Ists Overcome Availability Crisis

For the first time in long while, HX failed to get 3 Saturday teams out, and we also had to concede today's Presidents' Trophy match vs Westquarter.

An availability crisis of monumental proportions led to the core of the 2nd team moving up to the 1sts, leaving the 2nds with effectively the 3rds. Unsurprisingly they lost heavily to Grange 3rds after being bowled out for just 46 [not sure what Lord Admin will make of that].

At Kirkhill, the 1sts scrambled a win, making heavy weather of chasing 100, albeit in tricky batting conditions.

An odd game of cricket began with an unfamiliar '1st XI' taking the field -several players making their 1st or 2nd ever 1st team appearance.

The wicket was reasonable given that it was under covers for 2 days but  gave assistance to the bowlers. The humid conditions certainly helped the ball swing.

After a slightly loose start, Jules & Shannon got their act together. Assisted by some ambitious drives from the Penicuik, and some unexpectedly sharp slip catching, wickets fell at a steady rate.
Ross (2/29), in his first 1st XI bowling spell for the 1sts, bowled a dolly mixture of a spell, including some wild ones but also several jaffas, including a cracker to dismiss their well-set opener, Steel. Meanwhile CJE was boring the batsmen to death before Shannon returned to complete a fine five-for (10-3-13-5).
A 26 run 10th wicket partnership was a bit disappointing, though it allowed Dan to take his first Ist XI wicket.

A vibrant start led by Spickers was halted by a flurry of disappointing shots, leaving us 33-3 and the game in the balance.
Ross kept things with a very handy 25 and a typically positive Julius (18) spanked a massive six before holing out. When Dom was bowled we were 85-7 and teetering.

With the prospect of stand in skipper Dougie being forced to bat with a painful hand injury, Shannon and BAF helped us get  over the line. Hardly an ideal batting effort but -given the poor availability-any type of win can be celebrated.

Caption required

Please provide an appropriate caption for Broonster's photo of Smudger. Prize for the best contribution.

GT 2nd in TT

Allround sportsman Gary Trewartha had a fine run in the Division 2 event at the Edinburgh table tennis championships on Sunday...unfortunately in the final he met his match...

Pat's fielding mentor appalled by Lynch's dolly drop

Thrice Thrashed

1sts.
at Fettes
Grange 220ao
D. Phillip 103, R. Pollok 40, B. Parkinson 22.
A. Millington 4-44

Holy Cross 105ao
S. Pickering 27
B. Kaczynski 6/26

High class knock from Douglas Phillip took the game away from us after Grange had been 86/4 at drinks.
Excellent opening spells from Phillip and especially from young William Edwards (final figures of 7/4/4/2) set the tone for our rather spineless response. After that Kaz bowled well but not sure our 'shot selection' was the best.

2nds.
PVB reports:
'Div 5 SMRH2 about 220 - 5 with 50 for Pete Mitchell & good knocks from Steve and Dave. Holy Cross didn't roll over completely till they reached 79-4 (Nipun Mehta 49) and then lost their last 6 for 0, 5 more wkts for Charlie Butcher. A well deserved win for a sporting team'.

3rds
Morton 2 vs Holy Cross @ Meadows

Morton - 248/6 (S Vass - 81*, S Aron - 51, Raj Thangaraj - 38)
beat
Holy Cross - 98/10 (Teegarden - 3fer, A Farrell - 2fer)

Additional Midweek Fixture Announced

To take the place of the cancelled fixture vs Currie & Balerno ...

an additional fixture has been announced against these opponents on the Meadows in Mid-August.

Andy G has offered to captain the side.

Cross Crushed by Carlton, 2nds lose at soggy Arbo but 3's win (!!!)

Saturday Results Digest:

1sts
Carlton 2s 255 for 5 (B Lockie 106, R Bhopal 55*)
beat Holy Cross CC 87 all out (M Habib 4 for 11, J Walker 3 for 17)

An understrength 1st XI were well beaten by a strong Carlton side.

2nds:

Div 5 HX2 111 : Falkland 113-3

3rds

Division 8

At Campbell Park

Musselburgh 3rd IX 104-8 (all out)

lost to

Holy Cross 3rd XI 105-4

**just to set the results in some context:
of the 71 players we had registered at the start of the season, 47 were unavailable this weekend...

Huntly Memories

Some Crossers will have bad memories of taking on Huntly in the SCU Trophy of 2005...with 7 men (the full story of why we had 7 is too embarrassing to repeat here).

But at least we can now say that we were knocked about (seem to recall a ball being lost in the woods...) by a test cricketer: Azhar Ali, who was the Huntly Pro at the time and is batting at No. 3 for Pakistan at Lords.

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1794735/?UserKey=

Steadyish 1sts overcome hatrick but are the only winners

1st XI
Holy Cross 215/7
E. C. Smith 58, C. Ellis 54, K. Fraser 21, D. Russell 19*
Thomasen 3/43

Largo 183/ 5
C. Kinnear 66*, C. Barclay 20, A. Warrender 29.
S. Bonfield 2/20 (10 overs), C. Ellis 2/26 (off 10)

2nd XI
Stirling 3rds 297/4
G. Taylor 105, G. Gardner, Morton 31

Holy Cross 142ao
A. Quinn 49, T. Wright 20.

3rd XI
Murrayfield/Dafs 4ths 146 for 7
R Mehta 48, C. Richardson 25

Holy Cross 3rds 124
C. McGill 24, R. Ellis 17
E. McDonald 3 for 13; R Kneebone 2 for 15.