Super-Mac shrugs off injury to smash 63 not out

Forres in a solid performance against Elgin to come out on top in their

Macallan League Cup group game on Saturday and move into the semi-finals next month.

The visitors chalked up 170 for 6 at Cooper Park and then dismissed Elgin for 82.

As rain clouds threatened, Forres were asked to bat first and Fraser Merricks and Al Farr took guard against Andrew Hindes and captain Ewan McNeil. With only 30 overs to use up, two maidens did not offer the openers the best start, but suddenly the batsmen exploded into action, including taking 18 off one over.

Farr plundered another six from Hindes over long on, before he fell to change bowler Wimble, caught at short mid-on by Andrew Hastie for a hectic 19.

Gus Farr came in at his usual No 3 but it wasn’t long before he too was into the six action with a shot over long-off. By the time the first 10 overs were up the score was on 63, but Farr didn’t last much longer, nicking one through to the keeper Gable off Wimble for 17. Merricks followed two overs later as change bowler Zack Vale lured him down the wicket with a slow flighted delivery which he missed and was stumped for 22.

glorious catch

At 72 for 3, Nigel Gerrard came to the crease with Neil McGrath and they produced the most profitable of the Forres partnerships. McGrath assumed the lead role, well supported by Gerrard, but a quick single left McGrath struggling with a pulled hamstring, and he was forced to go for the boundaries rather than run singles.

The hundred came up in the 12th over and by the 25th over the score had moved on to 129. In the push for more runs, Gerrard lost his wicket after hesitating and was run out. His contribution of 19 had helped to pave the way for McGrath to play with freedom along with Tony Farr. McGrath blasted two consecutive sixes, including one into the duck pond, but Farr found the one Elgin player who could catch on the day, Andrew Hastie taking the ball on the long-off boundary.

Derek Ross came in for the last few deliveries and was run out on the last ball of the innings. Neil McGrath was 63 not out as Forres finished on 170 for 6.

Elgin bastmen started with much more of a bang. Mark Patten took Tony Farr for 16 runs off his first four balls, but Farr had the last laugh as, with the ball flying towards the deep mid wicket boundary for another six, Gus Farr stuck out a hand and took a glorious catch right on the edge of the field of play.

McNeil tamely prodded a Farr delivery into the hands of Fraser Merricks at point for a duck. Next over, with 23 on the board, Wimble mistimed a pull and Gus Farr threw at the non-striker’s stumps with Parrot well out of his ground. James Moreland and Wimble pushed the score past 40 but Derek Ross broke the partnership, bowling Moreland for 12.

A devastating over from Merricks ripped through the batting. Wimble was caught by Gus Farr at mid wicket for 9, next ball Andrew Hastie was given lbw, and just two balls later Hastie was caught by Derek Ross at mid-off.

All of a sudden Elgin were 41 for 8 and any chance they may have had was gone. The only resistance came from Hindes, who was unbeaten on 23 before running out of partners at a total of 82. Merricks closed with 3 for 22.

Forres travel to Nairn in the league on Saturday.