ESCA Week 13 match reports

It wouldn’t be a Saturday if it wasn’t a weekend of mixed fortunes for Boroughmuir’s 3 sides.

Let’s start this week with the Third XI, who were taking on Morton 4 at The Meadows. Captained by Tom Millar (astonishingly not on holiday) in the absence of Subham Biswas, the Thirds were put into the field by Morton. Andrew Bentley’s opening spell built pressure, while at the other end Tom pillar was going through the top of the order like a dose of salts, eventually picking up 4 wickets.

Requiring 132 to win (a decent target on the Meadows) Kashif got the boys off to a wonderful start with his second consecutive 50. Steady batting from Andrew Bentley, Martin Pickett and Graeme Coleman got them close, but in the end they fell short by 17 runs.

Over at Kirk Brae, the Firsts elected to bowl against a Kirk Brae side featuring three ’Muir alumni. Tom Ritchie was the pick of the bowlers with an excellent 4 for 42 as the 1s bowled out the hosts for 183.

In response, Kaling Singh and Jawad Ahmed started steadily before we found ourselves 25/2. In came Nithish Saravanan who proceeded, ably supported by Gajander Singh managed to get the 1s to within touching distance. Nitesh’s unbeaten 87 (with 9 4s and two 6s) mean that they started the last over needing 7 to win, and it’s fair to say that it was an absolute sickener that they lost by 1 run, on the penultimate ball.

So that left it to the Second XI to salvage the weekend as they took on Edinburgh Accies 3 at Meggetland. Given the Seconds’ season, it’s not a game you’d have put your mortgage on, but the boys pulled it out of the bag. This was mainly down to a superb bowling performance from Ashish Parlani, whose 5 for 24 sealed the deal (ably supported by Infant’s 3 for 29), bowling out the visitors for 151 in response to ’Muir’s 174. A 23 run win against a decent Accies side was the least the boys deserved.