1stXI beat Craigclowan

Cargilfield 1stXI 181-5 (20 overs) J Walker 50 rtd, E Balfour 35 rtd, M Wright 30 rtd

Craigclowan 39 all out   M Lynch 3-2-1-5

Won by 142 runs

We have been blessed with some fantastic weather this season, with no matches lost to the usually unreliable Scottish weather, and it was lovely to finish what has been another very successful cricket season with a trip up to Perth to play Craigclowan. After an unbelievably busy first half of term with cricket every weekend and matches every Wednesday, this was the only proper 1stXI game since half term due to CE exams and Leavers’ camp, so the team were keen to end things on a high and to give our Form 8 leavers a real send off.

Thankfully, Edward won the toss which meant we were able to bat, thank goodness. It was lovely to have Emily and Olivia playing today, two girls who have been part of a successful Girls’ XI this term, and both have showed lots of promise with both the bat and ball. Edward and Emily opened, and Craigclowan did have a good opening bowler who bowled fast and straight on their artificial wicket, and Emily succumbed to a straight one. That brought in Jamie, and together with the Captain, they batted very well together, pushing the ball in to space for the singles and Jamie in particular was quick to pick up on anything short or full, hitting the ball very hard through the ‘V’.

Together, they put on 90 in 10 overs, running really hard between the wickets on what was a warm and sultry day. Jamie retired after reaching his 50 off 32 balls, and this brought Monty to the crease who proceeded to time the ball superbly and the ball flew off his bat to all corners of the ground as he scored an unbeaten 30 off just 13 balls. He has to be one of the most improved cricketers of the season, and he has worked really hard at his batting and although he prefers swatting the ball through the legside, he hit a couple of lovely cover drives right out of the middle which shows just how far he has come as a cricketer – well batted, sir! Edward continued to pick up ones and twos until he too was retired having scored 35 off 42 balls – an excellent opener’s knock! We lost a couple of wickets towards the end but Jamie M hit a few boundaries to get us up to 181 for 5 in our 20 overs which would take some chasing!

Miguel opened the bowling and he has developed in to a talented bowler over the course of the season, bowling under pressure crucial overs in tournaments, taking key wickets and today it all came together. In his 3 over spell, he took the first ‘5fer’ of the season, conceding just one run in his 18 balls which was an incredible effort. At one stage, Craigclowan were 4 for 5 and struggling to get in to double figures – he bowled straight and three of his victims were bowled, one was a great catch behind the stumps from debutant Timo (who kept extremely well) and Arlo took a straightforward catch in the covers. By the time he’d finished his spell, the game was done! Emily and Olivia both bowled two overs each and both picked up a wicket which was great to see: again, the importance of bowling straight was key, and Leo picked up one too which he was very pleased about after his batting. That meant Edward and Jamie came on right at the end to administer the last rites, and both took a wicket a piece as we bowled Craigclowan out for just 39.  A comprehensive win.

Cricket can often be dominated by individuals, particularly at this age, but once again this was a real team effort, with everyone getting to bat and we used 8 bowlers. This has been the case all season, and it has been wonderful to see everyone stepping up to the mark when it has been their turn to contribute, and the enthusiasm for this great summer game amongst all the players has been fabulous to see. We started the season back at the end of August, when our winter programme kicked in, and after 25 Thursday evening net sessions, we were all excited to get outside and to play matches to put all our skills in to practice out in the middle. Hard work rarely goes unrewarded, and to see how these boys turned round disappointment at the Merchiston 8s earlier in the term, to come back and win the Glenalmond 6s and not lose a regular game of cricket all term says a lot about them as a group and the way they have trained in the outdoor nets during games sessions and on Thursday evenings.  Practise, practise, practise and you will get better!

To those leaving and heading off to senior school, thank you for all that you have contributed to cricket here at Cargilfield over the years, but particularly for your leadership this season,, and I wish you well and every success with your cricket in the future. To those returning, we go again at the end of August, and it wont be long before the 2026 cricket season arrives and it promises to be another very exciting one!

One final word to all the parents who have supported the boys in the sunshine and in the cold – thank you for all your support during what has been a wonderful summer of cricket!

DSW