Forfarshire Cricket Club - 2015 Archive

Forfarshire CC News Archive - 2015
Forfarshire u18 Win Scottish Cup

Forfarshire under 18s were crowned Scottish Cup champions on Sunday after an emphatic 10 wicket win over Clydesdale following an earlier thrilling last over win against Grange at Titwood.  video


A low covers catch by Scott off Christian in the 6th over gave the young Forfs confidence against the Grange top order, then in the 7th over Midge took a comfortable catch off Will, also at cover, to see both openers back in the pavilion. Will held a high boundary catch off Rory in the 14th over that left Grange 69 for 3 and the Forfs were further encouraged by a superb direct hit runout by James that helped slow the scoring in the second half of the innings. A late onslaught from Dickinson saw 18 taken from the 19th over followed by 10 from the last to give the Grange total a boost and set Forfarshire 115 to win.

Forfs lost Rojo and Scott inside of 2 overs before Christian stepped up to be the the semi-final hero, hitting an unbeaten 62. The last 4 overs saw 30 needed which looked a stiff task but Christian released the pressure with a boundary to long off and then later a flick through square leg to take Forfs within sight of a place in the final. Will brought up the Forfs 100 before falling to Aslam with 15 needed from as many balls. Midge and Christian scampered the remaining runs to secure a well deserved win with 3 balls remaining.  scorecard

In the final, Clydesdale reached 42 for no wicket with ease before Rory led a Forfs fight-back with three wickets and a direct hit run out. Jake held a dramatic one handed catch to give Blair the first of his two wickets that saw Clydesdale 78 for 6 after 16 overs before a late flurry of boundaries saw Forfarshire require 110 to win.

Callum (59 not out) and Rory (43 not out) both started quickly and a series of well struck boundaries quickly saw Forfarshire well on their way to a sucessful run chase. With growing confidence and in failing light, Callum and Rory produced a superb display of batting to see Forfarshire through to a 10 wicket win with almost 6 overs remaining.  scorecard
Forfarshire are T20 Murgitroyd Champions

Forfarshire have been crowned national T20 champions after wins over Watsonians and Poloc in the finals of the Murgitroyd T20 knockout.

On a beautiful day at Shawholm, Watsonians set Forfarshire an imposing 149 to win in the second semi-final. Craig (58 from 38 balls) and Ryan (22 from 27 balls) started well, taking the score to 69 in the 9th over when Ryan was bowled by Sadler. Leasky then unleashed an assault on the Watsonians attack that included eight 4s and three towering 6s in a 29-ball innings of 57 that along with Craig added 73 in 7 overs to take Forfarshire within sight of victory. Sands then picked up the wickets of Wallace, Bailwal and Parker as the Forfs batsmen set about finishing the game quickly before a place in the final was secured in the 17th over.

The final against the hosts saw Graham and Shah give Poloc a steady start in the face of accurate bowling from the Forfs, Aman and Umair both taking 2 wickets in Poloc’s 103 for 7.The second innings was dominated by a memorable 16-ball half century from Craig. His intent was clear from the first over that included a six and two fours, and this was repeated in the third over followed by two further straight hits that cleared the boundary by some distance and saw Forfarshire record a 7 wicket win in the 10th over.  video  




Forthill Win North East Championship

Forthill won the North East Championship on Saturday - the first time the premier division title of the Strathmore & Perthshire Cricket Union has rested at Forthill since 1940. 

Rain threatened to send the title race into the final week of the season but improving weather saw a 40-over match go ahead in which Forthill completed a comprehensive 106 run win over Kinloch to give an unassailable lead over challengers Gordonians at the top of the NEC league table. Kinloch asked Forthill to bat first and a second wicket partnership of 81 between Callum (70) and Christian (56) saw Forthill off to a confident start before a blistering 25-ball half century from Richard that included four 6s and four 4s elevated Forthill to 236 for 8 after 40 overs. 

Two wickets for Samir followed by 3 for 27 from Blackie quickly gave Forthill the upper hand as Kinloch eased along to 130 for 8 in their 40 overs to see the league trophy return to Forthill after an absence of 75 years. 

The 1940 league win, accompanied by success in the Counties Cup, saw the then named Forthill XI bowl out Gordonians for 40 at Seafield in Aberdeen to record a six wicket victory in a league season of 13 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw from 15 matches compared to this season’s 11 wins from 13 starts to date. Notable performers were J.S.Farquhar who took 55 wickets at just 7.67 runs apiece and J.S.Cliffe, a former Fifeshire professional who was signed for the last three matches of the season and returned 27 wickets at just 5.66 runs each in those final games.
  
Forthill 2nd XI Win Two Counties Cup

Forthill 2nd XI have won the Two Counties Cup at the SPCU Cup Finals day held at Doo’cot Park on Sunday. 

A large travelling support saw Forthill take to the field and restrict Breadalbane to 70 before chasing down the target with 9 wickets and 8 overs remaining.  video

Jake opened the bowling with two maidens and with Ted conceding only 2 runs from his first two overs, Forthill were quickly on top. A wicket in each of the next four overs delighted the crowd and reduced Breadalbane to 16 for 4. Blair started and ended his four over spell with a wicket then the return of Jake saw top scorer Bax bowled for 28 as Forthill were set 71 to win.

The Forthill response saw Cameron (30) and Callum (24 not out) take the score to 67 before Cameron was bowled which handed Steven the opportunity to score the winning runs and retain the Two Counties Cup for another year.

Forthill's Three Counties Cup run came unstuck at the hands of eventual winners Gordonians when they lost the semi-final by 23 runs. 
Forthill Win Top of NEC Table Clash 

Forthill won an entertaining match with Meigle at Forthill on Saturday to maintain their lead at the top of the SPCU North East Championship. 

Meigle's Matthew Farmer found conditions to his liking and a sharp catch from Drummy low to his right saw Howie join Rojo back in the pavilion by the sixth over. Farmers next over accounted for Elliot and Richard to leave Forthill reeling at 24 for 4 after 8 overs. 




Hogi and Neil then saw off the challenge of Farmer and Neave to establish a 108 run partnership for the 5th wicket that was only broken when Hogi looked to clear mid-off in the closing overs but instead found the hands of Neave. Neil finished unbeaten on 68 to guide Forthill up to 182 for 7, with Glenn adding a useful 17 in the final overs. Hogi was back in the game in the third over second innings when Howie held a flying slip catch to dismiss Kunje and with Samir offering no width at the other end the score moved slowly to 35 for 1 in the 15th when Lease played on a delivery from Ted to give the first of his 4 wickets. With Meigle on 75 for 5, Clark and Farmer provided stout resistance and took Meigle to 115 when Glenn held a good catch off Howie for a much needed breakthrough. Drummond joined Farmer and continued to keep up with the required rate but after both fell to excellent catches in the deep by Samir and then Hogi, all off Rojo's bowling, Forthill finally took control of the game. With 25 needed from the final 3 overs the Meigle innings was brought to an end by a well effected run out to hand Forthill a 14 run victory in a well contested match. Forthill remain 21 points ahead of Gordonians from 12 games played with two weeks of the season remaining. 
Beghin Century in Falkland Win & Thriller at Doo'cot

Forfarshire batted first at Forthill and an excellent 51 from Christian along with 50 from Hoggy saw Forfarshire well placed at 97 for no wicket in the 22nd over. After Hoggy was stumped off Buitendag, the youthful pairing of Christian and Rojo looked composed in the middle until a run out cut short Rojo’s innings and shortly after Christian offered a catch to square leg to leave Forfs 117 for 3. Graeme immediately looked positive against the visiting attack and raced to 50 from just 35 balls and completed a well struck century from 59 balls that included eight 4s and three 6s as Forfs posted a healthy 286 for 9 from 50 overs.

Torrential rain delayed the re-start and saw Falkland set 215 to win from 30 overs. Beghin and Garden combined to dismiss overseas player Buitendag in the 2nd over and Henderson followed in the 9th bowled by Scott as Forfs took the upper hand in the game however Doig (46) continued to strike the ball well and threatened to take Falkland close, but Andy beat his defences in the 19th over that left Falkland too much to do and they were bowled out for 134, Glenn taking 3 for 8 to wrap up the game.

Forthill’s visit to Doo’cot Park saw a low scoring rain affected match give Forthill a well deserved victory to maintain a narrow lead at the top of the North East Championship. Batting first, Forthill lost Simmy and Richard early to Perth’s Walker and Koo, Howie (20) and Blackie (18) repaired some of the damage but when both fell within the space of an over, the score looked ominous at 47 for 4. A brief 13 from Adam added valuable runs before Patterson accounted for remaining batsmen and left Forthill reeling at 83 all out. 

Perth looked to be easing to victory at 33 for 1, but two wickets in two balls from Blackie (2 for 13) removed Walker and Wigley to lift Forthill spirits at 33 for 3. A change of ends for Hogi brought Forthill firmly back into the game with two quick wickets at 44 for 5, with Samir (2 for 15) having previously removed both openers. Two wickets for as many runs by Howie left Hogi to wrap up the game in consecutive balls and send Perth tumbling to 61 all out, Hogi finishing with 4 for 31. 
Forthill Remain Top of North East Championship

Forfarshire lost a rain affected game to Grange in Edinburgh on Saturday however Forthill sucessfully overcame DHSFP at Forthill by 9 wickets.

Liam removed both Grange openers and Scott claimed the wicket of Flannigan to give Forfs encouragement with the league leaders sitting at 90 for 3 after 25 overs but the second half of the innings saw Grange race to 288 for 5, Tom Sole top-scoring with 82 not out and Liam finishing with 3 for 51.

Rain interrupted the Forfs run chase and saw them set a D/L target of 241 to win in 38 overs. Matty (38) put on 46 for the first wicket with Ryan (17) then 41 for the second wicket with Rojo (18) but the steady fall of wickets from then on saw Forfarshire all out for 171 in the 37th over.

Rain at Forthill saw the visit of DHSFP reduced to 30 overs per side. Batting first, Landwehr (56) and M.Rasheed (41) pushed High School up towards 100 inside of 20 overs before both fell to the spin of Blair who finished with 3 for 27. Three runouts and wicket apiece for Will and Hogi saw DHSFP finish on 153 for 8 from their 30 overs.

The Forthill response start cautiously and lost Will in the 5th over with the total on 15, but from then on Howie (70 not out) and Richard (69 not out) took control of the game and finished the game with 9 wickets and 5 overs remaining.
Mixed Weekend for Forfs

A mixed weekend for Forfarshire saw a high-scoring 24 run win over RH Corstorphine at Forthill on Saturday but a 12 run loss to Poloc in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

Graeme Beghin hit his first century for the club (110 not out from 114 balls) and added 148 with Ryan Watson in a fluent third wicket partnership. Ryan fell an agonising one run short of a record three consecutive league centuries when he fell for 99 from 108 balls.

Forfarshire's 263 for 4 looked out of reach for the visitors but a late rally including an unbeaten 125 not out from overseas player Payne saw RHC up to 239 for 8 after 50 overs, Dale taking 3 for 31 and Liam 3 for 62.
Forfarshire Win at Stoneywood

A much changed Forfarshire side recorded a 56 run win over Stoneywood-Dyce at Peoples Park on Saturday while Forthill lost by 23 runs to Mannofield at Forthill.

Matty (45) and Rojo (41) took the Forfs to 89 for no wicket before Louw beat Rory’s defences. Graeme (30) and Umair (27) later combined to take Forfs up to 155 for 4 after three quick wickets threatened to undo the excellent start. Andy (25) ended the innings with a flourish to see Stoneywood require 211 to win.

Graeme (3 for 28) made the breakthrough for the Forfs in the 9thoverbefore two wickets for Andy (2 for 51) handed Forfarshire the advantage. A tight 13 over spell from Umair (4 for 27) saw Forfarshire take control of the game as Stoneywood headed to 154 all out.

At Forthill, Mannofield posted 247 for 5 in a match reduced to 40 overs due to early morning rain, James Musgrave hitting 123 not out while Winker took 2 for 27. The Forthill response started well with Howie (61) and Will (56) sharing a century opening partnership, however Forthill fell behind the required rate and in failing light were unable to overcome the visitors total despite a quickfire 27 from Elliot and 30 for Winker. 
 
Forfarshire Reach Murgitroyd Regional Final

The regional finals day of the Murgitroyd T20 National Knockout was held at Mannofield on Sunday, although the event was curtailed by a late start due to heavy rain the previous day. This left time only for the two semi-finals to be played which leaves Forfarshire to play Aberdeenshire at a later date.

Forfarshire faced a youthful Falkland side in the first semi-final and restricted the Fifers to 98 for 5 in their 20 overs, Carel Buitendag top-scoring with 38 while Blackie took 2 for 19. Forfarshire openers Ryan (54 not out)and Tim (32) took the Forfs to 75 before a towering catch was well held by Calum Watson to dismiss Tim,but by then a comfortable win was all but secured. The second semi-final saw Aberdeenshire successfully chase Stirling County’s 141 with 7 wickets and 4 overs remaining.

Forfarshire will now play Aberdeenshire for a place in the national finals at Poloc CC on Sunday 9th August.

Adam Hits 145* v Dalnacraig
Dalnacraig’s visit to Forthill on Sunday saw Adam hit an entertaining 145 not out on in a high scoring win. His knock included twenty 4s and a six, and saw Forthill 3rd XI pass Dalnacraig's 215 for 7 in quick time with Simmy jnr finishing unbeaten on 59 to secure a 10 wicket win. Pick of the home bowling attack was James Sim with 3 for 50 from his 8 overs.

All three of Saturday's scheduled matches fell victim to the torrential rain that hit the area.
Saturday Wins for Forfarshire and Forthill

The large crowd that gathered at Forthill on Saturday was treated to a entertaining batting display from Ryan Watson and Michael Leask that saw the Forfs race to a five wicket win over Heriots FP. 

Chasing the visitors 219, Forfarshire lost openers Craig and Matty with 42 on the board and just as Graeme had stroked two boundaries, a mid-wicket mix up with Ryan saw him run out with the score on 71. Ryan (100 not out from 107 balls) and Michael (63 from 65 balls) then set about the visiting attack to share a fourth wicket partnership of 125 that included a 50 run blitz from just 4 overs. Earlier Liam took 4 for 57 from 12 overs to restrict the visitors to 219, Peter Ross top-scoring with 82 not out. 

Forthill continued their unbeaten run with a comprehensive win at Rossie Priory. Batting first, Christian (37) and Callum added 50 for the first wicket before 39 not out from Adam helped forthill up to 179 when they were all out in the last over. Quinno (4 for 24) was quick to strike with two early wickets before Christian completed a good all round performance with 4 for 5 to wrap up the game. 

Forfarshire's Scottish Cup trip to Poloc was cancelled due to rain and will now be played on Sunday 19th July while the visit of St.Modans to play Forthill 2nd XI also fell fowl of rain. 
Ryan Century at Corstorphine

Ryan Watson hit his fourteenth National League century for Forfarshire in an innings that saw Forfarshire romp to victory over Corstorphine with almost 20 overs to spare.

RH Corstorphine chose to bat first at the Royal High School grounds and made steady progress through Marnie (62) and Malik (25) until Beghin produced the breakthrough to see Malik caught by Watson with the total on 49. An aggressive approach from Payne saw a high catch taken by Andy off Quinno just as RHC looked to be accumulating a decent total on a slow outfield. Liam and Umair bowled well in tandem but remained wicketless until 3 wickets in seven balls for Liam saw Forfs take control of the innings with RHC reduced to 135 for 5, Liam going on to take 6 for 30 from 13 overs. Blackie brought about a swift end to the innings with 2 for 5 in nine balls to see Forfarshire need 175 to win.

Rhino wasted little time in finding the boundary and raced to 50 from 41 balls while Matty looked in little difficulty until an attempt to hit over the top saw Yellowlees take a running catch with the total on 90 in the 14th over. Rory was run out for 13 while looking eager for a second run to bring about an end to a 29 run partnership. Ryan reached 100 in 104 balls and despite the further loss of Graeme and Callum, Forfarshire comfortably reached their target in the 31st over, Ryan finishing the match with a four then a six.

Forthill Stay Top of North East Championship
Forthill overcame Arbroath to remain leaders of the SPCU North East Championship. Batting first, Forthill were in trouble at 53 for 5 but were rescued by Gav (65 not out) playing his first match of the season and Richard (60) to see Forthill recover to 191 for 7. An early wicket each for Andy and Hogi saw Arbroath 12 for 2 after 4 overs and the visitors continued to lose wickets regularly with Hogi (3 for 48) and Ted (3 for 25) inflicting the damage as Forthill secured a 45 run victory.
Forthill Move Top of North East Championship

Forthill travelled to St.Andrews on Saturday to take on Kinloch in a rare meeting between the sides. Batting first, Christian (40) and Callum saw Forthill off to a confident start reaching 41 for no wicket in 8 overs when Callum fell LBW for 18. Christian and Rory maintained a healthy scoring rate but once both were dismissed along with an uncharacteristic duck for Howie, Forthill reached 133 for 5 after 26 overs. Tony (44) batted well alongside Richard and Hogi with 19 apiece before 40 not out from Andy propelled Forthill to an excellent 236 for 8. 

A 96 run partnership between Shoaib and Wig kept Kinloch in the game and it took a run out then a catch by Richard off Andy to turn the game in Forthill's favour after Kinloch had reached 150 for 3 with 15 overs remaining. Forthill's fifth win from seven outings sees them leapfrog Huntly to top the SPCU's North East Championship. 

At Forthill on Saturday, Forfarshire were dismissed for 132 in response to Arbroath's 275 in front of a crowd swelled by the charity Beer Festival being held on the boundary edge. Calvin top-scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 93 while Blackie claimed 3 of the wickets to fall.

Forfarshire's response faltered against an accurate visiting attack with Matty (28) and Graeme (25) the main scorers. 
 
The Forfs made amends on Sunday with a powerful performance against Gordonians to progress to the regional finals day of the Murgitroyd T20 Knockout. Batting first, Forfarshire posted 190 for 3 which proved well out of reach of the home side. 
Forfarshire Win Through to Scottish Cup Quarter-Finals

Forfarshire are through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup - and an away tie with Poloc on Sunday 28th June - after a 20 run victory over Ayr at New Cambusdoon on Sunday.

Heavy rain throughout Saturday left the wicket unplayable until 4pm when Forfarshire were asked to bat first in a 26 overs/side match. Leask (18 from 12 balls) hoisted his first delivery over long for six and followed that with a hard hit four while Wally (38 from 23 balls) showed similar form in Van Wyk’s next over, as Forfs raced to 50 for no wicket after 6 overs. When Leask was well caught at deep mid-wicket and Wallace bowled, three further wickets threatened to stifle the Forfs innings, but an excellent 50 (45 balls) from Scott elevated Forfs up to 161 all out in the last over.

Ayr professional Van Wyk wasted no time in setting about the Forfs attack, hitting Blackie for a straight six in the first over before smashing 20 from four balls off Leask as Ayr passed 50 inside of 5 overs. The Forfs held their nerve and conceded only 20 runs in the next 5 overs, but with 71 needed from the last 10 overs and Van Wyk looking set to unleash another onslaught, the game was evenly poised. The return of Scott produced the big wicket of van Wyk, bowled for 51, and despite some late boundaries from Andi and Scott McElnea, the Forfs were able to record a well deserved 20 run victory.  scorecard
 
Forfarshire Overcome Watsonians
Forfarshire recorded a second successive league win with a two wicket victory over Watsonians at Forthill on Saturday.

An excellent catch at third man by Richard followed by a sharp slip catch low to his right by Leasky both off Scott saw Forfs well placed at the visitors reached 35 for 2 after 10 overs. A career best performance from Andy (6 for 37) saw Forfs go on to dismiss Watsonians for 112.

Forfarshire looked on course for a comfortable win at 71 for 2 after 15 overs when tea was taken, but on resumption immediately lost two wickets, Rory departing caught down the leg side for a patient 25. Two further wickets for Nel (4 for 39) saw Forfarshire sitting on 88 for 7 but a timely 19 not out from Scott saw Forfs through to an eventual two wicket win.
Hard Fought Win at Falkland, Forthill Overcome Perth Doo'cot

Forfarshire chose to bat first in the Scroggie Park sunshine and made a cautious start against Sharif and Strachan. With the total on 13, Craig edged a delivery from Sharif through to keeper Ferguson and six balls later Matty fell similarly, but from the bowling of Strachan. Leask joined Beghin and after twice finding the boundary was bowled to leave Forfs in trouble at 26 for 3 in the 9th over. Hamilton then trapped Beghin LBW to make it 39 for 4. Ryan (32)and Aman (56) consolidated the innings with a patient 76-run partnership but just as Watson looked to build on the hard work of the previous 20 overs he was adjudged LBW to Buitendag. Aman passed 50 in 70 balls before picking out the safe hands of Buitendag at deep mid-wicket. A useful 14 from Blackie and 15 not out from Andy saw Forfs up to 186 for 9 after 50 overs.

Falkland reached 45 for no wicket after 14 overs but with just 10 runs conceded in the previous 6 overs the run chase was proving anything but easy. Forfs efforts were rewarded with two wickets in two balls when Liam replaced Aman who went unrewarded in a 7 over spell that gave away only 4 runs. Sharif lofted a short ball from Leask straight to Beghin on the mid-wicket boundary then another two wickets in two balls accounted for Ditchmen and Strachan to give Forfs the advantage at 86 for 5. The introduction of Andy produced a wicket as the Falkland tail continued to chase the target but not before a one handed running catch from Matty gave Andy a second wicket. A flurry of boundaries from Hepburn threatened to take the game to the wire but a timely 3 for 18 from Blackie put an end to the Falkland run chase and saw Forfarshire record a third league win from six matches.  scorecard

Forty and Five for Rory
A 97-run opening partnership between Callum (65) and Howie (37) saw Forthill off to an excellent start against Perth Doo’cot but this was surpassed by Richard (89) and Rory (40) as they added 123 for the third wicket and saw Forthill go on to post 272 for 5, their highest score of the season so far. Perth started quickly in reply, hitting 44 from the first 7 overs but then Hogi beat Ferguson and in his next over saw Pellin offer a catch to Elliot to reach 52 for 2. A wicket for Winker made it 57 for 3 then Rory stamped his authority on the game when he held a deflected catch to dismiss Tramontanus before taking 5 for 20 from just 5.3 overs to send Doo’cot tumbling from 132 for 5 to 169 all out as Forthill picked up their fourth league win of the season.  scorecard

Last Over Win for Forthill 2nd XI
Forthill 2nd XI's match against DHSFP XI on Sunday was reduced to 30 overs/side after heavy overnight rain. Set a challenging 159 for victory, a well struck 77 from Andrew along with 32 from Cameron put Forthill well on the way to victory before a succession of wickets slowed the scoring rate. Clark (20) hit a number of boundaries to swing the game back towards Forthill and set up a last over finale with 4 runs required which were secured with one ball to spare.  scorecard & match report
 
Weekend Results - 23rd & 24th May

Forfarshire suffered a 9 wicket defeat to league leaders Grange at Forthill on Saturday while Forthill won the Dundee derby at Dalnacraig by 22 runs however Forthill 2nd XI lost to Perth Doo’cot XI by 53 runs. Sunday saw wins over Irvine in the Scottish Cup and for Forthill 3rd XI over Dalnacraig.

Forfarshire started brightly against the imposing Grange attack of Blain and Routray with Craig dispatching Routray for a six and a four in the second over of the match before Routray gained revenge two overs later. Blain removed Beghin with the first of seven LBW’s in the innings and just as Parker (23) and Leask (13) took the total to 50, Leask played on to Brock. The Blain and Brock combination then removed the remaining Forfs batsmen with the addition of just 11 more runs, Blain finishing with 5 for 14 and Brock 4 for 8. Grange wasted little time in overcoming the Forfs total, Munsey finishing on 40 not out.  scorecard

At Dalnacraig, Howie (38) and Blackie (32) helped Forthill set DHSFP 122 to win. The High batsmen made a promising start but the combined efforts of Hogi, Rojo, Blackie and Andy saw off the challenge, Blackie finishing with 4 for 22, Hogi 2 for 8 and Rojo 2 for 15.  scorecard

Forthill 2nd XI reduced Perth Doo’cot XI to 128 for 6 at Doo'cot Park but an unbeaten 89 from McKenzie saw the home side recover to post 216 for 7 which proved too many for Forthill despite Clark leading the way with 44.  scorecard

On Sunday, Forfarshire progressed to round two of the Scottish Cup but not before Irvine gave the Forfs a scare when they stuttered to 78 for 6 chasing 91 but a timely 24 from Scott saw off the danger and Forfs reached their target with 23 overs remaining.  scorecard 

Forthill 3rd XI also recorded a win on Sunday, chasing down Dalnacraig's total of 100 with ease, Christian hitting 53 and Greig finishing on 32 not out.   scorecard
Weekend Results - 16th and 17th May 

Forfarshire batted first at Grange Loan and after a comfortable start from Matty (25) and Craig (24) against the attack of Evans and McCloy, Forfs reached 47 for no wicket in the 8th over. The introduction of Ahmad saw two wickets fall in his first over to start a Forfs slump taht became 70 for 4 after 15. Scott (22) and Elliot (22) both added valuable runs alongside Umair (19) but 5 wickets for Gossain accounted for the Forfs lower order to see them all out for 160 in the 42nd over. 

Scott struck early to remove Gardiner LBW but the experience of Watts (59) and Mommsen (48 not out) added 88 before Umair held a sharp chance off Leask to see Carlton 118 for 2 in the 21st over and well on the way to victory. 

Forthill looked on course for victory against Huntly at Forthill having reached 143 for 2 in persuit of 215, L Ferguson having hit 107 for the visitors and Dale taking 4 for 40. Callum top-scored with 84 in the Forthill run chase, while Howie hit 46 and Christian 30 but Forthill fell an agonising 7 runs short of target at the end of 45 overs. 

Forthill 2nd XI recorded a fine victory at Bluebellwood Park after dismissing St.Modans for 145 in challenging weather conditions. Kailas continued his excellent start to the season with 3 for 21 from 9 overs alongside Samir's 3 for 32. The second innings saw Duckworth Lewis come into use and after play was abandoned with the score on 93 for 3, Forthill 2nd XI were declared winners by 14 runs. 

Forfarshire's long drive to Irvine on Sunday was postponed due to rain, but the east coast sunshine allowed Forthill 3rd XI to overcome visitors Arbroath 2nd XI by 58 runs. 84 from Christian, 39 not out from Midge along with 35 from Gavin Gemmell saw Forthill reach a healthy 228 for 5 after 40 overs. A steady opening partnership between Plomer (56) and Bridges (49) was not enough to set up an away win as the home bowlers stuck to their task well to collect 25 points. 
Wins for Forfarshire and Forthill

Forfarshire and Forthill both recorded league wins on Saturday, Forfarshire overcoming Stoneywood-Dyce by a comfortable 90 runs thanks to half centuries from Matty, Craig and Scott and a five wicket haul for Umair while at Mannofield, Forthill won a rain affected game after bowling out their hosts for 92.

Stoneywood-Dyce won the toss and asked Forfarshire to bat first in damp conditions at Forthill. A series of early boundaries from Craig saw the score pass 50 in the sixth over as he and Matty put on 90 for the first wicket before King bowled Wally for 56 from balls 40 balls that included six 4s and three 6s. Two further wickets in the space of seven balls from Louw accounted for Graeme and Umair and saw Stoneywood fight back to 128 for 3. Matty and Callum steadied the innings and just as the runs were starting to flow freely again, Callum was trapped LBW by Conradie. Scott made his intentions clear with an early boundary and after Matty became Conradie's second victim when on 67 from 95 balls, Scott and AB added a valuable 67 for the sixth wicket to take Forfs past 250 and saw Scott record his second national league half century in a 57-ball innings while Aman hit a run-a-ball 31. Forfarshire finished on a challenging 278 all out from the last ball of the innings.

Ali (41) and Coetzer (31) saw the visitors off to a useful start adding 71 for the first wicket and just kept Stoneywood in the game until the introduction of Quinno (2 for 24) saw both dismissed as the Forfs bowlers took hold of the game with just 24 runs being conceded in the middle ten overs. Umair wiped out the middle order with a spell of 5 for 38 from 12 overs that saw Forfarshire through to a comfortable victory. 

At Mannofield, two wickets each for Howie (2 for 13), Hogi (2 for 17) and Craig (2 for 30) combined to see the Mannofield bowled out for 92, with only openers Ugoda (20) and Nanthkumaran (13) reaching double figures. The Forthill response started poorly with three quick wickets falling but a sterling 43 not out from Rojo saw Forthill through to 80 for 5 when rain forced an early end to play - but with Forthill close to overcoming the first innings total, a 21-run Duckworth-Lewis victory was achieved.

Forthill 2nd XI’s visit to Kinross on Sunday was cancelled due to heavy overnight rain.
  
Graeme on the Road with Perth Honda and West End Motor Group

Forfarshire are delighted to welcome Graeme Beghin to the club as Overseas Player/Coach for the 2015 season and are grateful for the generous support of West End Motor Group who have once again supported the club's youth development efforts by providing Graeme with a Honda CR-V for use throughout the season.

West End Motor Group are Honda dealers in Broughty Ferry and Perth, find out more at www.westendmotorgroup.co.uk
Forthill Win Last Over Thriller, Forfarshire Lose at Mannofield

Game of the day was at Forthill on Saturday where Forthill chased down 254 against Gordonians with one ball remaining while Forfarshire lost an entertaining encounter with Aberdeenshire by three wickets. 

An unbeaten 126 from the Gordonian's Lewis along with 54 from Reddy saw the two combine to add 162 for the third wicket as the Forthill fielders struggled in the bitterly cold conditions. Hogi accounted for two of the three wickets to fall and was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 34 from 9 overs. Forthill started confidently and reached 70 for 1 in the 13th over when the second wicket fell. Howie (86) and Richard (62) then added 84 for the third wicket and just as Howie was looking set for an early season ton Rane beat his defences and was bowled. Hogi (36) picked up the run chase with Richard and the pair looked in little difficulty with 50 needed from the last 10 overs but Gordonians fought back to dismiss both the set batsmen to ensure a tense finale. Brief stays from Craig and Simmy kept Forthill in the game and brought the equation down to 10 needed from 6 balls with Quinno and Glenn at the crease. Quinno lofted a two over mid-on followed by a pressure boundary high to mid-wicket from the first two balls and with good support from Glenn the pair scampered the remaining 3 runs needed to see Forthill victorious with one ball to spare.  scorecard 

At an equally cold Mannofield, Aberdeenshire won the toss and asked Forfarshire to bat first. Craig played with aggressive intent from the start with home skipper Buchan bearing the brunt of an early onslaught that saw a slog sweep ricochet around the car park followed soon after by straight drives for six and four. Beghin showed similar intent after the loss of Matty with a ramp shot that found the fine leg boundary as Forfs raced along to 50 inside of 10 overs. The introduction of Van der Berg changed the game dramatically with Beghin offering a catch behind then bowling Leask with the next ball. Scott (27) and Craig continued to play freely and just as Forfs were recovering from the two quick losses at 102 for 3, the return of Buchan saw Scott offer a catch to keeper Reid. Craig fell for an entertaining 70 as Forfarshire headed for a disappointing 149 all out from 41 overs. 

Two excellent catches off Leask, one caught and bowled and the other by Beghin running in from the mid-wicket boundary, saw Forfarshire make an ideal start to the second innings. The good fielding continued when a fully outstreched Dale held onto a lofted drive as Aberdeen stuttered to 53 for 4. Nawalage and Reid repaired the damage and just as the game looked over, three quick wickets for Liam gave Forfarshire a chance as Aberdeenshire reached 107 for 7 from 36 overs - but Reid remained unbeaten and saw Aberdeen home without further loss.  scorecard   photo gallery

Forfarshire Dominate Opening CSL League Match


Forfarshire won their opening CSL Eastern Premiership match in dominant fashion with Craig hitting a sparkling 162 not out to set up a 162-run victory over Heriots FP at Goldenacre on Saturday. 

A century opening partnership between Craig and Matty set the tone for the innings before Matty (41 from 67 balls) offered a return catch to Hearn with the total on 115 in the 23rd over. Craig then unleashed an unbeaten 142-ball innings including twelve 4s and six 6s and Forfs looked favourites to record the first post-300 total of the season had it not been for spinner Watt conceding only ten runs from the last five overs of his spell. 

Heriots started their response with a flurry of boundaries, 27 coming from the first 4 overs before Scott found the edge to dismiss D.Ross. Scott was in the game again for the second wicket with a direct hit runout to remove MacLeod. The introduction of Liam brought two quick wickets and Heriots slumped to 93 for 6 before the halfway stage. Brief resistance came from Hearn and Weeraratna with 21 apiece but with Liam going on to take 4 for 27 ahead of Scott and Andy accounting for the tail, Heriots were dismissed for 162 in the 37th over.  scorecard


Forthill Lose to Rossie
Forthill lost their North East Championship match with Rossie Priory by 4 wickets after being dismissed for 137 in the 30th over, Tony top-scoring with 28 along with 27 from Glenn and Blair 16 not out. Winker struck early to dismiss the vistors overseas signing Saunders for a duck and followed that by trapping McAlpine LBW for 10. Two wickets in an over from Quinno left Rossie in difficulty at 90 for 5, but a solid 83 not from Mallik saw them home with four wickets to spare.  scorecard

Forfarshire Complete Warm-Ups with Two Wins

Forfarshire completed their preparations for next Saturday’s start to the CSL season with wins over Tayside & Fife Academy at Forthill on Saturday and against Arbroath at Lochlands on Sunday.

New signings Graeme Beghin and Richard Rennie top scored with 73 apiece on Saturday and along with 48 from Matty guided Forfarshire to 305 for 7 in 40 overs. Two early wickets for Craig (2 for 50) saw the Academy tumble to 11 for 2 before Dale (2 for 13) hit the stumps twice to make it 48 for 4. Three for 32 from Elliot along with two wickets each for Rory and Richard reduced the visitors to 128 all out.  scorecard

Rojo (22) and Craig (91) added a comfortable 60 for the first wicket against Arbroath when Rojo advanced against the spin of Ramsay and was stumped. Beghin (25) looked in good touch before misjudging a delivery from Ford that nipped back to remove off stump. A composed 36 from Callum along with a 17-ball 36 not out from Scott took Forfarshire to 247 for 7 after 45 overs. 

Brendan hit 103 from 106 balls before retiring after adding 138 with Willemse (72) so set up a close finish. The ball was passed to Jake and Hogi to share the last ten overs with Arbroath in the hunt for a win – and with each bowling tight final overs, the Forfs came out on top by 11 runs in a worthwhile run out for both teams.  scorecard

Winning Start for Forthill 3rd XI as James Takes Six
Forthill 3rd XI got their league season off to a great start with a comprehensive eight wicket win over Meigle at Forthill on Sunday. James Sim tore through the visitors batting line-up with career best figures of 6 for 12 from just five overs to see Forthill set 51 for victory which they achieved in the 14th over, Midge hitting 33.  scorecard & match report