In the first Aberdeenshire Cup final of the new Millennium Artisans pulled off one of the great shocks of Aberdeenshire cricket when they defeated the overwhelming favourites Ellon Gordon in a tense match at Mannofield. Ellon finally got the chance for revenge on Saturday and proved it is a dish best served cold by hammering the Aberdeen team at a chilly and overcast Gordon Park. The result keeps Ellon at the top of Grade 1 and maintains their perfect start to the year.

Ellon won the toss and asked their newly returned Grade 1 visitors to bat first on a damp wicket. This turned out to be a crucial pint in the match as the peerless Scott White tore into the soft Artisans top order. No batsman had an answer to the pace and swing of the statuesque Zimbabwean who clean bowled Ritchie and Yadav before the score had reached double figures. In fact he picked up his third wicket, Thomson LBW, before the score had reached six and his fourth, Aslam bowled, before the score had reached thirteen. Ably abetting him was his opening bowling colleague Wade who, despite not claiming any wickets of his own, was bowling an immaculately controlled and intimidating spell from the River End.

However, this was the White Show and it seemed as if the magic “ten-fer” was on when, after a couple of overs respite for the visitors, Dickie and Sarna were removed by the housewives favourite. Unfortunately, from a record books sense, it was the introduction of another Southern African colleague that ended the dream, with “Namibian Express” Cobus Huisman, taking over from Wade, removing Forsyth and Robertson with two consecutive balls in his first over. This left Artisans on only 23 runs with the loss of eight wickets and huge mountain to climb just to gain to some sort of dignity.

Luckily Munro and Bhat gave them just that, bravely enduring an onslaught from the Ellon bowlers to help their team limp over the half century mark before top scorer Munro was caught in slip by Middleton off the Herculean Barrett. Bhat soon followed, also taken by Barrett and the visitors left the field having only notched a measly 54 runs.

A delicious Station Hotel tea was then taken.

The in form Ellon openers Huisman and Borstlap took to field knowing that they had a great chance to add to their burgeoning averages with a quick victory, but, as always, Ellon managed to inject a certain amount of drama into the proceedings by slumping to 13 for 2 off the first six overs. Husiman, bowled, and Borstlap, caught behind, being the men to go. However, this seemed to be the last of the excitement as bowling heroes White and Barrett smoothly moved the score onto 52 in the space of eight short overs. Artisans had other ideas though, and in a final valiant, but ultimately doomed, act of defiance they removed first White, then Barrett before the coup de grace was administered by Chris Watson. Ellon winning by a comfortable 6 wickets.

Ellon now sit proudly at the top of Grade 1 having seen off three teams in succession, and are being considered a real challenger for honours this season. However, they are now about to embark on a series of games against the four other strongest teams in Grade 1 in a row. If they can come through this somewhere near the top of the league, then they truly will be a force to be reckoned with.

This weeks game is against Stonehaven at the Gordon Park.