Dunfermline Car-nearly

In the opening fixture of the season, Carnegie had beaten us handily at Arbo. This time things were a lot tighter, but sadly we again ended up on the wrong end of the result.

On a blazing day, Smudge won the toss and elected to bowl first on a pitch that proved slow and bouncy and on which few batsmen found it easy to score. We started well with Ziggy taking two nicely judged catches at mid-off as Daughtery and Callen looked to hit over the top. Gerry (9-4-12-1), Dom (8.4-1-23-3) and Abdul (9-0-27-2), returning from exile in the 3s, bowled fine spells and it was particularly good to see late wickets in Dom's second spell giving him the sort of figures he's deserved most of the season. Of the batsmen, only Honeyford seemed fully at ease, scoring a composed 57no to add to 45no in the Arbo game. It's unlikely anyone knows the Pitreavie wicket as well as Martin.

Carnegie were all out for 154 which they felt was 20-30 light, but it probably should have been a fair few less. Towards the end as the batsmen tried to steal runs we missed four fairly straightforward run-outs in as many overs, until Lafferty was finally run out when JB, who'd bowled an expensive spell earlier on, dropped him at mid on (sorry, Smudge) and then, lying on the floor, threw the stumps down more or less accidentally.

The Cross reply was built around good innings from Ziggy (45) and Ross (35). Ziggy was in fine form, particularly after being "caught" off his hip and enjoying some banter with the fielding side. Once he was out, trying to hit another bowler out of the attack, Dom joined Ross and with the hundred up and only four wickets down, we looked well placed.

But then suddenly two of the Carnegie players sprinted off the field to intercept some local youths who were heading into the changing rooms. Brave youths - Carnegie must be one of the most physically imposing sides in the East League. A long "discussion" followed before play resumed, but only one more ball was bowled before a smaller group came onto the pitch. Eventually they decided that the neighbouring golf course was a better bet and they and their pals bothered the golfers for the rest of the evening.

Ross, cooling down during the interval, almost immediately tweaked his hamstring. He was denied a runner (was Irfan really a wise choice?) in the mistaken belief that the international ban extends to club cricket, and eventually retired hurt. Andy Q, back from Tennessee, added valuable runs with Dom but wickets were falling and when Ross returned we needed 20 to win with just four in hand. Ordinarily we'd have been favourites but with anything other than a single or a boundary now almost impossible, progress, so rapid earlier on, was glacial and Sharukh Ali and Gavin Ross giving little away. With two wickets remaining, four runs required and four overs to go, Nelly returned to the attack and took the last two wickets.

A disappointing end to a good, tight game which showed some of the progress we've made this year. Thanks to Keith and the Geddes boys for their support, to Nelly for his diplomacy and physio skills and to James Honeyman for helping us with the scorebooks. Good luck to Carnegie for the rest of the season.