ESCA Week 15 match reports
Could this be the week? The week where, finally, after 15 long weeks of trying, Boroughmuir’s 3 sides brought 60 points back to Meggetland?
The Firsts took on Marchmont 2 at Cavalry Park, with the possibility of promotion still there. Winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Firsts kept Marchmont to 142 for 8, with the wickets being shared around. Skipper Sharez Khan might have been the pick of the bunch, with a Scrooge-like 1 for 9 off his 6 overs, though Tom Ritchie’s 2 for 16 off 8 was up there as well.
Lawrence Dingre, as usual, starred with the bat—his 52 off 32 only being cut short with a run-out. Sharez Khan and Nithishraj Saravanan got the boys home for a 7 wicket win which kept them well in the hunt for promotion.
The Seconds have had a rougher season of it and, being rooted firmly to the bottom of the table, are probably playing for pride. But stranger things have happened. Could a win over Tranent and Preston Village at Meggetland throw them a lifeline? Skipper Colin Siller won the toss and elected to bowl. Throwing the ball to openers Hassan Durrani and Ashish Parlani, there wasn’t a quick breakthrough, but wickets eventually came steadily. And when the ball was eventually chucked to Infant Joy Wilfred, he produced the pick of the figures taking 3 for 23 off 7.
Chasing a decent 171 to win, Colin Siller threw caution to the wind, opened with Zafar Iqbal, and was rewarded with an excellent 47 off 70. However the pick of the batting was undoubtedly Ashish Parlani with an unbeaten 65, but it’s fair to say that everyone chucked runs into the pot in what ended up being a 4 wicket victory.
That left the Thirds, playing at a sunny Boghall against Linlithgow 2. Putting in the hosts, ’Muir had them two-down quickly, courtesy of a smart run out off the second ball by Kashif Naveed, and a take down the leg-side by veteran keeper Paul Hutton. Linlithgow’s middle order steadied the ship, eventually reaching 150. Skipper Subham Biswas was the pick of the bowling, taking 3 for 24 off his 8 overs.
In response, Joe Pilny was out early—an LBW call that probably wouldn’t have survived a review. Veterans Ed Hutchinson and Irfan Mohammad built steadily, an excellent 23 from Kashif Naveed got the Thirds to the threshold of a victory. And then a collapse of epic proportions unfolded. Two comical run-outs, and two ducks, saw victory slip from ’Muir’s grasp.
The search for the 60 point weekend continues.