hindes and Sukamara kept the Forres batsmen in check, with Hindes taking the first wicket when Al Farr followed an out swinger to be caught behind by Dave Fairgrieve for 4.

Gus Farr replaced his bother at the crease but lost partner Merricks when he was clean bowled by Sukamara for 12.

Forres skipper McGrath was next in and he nearly lost his partner straight away, but the LBW shout was turned down and from this point on the batting side never looked in trouble. After 13 overs, change bowler Cameron opened with a wayward over which went for 12, including four wides, and the Elgin heads went down. However, Cameron sorted things out and went on to bowl his overs tidily.

Fortune smiled on Forres when a single by Farr saw the ball returned to the bowlers end but it sped on and crossed the boundary, five runs to Forres. Sukamara was replaced by Elgin skipper, Wathen, who bowled slow left arm over but he didn't stay long after his third and fourth overs went for 14 runs.

McNeil came on to replace his captain, but he only lasted two deliveries before a shoulder injury forced him to abandon bowling for the rest of the afternoon. He was replaced by Fraser but his third over was punished by McGrath for 15 runs.

Sukamara returned to the attack to try to slow the run rate down which was a steady four per over, which he managed, his last four overs going for only five runs.

In the 37th over, Hindes came back to replace Cameron and the Forres batsmen decided to make hay. McGrath and Farr were still at the crease and took full value from their shots.

The end finally came for Farr when he went to smash a Hindes delivery but only managed to sky the ball for the keeper to catch in front of the wicket having made 72 and share in an impressive partnership with McGrath of 156. Tony Farr replaced his son with the scent of more runs to be made, but he was caught out by a juggling catch from Noble off Hindes for five.

Phil Coulby came in to help McGrath through to the end of the innings which closed on 223 for 4, McGrath reaching his hundred in the last over of the innings and finishing on 103 not out.

After tea, Elgin had to be positive to reach the Forres total and opened with Dave Fairgrieve and Mark Gravener. However, the opening bowlers of Derek Ross and Tony Farr kept the scoring down with Ross only going for one run off his first four overs.

The first wicket fell in the 10th over when Dave Fairgrieve slapped the ball to mid on and the waiting hands of Al Farr. Rahan Ashraf was next in and Forres knew that he was a wicket they needed to get before he got settled. A let off for Gravener in the 12th over saw the ball fly through the hands of Gus Farr at slip and proved costly. A double bowling change after 14 overs brought Gus Farr and Jon Benn together and with his first delivery Farr yorked Ashraf for seven. Elliot Noble replaced Ashraf and after a brief flurry he became Farr's second victim when he holed out to Al Farr at mid off for 18.

Sukamara was the next batsman but he never looked comfortable against the slow bowling of Benn and he lost his wicket when Benn bowled him round his legs for one. Elgin were now 71 for four and incoming batsman, Wathen, knew he had a job to do to get anything out of the game. Gus Farr changed to bowling spin and removed Wathen by yorking him.

McNeil replaced his skipper and, after much scratching around, he became Farr's fourth victim when he was caught at gully by Tony Farr for six. This left Elgin on 92 for 6 in the 29th over and an early victory looked in sight, but Gravener, along with new batsman Fraser, had other ideas. This pair got their heads down and pushed the ball around the ground but the wet outfield slowed the ball and turning boundaries into twos and threes.

By the 40th over this pair had put 60 on and got Elgin to 152 when Fraser lost his wicket to a splendid low catch by Fraser Merricks at gully off the bowling of Ross for 22. Sam Fairgrieve had no option but to throw the bat and was caught on the deep cover boundary by Gus Farr off Tony Farr for three and, with Elgin now needing twelve per over, the end was in sight. Hindes came in to join Gravener who was closing in on his maiden hundred which he reached in the penultimate over of the day.

A lapse of concentration saw Gravener lose his wicket, just three balls short of carrying his bat for the entire innings, out for 101. Cameron joined Hindes to play out the last few balls and Elgin closed on 182 for 9, Forres winning the match by 41 runs.

This week, Forres are at home to RAF Kinloss in the last game before the league splits for the second half of the season.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---