1st XI news and match reports

(Please note that no offence is intended to any third party in the undernoted match reports that are produced with the primary intention of [hopefully] entertaining club members)

Defeat in last league match of '10 [posted 28/08/10]

This report's going to be short.  Shorter than the season feels like it's been.  Shorter even than the list of available players on an average Saturday!  And certainly way shorter than the number of 'Locsters at practice last week!!  Let's hope as we look to "debrief" season 2010 on Tuesday at the Players Meeting, the turnout reflects a bit more interest.  Over to the boys.....  Back to today's final SNCL match - Drumpellier at home.  And for a while, in fact for much of the match, the result was in the balance.  Likely Drumps eked out a few more runs than maybe they should have; and the inability of the 'Loc batters to put one meaningful partnership together in the second dig probably caused the ultimately failed run-chase.  Chasing 179 to win, the boys were sitting at 139 for 7 with Matt and Flanners at the crease.  Matty was on 23, Flanners 27.  Then - arguably - the final nail.  Nichty run out.  Hmmm.  The argument as to whose fault, who should've gone, what might've been, continued well into the night - maybe just one of those things. 

178 had been posted thanks to 68 from Asad Mohammed, the visitors' top-scorer, a knock backed up by 42 from Keltie.  These two added 62 for the sixth wicket, the latter holing out to Pasty at long-on.  Talking of catches, the Drumps innings saw the equivalent of Halley's Comet - Bean grassing a catch!  Honest.  It happened.  Don't believe me?  The evidence m'laud:

Told you.  But the wee man's bowling wasn't affected: 10-1-26-2 reflects that.  And the bowling in general was pretty good.  Bil'y again showed his continued progress, his eight overs costing just 25, taking the wicket of Zed Mohammed into the bargain.  Zed had been second out as the visitors had slumped to 10 for 2 early on.  This before Asad's big innings.  As said the 'Loc's innings just didn't include a decent-enough individual knock, or partnership, to really swing the momentum their way.  They were never really out of it, but never really sat in the box seat.  The run out that sent Matt packing likely the final straw as we've said already.  Bar Matt and Flanners only Quartz and Bean got into double figures as Dani' secured the Webbed Feet Award for the 1s, holing out to Darren Pryde off Ian Warden's bowling after Pasty had been first out.  14 for 2 kinda matching Drumpellier's 10 for 2.  Pasty had been trapped leg-before early on, a mode of dismissal that would prove popular, claiming Bean, Carly and Maddy thereafter.  148 all out - and defeat by 30 - was the final scorebook story.  Pity.  Another game that was there to win.  And, maybe, with more experience a game that would have been won. 

So it's goodbye league season 2010.  And - as alluded to below - a season of progress where the club's youngsters have almost all seen improvement in their games, certainly improvements in their stat's.  But behind the stat's are attitude, work ethic, application, commitment, practice, etc, etc.  And this brings us back to Tuesday coming's Players Meeting.  Get along and let's hear your views.  As the website says on the Home page, it'll be Fraser's, Carl's and Tinus's last night with us too, and - for one - this reporter wants to hear their views too.

For once not papped!  [posted 21/08/10] 

This afternoon saw a heartening win for the 'Loc over old Western Union rivals Ayr at Shawholm in the penultimate weekend of SNCL cricket.  And it'll be the last time the two west district rivals clash in league action for a while as Ayr head for the expanded Premiership next season, whilst the 'Loc remain in the enlarged Championship!  254 for 5 was the credible total posted in the first half by the 'Loc as Carly resdiscovered form, and Quartz chipped in with a half century.  Carl nearly added to his SNCL ton list as he took his league run total past 700 runs [Ed: read that and weep Thomas!  Response on the Guestbook please!    ]  94 and out though was his final score, caught on the long-on boundary going for his second maximum in the final over to get to three figures.  But Quartz wasn't the only half-centurion on the scorecard in the first half - that old friend Extras made it past 50 comfortably too.  Many thanks to generosity of the visiting bowlers.  The innings also saw a couple of cameo 20-odds from Dani' and Matty.  254 for 5 as said - a decent total.  

In reply Ayr started as expected, i.e. McElnea out cheaply   and Papps,.....papping.  But when Mr Papps had reached 48 and was looking set for yet another big score, he mis-timed a mid-wicket pull off Carl straight to Quartz and departed the middle.  Phew!  But Ayr's success this season hasn't - we repeat has not - been a one-man show.  Veteran Dougie Johnstone has chipped in with 600+ runs too, and he added another 32 today.  Skipper Mark Renny also scored heavily, reaching 41 before Bil'y cleaned him up.  Then there were the cameos: courtesy of the mongrel "fifth bowler" in the 'Loc line up no fewer than three of the Ayr tail got into double figures.  "Overseas amateur" Fleming managed 22 - including a pulled 6 nonchantly despatched off Quartz's bowling, which he insisted had to get a mention - and Moon Man took to Dani's bowling, carting him around the paddock.  The combined stat's of the combination of diddies that collectively were the "fifth bowler" ended up as: 10-0-84-2 - McLaughlin and Johnstone must be mortified this evening!  But the expensiveness of these ten overs didn't really matter in the context of what'd gone before with Quartz, Bil'y, Carly, and James B all proving economical in their ten-over spells.  In the end Ayr finished 24 short, nine down.

So an encouraging win.  And one achieved just as the rain began to come on,.....and boy did it come on!  Next week it's the 2010 season closer, Drumpellier at home.  It'd be nice to finish with two home wins wouldn't it? 

1st XI SNCL and cup fixtures 2010

The 1st XI compete in the SNCL First Division as well as the Murgitroyd Rowan Cup, a Twenty20 knock-out competition, the Scottish Cup and West League Cup.

Senior practice

Senior coaching and net practice takes place, at Shawholm, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 6.30pm sharp.  Sessions involve net practice whenever possible but, even if underfoot conditions are not conducive to having "nets", fielding and catching practice is undertaken.

The club has a large grass practice square with two mobile net cages as well as an all-weather, concrete base net.

Indoor net sessions are also organised from time-to-time both pre-season and during the season (when weather conditions prevent any outdoor work).

Outdoor practice sessions start in April and run throughout the season - new members (of whatever standard) are always welcome.

Directions to Shawholm can be found on the Contact us section of the website.

2009 - a season in review

After the disappointment of 2008, and relegation from the SNCL Premier Division, it was hoped that 2009 would see a bit of a "bounce" in terms of on-the-field performance, as well as the continuation of the development of the club's youngsters.  And, we're pleased to say: mission accomplished!  When the dust had settled on the final day of SNCL action the 'Loc were sitting fifth in the First Division, with a record of seven wins and seven defeats from their fourteen league outings.  Strangely maybe, six of these wins saw "doubles" over three league rivals: Ferguslie, Stenhousemuir and Penicuik.  The other win being recorded against Stirling County up at New Williamfield.  So a 50:50 season.  And, thinking back, that was probably fair - whilst it could be argued the guys "got out of jail" in defending 67 against Feegie, it's also reasonable to say they could've been robbed up at Forthill when, batting first, they racked up 281 for 2 only for the rain to come and see that match abandoned.  Swings and roundabouts.

Looking at individual performances for a minute, standout seasons were had by Bean who took seventeen league wickets at 18, going at just 2.5 an over.  This in addition to scoring nearly 400 runs at 26.  And the veterans' contribution folder was bulging as season 2009 ended; Brian Spence showing there's life - as well as bark and bite - left in the old dog yet with 320-odd runs at 23, more often than not batting in the top three.  Invaluable contributions from the side's two elder statesmen.  Apart from these two the side again benefited from "Overseas Amateur" Jason Dombroski's performances with bat and ball.  Dombo scored 374 runs at 34 in the year with a maiden ton to boot.  And with the ball in his hand he grabbed 24 league wickets at 14, and proved economical into the bargain going at just 3.2 or so an over.  And talking of the bowling, and young bowlers, Bil'y Chaudhry opened the bowling pretty much throughout the season and his 90+ overs cost just 4-an-over as he took eight wickets.  Further progress from the young man.  Others to get through big numbers of overs on league duty were Nicky (49) and Professional Hancke von Rauenstein (104).

Talk of HoVR brings us to focus on Hancke's performance in what was his first year at Shawholm.  In a blistering start to the season, HoVR racked up three hundreds in the first six league matches!  Well batted sir.  And, whilst his scores tailed off in the second half of the campaign, taking over as skipper saw him carry greater responsibility for what went on on the pitch, this in addition to his Coach role.  He'd finish the season with 560 league runs at an average of 47, with his leg spin grabbing seventeen wickets at 28 with an economy rate of 4.7.

Hancke's role as Coach also saw him continue the management of the 'Loc's youngsters in the SNCL.  League debuts were made by another two youngsters in 2009: Scotty Millen and Craig Young, both making seven appearances as their development was managed with spells in the NVT Shawholm side.  Dani' Chaudhry, too, continued to appear in the SNCL, with - like Pasty and Scotty - runs in the 'Holmboys.

So progress we think.  Promise, definitely.  But still lots of work to be done and, arguably, the need to find a few more older heads to give the senior squad better balance.  Thanks to Dombo for two great years and good luck back in NZ.  We'll still have a Kiwi connection tho' with Toko becoming eligible to play in the SNCL in '10.

And as ever there were a few "funnies" to look back on.  Defending 67 against Feegie's one.  A few of 'Lexy's dismissals were others!  And what about the team that finished up the season?  In the eleven that played against Stoneywood-Dyce on August the 29th there were no fewer than five who'd kept wicket for the club.....this season,.....and this was without Im'y or Dan!  Strange.

So heres' to 2010 and, hopefully, more progress and less rain!