Cross Slip Out of Cow Corner

Last night Arboretum, which has produced buckets of runs all season, hosted a curiously low-scoring, but oddly close Cow Corner quarter-final.

Our innings never quite got going against some accurate Fauldhouse bowling (especially from the McDonald brothers) and a deep-set field, with Keith (28) the only batsman to put together much of a knock, and we were all out for 94 with a few balls to spare.

Fauldhouse set off quickly but were pegged back when Bainbro dismissed both Allan brothers in his opening spell. The Ali brothers then put together the biggest stand of the match before Tom Wright, on his full debut (standing at slip for 13 overs at Largo doesn't really count), lucked out as Zaheer spanked a full toss to backward square. Vikram (who was in the middle of an excellent, but luckless, spell at the other end) pouched the catch most casually. With Dougie chipping in with a tight spell and a couple of wickets (one from another fine catch by Ziggy), the opposition were getting just a little nervous and a run-out left them six down with a handful of runs and just two overs to go. James Burgess, coming on for the first time, bowled a tight penultimate over, but Fauldhouse scored the winning runs off the first ball of the 20th.

We had two neutral umpires who normally stand in the National League. As in the SCU Trophy quarter-final against Helensburgh, they were kind enough to say that it had been a pleasure to be involved in a game where people were playing because they enjoy cricket, where there was no bad feeling betwen the sides and where no decision was disputed.

By the way, if anyone's still wondering where Charlie's beard has gone, Vikram's got it.