Come back CA ... All is forgiven...

Parks Trophy QF.

Holy Cross 134-4
S. Pickering 45 (44), C. Ellis 38* (30).

Edinburgh South 123-9
S. Yamjaman 53 (42), A. Pirani 25 (18)
Worsnop 4/0/20/1
Bonfield 4/0/24/1
D. Russell 4/0/20/3
R. Bainbridge 4/0/34/0
P. Lynch 4/0/21/1

"I can see why we've not won this for years"
(R. Bainbridge, 8.37pm, Wednesday June 29th 2011, home changing room (South West corner), Arboretum Sports Ground, Edinburgh).

Here Bimbo succinctly sums up a thoroughly mediocre performance by a (on paper) strong HX 1st team. Probably 20 runs light with the bat, even on a slightly dead track - not enough boundaries smacked. Then a mixture of good batting by the classy Pirani and the hard hitting Yamjaman (with a super-charged piece of willow) and some truly dire f***ing awful HX fielding meant that at 76-3 off 12, ESouth looked like favourites. Dougie bowled the key spell and we took enough wickets (Nozzer taking an important boundary catch to dismiss Pirani) to slow their momentum....just enough. Anyway we won and are through to the semi. But let's not let our STANDARDS slip so far again ... even if CA is absent.

Bimbo blast seals victory for BFLs, while 2s and 3 compete but lose.

Saturday Results Digest.

1sts

Edinburgh 2 80ao (Obeid 40, Bainbridge 5/27, P. Kumar 3/14) lost to Holy Cross 81-1 (S. Pickering 31*, N. Metha 21).

Getting Mazhar (700+ runs this season) for 0 was key (top delivery from Bimbo: top catch from Spick). After that, good spells from Bimbo and Praveen pressurised an understrength Edinburgh batting line-up into some 'ambitious' shots. A useful partnership (assisted by a few fielding lapses) between nos 9 & 10 showed that the pitch was perfectly playable before Milly ended it with one of his signature submarine balls. New boy Pat ended the innings with his third ball - a useful delivery that hit the top of off.

Runs efficiently knocked off (against some decent bowling, with the pitch doing some odd things) by Nipun, Spickers and cje.

Surprisingly early finish meant we could enjoy the Bates and Bailey show at Arbo and the BBQ (cheers to Bainbro, Mandy and Michael for their organisational efforts).

2nds

Carlton 3s 262 for 7 (C Paterson 126, Z Yusaf 42*) beat Holy Cross 2s 196 for 7 (P Bailey 64, J Bates 56, F Allardice 2 for 18, R Metcalfe 2 for 26)
Scorecard here

3rds

Carlton 4s 166 for 9 (G Newman 45, H Aslam 20, A Rive 20) beat Holy Cross 3s 132 all out (M Nevin 30+, B Irvine 3 for 12, H Aslam 2 for 33)
Report and scorecard here.

EC"s efforts in Vain as Firsts Fail in last ball Finish

Div 1, Newfield

Edinburgh Accies 253-6
M. Raso 76, S, Cosh 53, N. Murden 49,

Holy Cross 252-7
E. Smith 82, S. Pickering 48 (off 33 balls), C. Ellis 39, D. Russell 26

Needing 9 to win of the last over, HX could only manage 7. The last ball (with two required for the tie) being hit firmly straight at midwicket..one yard either side.... but anyway a fine game of cricket.

Div 8:
Holy Cross 3rd XI just beat Largo 4ths by 2 wickets chasing about 104 in another close finish.

remember:
Friendly game/ World Cup drinking session at Arbo today-1pm start. A couple of players required.

Breaking News....Missing Edinburgh Man 'safe and well'

An international manhunt involving various border authorities has ended with the man reunited with his wife - on holiday on the island of Bermeja. Her early morning call had sparked a wave of panic amongst Crossers (who was going to roll the wicket?) and the UK Treasury (who else would maintain UK sales of cigarettes and whisky?).

The man had last been seen - in the vicinity of Newfield - accepting a lift from a suspicious owner of a white van. Though supposedly en route to the Old Bell public house (Causewayside), he had not been seen since. His whereabouts during the 'missing hours' remain a mystery. This hasn't prevented an orgy of speculation, such as this from a 'RB': 'had he gone out s*****ng with S*****rs?'.

1sts back on track with win against Largo

Holy Cross sought to arrest a run of recent loses by entertaining Largo on Saturday, on what Charlie had a earlier declared a good track to bat on. EC duly won the toss and opted for a knock.

We started well with Chuckie and Spickers hitting regular boundaries assisted by a few extras. Going against KF's pre match prediction of three, Si was only dropped twice this week but didn't quite capitalise as he has done previously this season and was eventually caught, bringing the skipper to the crease. To their credit Largo's youngsters came on, tightened up the bowling and proved difficult to get away. Charles fell next after scoring a 54 of classy shots, bringing KF to the fore in about the 35th over, (no book I'm afraid) too late to break club records but he added a good 21 followed up by a quick 19* from Dougster. When the skip fell for a gritty, nuggety, determined 58 the late flourish failed to appear thanks in no large part to a hat trick from Thomason. A change of ends worked wonders for the Largo OA producing three good deliveries to remove EC, Bonfield and Bainbridge. After our quick start certain commentators thought 215 might have been a touch light but the skipper's view that the pitch was a bit tricky and that 215 should be fine proved to be true.

Shanton and Charlie were the pick of the bowlers with Bonfield producing some superb deliveries and Chuckster on the spot for 10 overs. Both were rewarded with 2 wickets. The match was finely poised for quite some time but the required run rate gradually increased and when Spickering removed Thomason with a quickfire stumping things appeared to be going our way. Kinnear batted through with a good 66* and despite a good few catches going down ourselves Largo wickets fell and tight bowling from Dougie, Andy K, The Doctor and occasionally from Bainbridge left the Fifers needing 8 - 10 an over from the last 10 overs. It wasn't to be and we ran out victors.

I haven't got the figures but between the wides and no balls there must have been a huge amount of extras in the game. Credit to Largo for a good game played in the right spirit and some tight bowling from their youngsters (a couple of 16/17 year olds). It's always enjoyable to play against them and I'm sure we look forward to our visit to the Kingdom later in season.

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.