Derby delights as super Saints bounce back

FORRES ST Lawrence bounced right back into winning form on Saturday at Grant Park when they swept Nairn away, with a magnificent bowling performance from Fraser Merricks.

Nairn decided to bat first, opening with A Macleod and N Gibson. Derek Ross took the ball for the home side, a tidy over to start with. Then Merricks took the ball from the road end, starting in wayward fashion with two wides.

Third ball he got it right with Gibson playing the wrong line and nicking the ball through to Barron at first slip. Just four balls later, Merricks struck again when Sargant, at number three, stepped backwards allowing the ball to nick his bat and go through to Barron once again at slip.

A great start for Forres and they kept the pressure on when Merricks saw Alex Green off, taking the top of off stump and leaving Nairn three wickets down with just seven runs on the board.

Macleod played a few scoring shots off Ross in the next over and it was a bonus when Merricks failed to take a wicket in his next over.

Normal service was resumed when Stephen Neill played too late to stop a delivery knocking his stumps over and in Merricks’ next over he finally got Macleod to crack when he drove the ball straight to Pal Dhami at extra cover.

Lack of footwork brought the wicket of Bernie Brandsma as he was LBW to a Durance full toss leaving Nairn at 27 for 6. Brian Stewart and A Cresswell scampered a few runs but Merricks struck once more when he bowled Cresswell for only one.

Jason Snitch joined Stewart and again they managed to gather a few runs, taking the score to 42 before Stewart caught the edge and sent another catch through to Barron at slip. John Duff came on to mop up the ninth wicket, bowling Snitch for three but the final wicket went inevitably to Merricks when he bowled young Jason Brandsma for one. Nairn were all out for 49, demolished by Fraser Merricks, who took an astonishing 8 for 15 in his eleven over spell.

A quick turn around for the teams with the rain threatening. Pal Dhami and David Durance were sent in for Forres, facing Green and Sargant. Durance seemed to find scoring difficult, Dhami has still to find his fluency of last season but he took his runs where he could. Durance made the only mistake, edging a Green delivery to the keeper Macleod for 5, bringing man of the moment Merricks to the crease. It was fitting that he should score the winning runs in the 16th over as he pushed Brandsma through mid off for two.

A great comeback for Forres who will be hoping to take this form to Elgin on Saturday.