Nice Weather For Ducks

Daffy, Donald, Orville, Howard, Crispy Peking... I can't think of any more but there were seven of them at Methlick.

At a sunny Lairds, having lost the toss that they would have loved to have won, Portcullis were put in to bat.

The opening pair of Prentice and Bowie were dismissed for no runs both losing their wickets to good bowling. It was to set the scene for the day.

However, with Hasan and Collins in together it looked for a short while like the innings weren't going to collapse in classic Portcullisian style. Their partnership took Portcullis from 0-2 to 32-3 when Saj was caught on 19.

In an attempt to shore up the innings, but surely not up the score, Horrocks went in at a nose-bleeding number five to hold up an end and restore some stability.

It would be twelve overs and 23 runs before Mike, still on zero, was caught off his glove. Mashook, obviously uncomfortable in the strong Scottish sun, went LBW in the same over.

Smith came in next and played well in effort to support Ed until the 31st over when again two wickets fell. Ed was caught for a hard-fought 29 and Brown was clean bowled.

Unfortunately little else was to come, with as many wickets as runs in the next four overs. Howard was bowled for six while Adie and O'Donnell joined long list of zeros for the day, leaving Dobey without a partner on zero not out.

Methlick knocked off the runs in a mere 18 overs, with only Mash's last over bringing a wicket (bowled) but unfortunately the winning runs also.

Sunday, 16 July, 2006