Saints punch their way to a KO victory
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IT WAS a tough battle for Forres St Lawrence on Saturday when they took on Buckie in the semi-final of the KO Cup, but they came through with a good win at the end of the day.
After winning the toss, Buckie asked Forres to bat first. Pal Dhami and Fraser Merricks opened for the visitors, but the latter was removed by Rijvan in the first over, when Merricks got a leading edge to cover for Hart to take the catch.
Gus Farr was number three, but unusually this was not going to be the pivotal partnership, as Dhami did not seem at ease on the Buckie track. The end came when Hart got one through Dhami’s defence and he was bowled leg stump for 17.
Connor Reed now partnered Farr as the score moved along from 42 past the half-century. Reed
was just starting to find some shots when he played a shot far too early off Newlands and ended up caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Corsie for nine. Steve Barron got off the mark under strange circumstances when the ball bounded twice, and he pinged it over the square leg boundary for six, called a no-ball because bowler Newlands had clipped the bails on the way through.
Farr and Barron ran the singles offered as Buckie pushed the field back to protect the boundary, and this worked well for Forres until Farr toed the ball off Wilson and was caught at mid off for the side’s top score of 43.
Matty Hewson was next in, and again Forres ran the singles as the score crept along little by little. The century had just come up when Barron went for a big heave ho and was bowled by Wilson for 20, bringing Gerrard in with Hewson, but neither batsman could get much of the ball, and runs were needed.
Hewson swung at the ball and ended up caught at mid off for 8, leaving Gerrard to bat with Al Farr. Gerrard prodded at the ball, even tried swinging at
it, but couldn’t get it away. Fortunately Al Farr didn’t have the same trouble, as he heaved two fours across the boundary before Gerrard, in frustration, stepped back and was bowled by Hart for five. David Durance
lasted just two balls before he was cleaned up, and the final over yielded only one run with Forres finishing on 128 after their 30 overs, Al Farr 14 not
out.
128 is a tight total to defend, and would need some good bowling against a strong Buckie batting lineup. Merricks and Hewson opened against Buckie
batsmen Callum Hart and Daniel Walls. Hart was soon in the runs with a four and two off Merrick’s first over, but Hewson kept it tight, and soon Merricks was on target too. Walls was the quieter of the two batsmen, and was the first to fall, catching the edge of a Hewson delivery and being caught behind, but keeper Gerrard sportingly stopped Walls from leaving the field as he told the umpires he had spilled the catch. A grateful Walls returned the favour two runs later by again nicking the ball to Gerrard who made no mistakes this time, and Walls was on his way for three.
Rijvan struck a two, and then in the next over stuck his bat out and helped the ball to Lamb at cover. Things got better for Forres as Hart lost his nerve and
swung out at Hewson, ending up caught at long off for 19. There was another bonus just three balls later as John Corsie got a lifter from Hewson which took
an edge and was caught behind for nought. Anthony Wilson and Andy Ballantyne now had to steady the ship for Buckie as they rocked on 26
for four in the 10th over. Gus Farr and Kieran Lamb were now introduced to the Forres attack, tasked with keeping runs to a minimum. A wayward over
from Lamb first up, but he pulled it together after that and bowled a tight line, giving the batsmen some challenging deliveries while Farr handed over
to Barron after his first three. Buckie were behind the run rate, and the effort
to catch up cost Ballantyne his wicket as Lamb fired a quick one through and took his leg stump for six. Wilson was now joined by Newlands, who knows
how to hit a ball big and hard, Forres spread the field allowing the singles. Newlands had to keep the ball on the ground or risk being caught on the
boundary, so he took the singles offered, leaving Wilson the play the more inventive shots. A big over from Wilson brought 11 and clawed Buckie back into the game, but another meagre over took things back to advantage Forres.
Then 11 more runs, this time off Farr, brought Buckie back into things. But when the final over arrived, Buckie needed 19 to win the game, with
Newlands on strike and Farr to bowl. A single, another single, then a big six and Buckie looked to Newlands to find the boundary again, but all he
could muster was another single, and the game was all but lost. Finishing on 121, Wilson was 46 not out, with Newlands 32 not out.
The Forres bowlers had really done their job well, and deserved the plaudits at the end of the game. They will now meet Fochabers in the final in
August.
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