Grammar Vs Ellon
Saturday 12th May

Report by Ean Mackie

Catches win matches or so they say. Well if one or both of the chances, missed at vital stages, had been taken last Saturday 2nd Ellon may have pulled off a win over 2nd Grammar FP'S at Rubislaw in their Thistle Sports Grade 4 encounter.

At rather a wet Rubislaw Ellon on winning the toss rather bizarrly decided to bat first especially when the artifical was still wet and the outfield rather damp.

Adams and Owen opened for Ellon against some wayward bowling and put together an opening stand of 24 before Owen was caught at slip. This was followed by the fall of a further three wickets for the addition of only 1 run.Meikle on joining Mackie at the wicket helped start the revival but it was really the partnership between Mackie and Proctor that enabled Ellon to progress to the total they did with a partnership of 63. Proctor top scoring with a very valuable knock of 22.

Their good work was carried on by skipper for the day Bhatti who was not out 20 at the close of the innings.The innings closed at 146 all out but would have been so much less if it had not been for the fact FP's bowled no fewer than 38 wides some of which were converted into two's and even three's and by the end of the innings the extras totalled a staggering 74 runs.

Pick of the batting was obviously young Tom Proctor , who batted very sensibly, before he fell to a good catch by square leg. He was backed up by Mackie especially on the run stealing side contributing to the massive extras then skipper Bhatti weighed in with 3 /4's towards the end of the innings.

Ellon's opening bowling attack was spearheaded by Owen, who had been in good form in the previous two games, while at the other end Bhatti gave his support and it was he who was the less expensive of the two although Owen claimed the first two wickets when he had Williams lbw then Davidson caught behind.

With a somewhat inexperienced bowling attack Bhatti was forced to turn to the Juniors, who are restricted in the number of overs they can bowl at any one time and in a match, for back up.This unfortunately played into the hands of the experienced Fryer and Sieve who dealt severly with anything on the leg side. The fact the outfield field had dried out didn't help either.

Sieve , however, did sky a chance off Proctor when the score was 81 but it was completely missed by Mackie then Fryer was dropped at slip again by Mackie when the score was 108. I f either of these chances had been taken the outcome may have been so different because once Sieve was out caught behind off Bhatti a further three wickets fell in quick succession before the winning runs were scored by Fryer who was 54 not out at the end.

Most successful Ellon bowler was Bhatti and although none of the Juniors bowlers used succeeded in capturing a wicket the experience will hopefully stand them in good stead for the future.. .