Sun shines on Forres cricketers in busy weekend of action
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CRICKETERS in Forres took advantage of the September sunshine with two games at the weekend.
The senior Forres St Lawrence team lost by five wickets in the league at Northern Counties while the Development side were defeated in the t20 cup final against Highland.
The senior side posted 231 against Northern Counties on Saturday, a score that would have been enough to see off most sides, but with the league title already in the bag for the 2023 season, Counties proved a hard nut to crack on their own pitch.
Forres batted well with some good contributions from throughout the order. Pal Dhami led from the front with a patient 61, supported by 34 from Fraser Merricks who has found form with the bat this season.
Gus Farr and Sajid Muhammad added runs in the middle order, Muhammad getting off the mark with two straight sixes into the Eden Court car park whilst Farr picked the Meeting Park pavilion as his target, launching the ball onto the roof and then clear over onto the road as well as a big six over square leg into the council buildings.
32 for Farr and 49 from Muhammad and a final flourish for Russell Ellwood who blasted 21 in the final few overs.
However, the home side have a good record of big scores on their home ground and despite losing some early wickets they stuck to the task, helped it has to be said by some poor fielding from Forres who certainly didn’t shine in the field.
Counties took risks and they paid off, reaching the total required in the 39th over, opener Thomas was unbeaten on 64.
This Saturday the senior side will be in Elgin for a 12 noon start in the t20 cup final, once again against Northern Counties. This match had previously been abandoned due to rain.
On Sunday, the development team were in their own t20 cup final against Highland of Inverness. Set a total of 149 to win the Forres side reached 102, a creditable total against a good side.
The Forres bowlers performed well, Matthew Watkin 1 for 20, Olivia McGhee 2 for 38 and Frankie Du Toit 2 for 24. In reply the Forres early order all chipped in but didn’t manage to kick on, the home side holding on to catches which Forres had not done so well.
Nevertheless, Matthew Watkin top scored with 18, Al Farr 16 and Du Toit 16 too while Senthu Balasingham made his own top score of 13.
