Basking in the League winning glory

Forres St Lawrence Cricket Club League Champions have been reflecting on their achievements.

The buzz in town after the Forres Mechanics League success had barely died down when Forres St Lawrence began their League campaign. After their most successful season last year, finishing third in the league and winning the North of Scotland League Cup, hopes were high that the team could emulate the Cans success.

Could the town have two Champions in the same year after so many barren years?

Two early additions to the team in Pal Dhami and John Duff gave the team a bit more strength in depth.

The season started with a comprehensive defeat of last years beaten cup finalists Highland, followed by a less than convincing win at home to Northern Counties probably a wake up call which, after a no result at a rainy Elgin, gave the team momentum with convincing wins against Buckie at home and Ross County away. The match at Keith, called off due to weather, and a good win at home to Nairn gave the team a hundred per cent record at the end of June.

A trip away to Fochabers, always fraught with danger, saw the first defeat of the season and the start of a period where a bit of doubt started to creep into the league campaign. After a match called off at Huntly due to weather, a cup semi final game against Highland, where the team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, gave further cause for concern. A defeat in a good game at RAF Lossiemouth, where the team felt they had the upper hand but fell short of the required total with wickets in hand, gave some renewed optimism for forthcoming games. A narrow defeat by the same opponents in the Twenty/Twenty final at Fochabers showed there was still plenty of fight in the team as the League was split, with the top six teams to play for the Championship. News of defeat of RAF Lossiemouth by Ross County earlier meant, that with a 3 point lead over the RAF team, it was in the Saints own hands, win all the games and win the League!

The first match against arch rivals RAF Lossiemouth at home saw new arrival Steve Ryder play the first of his two games and help Forres compile a good score. The Saints then took wickets at crucial times to bowl the Services side out, gaining a comprehensive victory and giving the team a realistic chance of the title. Buckie away is never easy, but again a good bowling performance and resolute batting on a difficult pitch saw the Saints home quite comfortably in the end. Derby rivals Elgin had a batting collapse of epic proportions against a Forres bowling attack, which by now was recognised as the most formidable in the league, and the Saints moved on to the penultimate game against Fochabers, still at the top of the league table. Always fierce opponents this match was no different, finishing on a knife edge in front of an anxious support, Forres getting 3 runs to win in the last over of the game. There was speculation during the last week as to whether Huntly would play the last game, having failed to fulfil three of their last four games. In the event they called off leaving Forres as league champions, albeit with a hollow feeling on the day, not having played but with the knowledge that they had achieved something special.

Last year the team won three individual trophies at the NoSCA awards, this year there will be no individual awards, emphasising the fact that this has been a real team effort with all the team members stepping up at different times to contribute to important victories.

In the NoSCA batting tables Pal Dhami 8th with 303 runs, Gus Farr 15th 232, David Durance 23rd 147 Steve Ryder 29th 133 and Neil McGrath 32nd 127 were the main contributors. and in the bowling Gus Farr 3rd with 21 wickets, Dave Durance 17th 12, Aaron Roberts 23rd 10, Derek Ross 24th 10, Pal Dhami 32nd 8 and John Duff 39th 7. were the main contributors. Support in the field by Tony Farr with 8 catches, Al Farr at slip with four catches, Ian Roberts with four catches and the enthusiastic and effective fielding in close by Aaron McLean contributed to the team effort as did their contribution with bat and ball.

Nigel Gerrard took 9 catches as wicketkeeper, but his contribution as Captain cannot be under estimated, as with assistance and advice from his senior players he cajoled, encouraged and steered his team through the season to a triumphant conclusion.

In a team effort such as this there are many other contributions which should not go un heralded.

Carolyn Farr has for many years carried out the duties of scorer and she produces arguably the best teas in the league, Tony Farr has done a large proportion of umpiring, ably assisted by other team members as required ,and we have been lucky on occasions to have had the services of Mike Roberts.

The ground preparations carried out by Dickie Ross and Dave Durance are much appreciated.

We are fortunate to have a local newspaper in the Forres Gazette which has over the years printed our match reports, photographs and other articles to keep the profile of the club and its endeavours in the public eye.

It is pleasing to walk through the streets of the town and have people comment on the success of the Club this year.

On Saturday the Club is holding an internal seven a side tournament and a junior game prior to the presentation of trophies and Barbeque. Weather permitting the afternoon starts at 1pm with the presentation taking place at about 4-30 followed by the Barbeque. The club would like to invite former players of the club to join the team in the celebration of their achievement.