Collapse of Stout Party - 2nds Crash to Defeat as Duddingston Men Duff up Arbo Duds. Sightscreen Follows.

Before the game .....

Saturday saw Marchmont 2nds visit Arbo. For Crossers of my generation, Marchmont are our oldest cricketing friends and rivals. The links between the two clubs are strong from Sardesais and Chettys to Stevie Mathers and Fraser Buchanan (now a Crosser for the second time, but still the holder of the record for Marchmont's highest ever individual score). Friendships formed over decades of sporting rivalry were most poignantly illustrated by the large Cross turnout ten years ago at the funeral of Roger Sardesai, Marchmont's founding father and among the nicest and best men any of us will ever meet.

But many more games like this one and I could go off them rapidly. Don't get me wrong - Marchmont are just as sporting and nice as ever. How could a team with Navan Chetty in it be anything else? But fresh from successive promotions their well-balanced unit handed us a proper cuffing.

With the run-ups muddy from overnight and early morning rain we delayed the start by half an hour and reduced the game to 40 overs a side. Even after the extra drying time, it was a good toss to win and we lost it. Ken and Dom showed admirable restraint early on against the accuracy of Clayton (6-2-7-1) and Marr (6-3-5-0) - so much so in fact that it wasn't until a flurry of runs in the eleventh over that the run rate touched one an over.

Sadly that over also brought the first wicket and, soon after, Manzoor's left arm spin mystified us into a middle order collapse as he took 4 for 18 from his full 8 overs. Dom dug in for 17, Dan played some lovely shots for his 12 and at 40 for 4 there was still some hope, but the second change pair of Sheikh (4.4-1-11-2) and Granger (3-3-0-2) quickly mopped up the tail. All out for 57 with the final wicket a suicidal run-out, following a practice attempt the ball before.

Our first boundary had come off the 150th ball of the innings. Marchmont's came off the first of theirs. 115 balls later it was all over with just two wickets down - both falling lbw to Gerry (8-2-15-2).

..... and afterwards - shocked bystander collapses.