Drumps back on track

Drumpellier notched their second league win of league win of the season after leaving it late to record a three-wicket win over Freuchie at Langloan.

It was Ian Warden who managed to hit the winning boundary with four balls left as the Langloan side gritted out an important win despite turning in an under par performance.

Drumpellier won the toss and elected to field first on a seaming wicket, but some loose bowling and poor fielding let Freuchie set a solid platform of 50 for 1 inside the first 20 overs.

However a tight spell of bowling by Dan Stevenson in the middle of the innings restricted the visitors to 97 for 6 as he recorded figures of 3 for 12 from his 10 overs.

Freuchie rallied to post a challenging total of 156, but it was more to do with some wayward bowling rather than good batting, which took them to the total, as the home side bowled 60 extras in a poor display with the ball.

Things didn’t get much better with the bat as Drumpellier lost both openers with the score on 5, then the big wickets of professional Pieter Stuurman and skipper Graeme McLaren to leave the home side reeling on 19 for 4.

The on-form Asad Mohammed and Stevenson took the total to 50 with some determined batting before the latter departed for 13.

Mohammed was joined at the crease by Gordon Shaw and the pair put on an excellent partnership to take Drumpellier to within the touching distance of victory before Shaw departed for 36.

A few overs later Mohammed was run out just two runs short of a deserved half-century but youngster Michael Anderson (14no) and Warden (18no) took Drumps over the line for a nail biting 10 points.

Skipper McLaren said “It is pleasing to get the points especially at home, but it was disappointing performance, credit has to go to the guys who gritted it out and got us over the line.”

“We have to improve against Stenhousemuir on Saturday, it is always a difficult place to go and get a result, but we will be looking to turn in an improved performance this week.”

Meanwhile Drumpellier second string suffered their first defeat of the season with a 117 run defeat at the hands of Scotindians.

The Indians scored an impressive 240 from their fifty overs with Josh Allison taking 6 for 58 and Andy Stewart 3 for 24, while in reply Drumpellier were 123 all out.

Sunday’s Scottish cup tie was washed out with only 15 overs being bowled and Drumpellier on 50 for 1, the match will now be played this Sunday at Langloan with a 1pm start with a quarter final tie away at Stenhousemuir the reward for the winner.

This Saturday Drumpellier take on Stenshousemuir while the second string travel to Motherwell to take on Home Park, both matches start at 1pm.

In other cup competitions Drumpellier take on West of Scotland in the West League Cup at Hamilton Crescent tonight (Wednesday), while in the National T20 competition the 1^st XI travel to Greenock after they current chamions over came Renfrew in their opening round game.