Accidents, But No Emergency.

Haddington @ Melrose CC 26th June 2021 

Scott Logan’s men travelled to Scott country on Saturday, with a first ever competitive fixture between Haddington & Melrose Cricket Clubs. As drizzle hung north of the Lammermuirs & Pentlands, the Eildon peaks shielded the picturesque grounds of the Borders General Hospital from the worst of the weather. 

Home captain “Lofty” Loftus won the toss and guided Haddington’s opening batsmen into the misty gloom. Cruickshank was nicked off after battling through some tight and uncomfortable bowling from the skipper and big Tam Brown; the latter lurching in from the Hospital Car Park End rather like a recently discharged patient, only to deliver a heavy ball from a great height. James Shaw and Peter Borrowman refused a repeat prescription, and battled through to the change bowlers, with Shaw unlucky to pick out mid-on off Mason’s temptingly offered lozenges. This brought Hiley to the crease and though hampered by an undiagnosed ankle condition, he was immediately fluent with the lofted drives and crisp pull strokes that have plagued East League bowlers for many years. Borrowman, somewhat short of runs by his usual high standards, enjoyed the short of length bowling from the Melrose men. He cut & drove through the offside with a scything blade to set bards’ quivers racing. Indeed, Sir Walter himself may have found little to romanticise about 48-2 from 20 overs, but what followed was a rising of Jacobean proportions. Platform laid, and primary bowlers through their allocations, Rob “Roy” Hiley set about attempting to strike the ball to Abbotsford. Two or three strokes were hit as sweetly as vermouth, though a bitter dash was applied by a magnificent catch at midwicket to end the stay. Borrowman reached his 50 and continued to press the fielders hard on his way to a brilliant 66*, as Tim Blades and skipper Logan took full use of poetic license to smite quick ‘teens each, and drive the score up to 171 from 40 overs - scoring 123 from the second half of the innings.

In reply, the pitch appeared to have dried out and settled down a touch. Or rather, Blades & Syme did not make the most of the movement on offer, with a few too many full tosses. One such delivery from Fergus Syme flew through the defences of Owen and thundered into the stumps on the full, only to be rather questionably ruled a no ball with the batsman already on his way to the pavilion. Next ball was treated as a “free hit” (though no such law exists in the competition) and was despatched into the parking bays. After a ten minute delay where the fellowship of the ring (field) were unable to find the ball, a new one was taken, and Syme delighted his teammates with a brutal lifter which took edge, handle & glove on the way through to Jonny Mitchell’s welcoming grasp. Haddington had their first, and the introduction of Rob Macdonald’s left arm spin - smartly brought on first change - brought further reward. After some promising backfoot strokes, King flew out of his ground and was stumped by Mitchell - impressing on his return to the side. The younger Macpherson followed soon after chipping tamely to cover, before Wojcik was dumfounded by an arm ball to be adjudged LBW, despite bat being in close attendance to pad. After Mason was bowled leaving another well-disguised arm ball, Macpherson the elder succumbed in lobbing a simple catch to point also, as runs dried up completely. 

At 54-6, Melrose should have been sunk, and had Macdonald judged a swirling chance from Brown off the bowling of Shaw then it would have been curtains for under 100. As it was, Baird and Brown stood firm for the seventh wicket, and begun to attack. Tom Proctor couldn’t quite hold onto a tough caught & bowled chance having built some pressure. And even after Dylan Pearce claimed some revenge on Baird and bowled him - with bat flying to square leg in another attempted heave for a well made 26 - Loftus looked a threat from number 9, and Brown survived another chance from Cruickshank’s investigative offspin. The scorecard certainly looks lopsided, and given the quality of the stroke play, questions remain as to why 7, 8 & 9 were not higher up the order. With the margin of victory for Haddington 24 runs in the end, it was perhaps an opportunity missed to run the game closer by the home side. Reflecting after the match, HCC skipper Logan mused that with a day won with the bat in hand, and secured by Macdonald’s high quality spin, the side was coming together, much like his Saturday evening spring rolls. Jimmy Shaw observed that the side was yet to put in a complete performance, but third place was their’s heading into this weekend’s encounter with Marchmont 2nd XI at Neilson Park.