HCC vs Bass Rock CC, April 30th 2024, North Berwick.
Haddington Cricket Club kicked off their 2024 campaign against Bass Rock. Haddington fresh off a third placed finish in 2023 where a combination of circumstances (a bungled run chase in the Murrayfield mizzle, a questionable call off, and a set of tiny violins) prevented that elusive promotion. Their East Lothian opposition know nothing but promotion since joining the East Leagues. A sterner test in store this year, perhaps?
The sun starts rising before most of us awake, the temperature hits lofty hight of nine degrees Celsius, and most dry days are accompanied by a grey smudge in the sky where the sun might one day be. Yep, all the telltale signs of the start to yet another season of Scottish cricket. Your protagonists, once again, are Haddington Cricket Club. Fresh off a season of hopes to climb into division two, division three greeted us as a familiar friend with many known opponents, grounds, and familiar gripes to meet us throughout the season. Week one of the competition brings us an away trip to newly promoted Bass Rock, well known to the club through years of LMS fixtures, and a local derby to start the season. Conditions were clear, cool, with a breeze to cut through you and keep fielders’ hands cold to the new hot pink ball brought in to replace the familiar red of years gone by. Skipper Rob Macdonald started the season with a lost toss, and Haddington were put into bat on the sloped artificial.
Batting innings
Last season’s familiar opening pair of Alan Cruickshank and Scott Logan strode out to middle in the hopes of building a solid foundation for HCC to build the innings and hopes of the season on. These hopes were unfortunately short lived, with Logan toeing a simple catch to E Robertson at square leg on his third ball of the season. Tim Blades had a similarly fruitless day coming in at three, edging behind while in two minds about whether to cut the ball or leave well alone, while successfully doing neither and giving E Robertson his second wicket of the day. James Cardwell-Moore came to the crease at 8/2, an all too familiar situation. Haddington’s textbook left hander steadied the ship with Cruickshank, providing stability and loud calls on a blustery day. A partnership of 32 ensued before former national captain George Salmond found the edge, the ball found the keeper’s gloves, and Alan found himself marching back to the sheds before the umpire had even raised a hand from his side.
A new name for readers, players, and tea ladies (not currently accepting applications) is Nikhil Kadyan. The left hander impressed in the friendly fixture a week prior with four wickets and a batting innings of 29 to get Haddington over the line against Grange. That was merely a taster of what was yet to come. A 51-run partnership was built before Cardwell-Moore departed off the bowling of Salmond for a stabilising and very useful 39 composed of sensible batting and measured aggression to reach the boundary, deploying the sweep to good effect. Rob Hiley joined Kadyan at the crease and the score started to tick along at a quicker rate than most followers would believe. An admittedly rusty Hiley took his chances when allowed them, and Nikhil ticked off his maiden half century on debut for the club. Hiley followed suit with two sixes dispatched straight down the ground in his 35-run effort before being adjudged LBW from the bowling of A Learmonth. Another lefty strode out in the form of Dave Arbuthnott, often known for swashbuckling swipes, having a large chest and pipes, and known to love a post win takeaway. A brutal 28 with two sixes and two fours coupled with some seriously impressive shots from Nikhil, including a scoop and a rifled drive through cover, helped Haddington breeze past 200, a rare sight for the division three stalwarts. The skipper joined Nikhil at the crease for a tail enders dream, a red inker and the highly acclaimed “infinite average” to start the season. The much more impressive red inker was the 92* of Nikhil, an outstanding innings of patience, and stamina to get the Goats to 230/6 from their allotted 40 overs. An impressive total for a more traditionally bowling strong club. Time for a well-earned tea.
Bowling Innings
Michael Hagan and George Salmond were the leading run scorers for Bass Rock last season in division four, and both strode out to open and stake their claim to similar statistical success in this new season and division. Rob Macdonald aimed to claim leading division three wicket taker again, while Fergus Syme aimed to return to form and fitness after a lacklustre 2023 season. The fifth over of the innings yielded the first wicket for the Goats’ season, an inswinging yorker to left-handed Hagan rattling the stumps, and departing for just 10. The second wicket fell in the eighth over off the bowling of Macdonald, deserving of its own short section. Smith sent the ball high into the sky, swirling in the wind, seeming to hang forever as mid-off and mid-on converged beneath it. Neither called for the catch, yet a shout of “Ashy’s” could be heard. The ball, plummeting back to terra firma, having collected more Avios than Dave on his honeymoon, ably caught by Ash Kumar, and to some titillation for players and the tea ladies in attendance. Syme and Macdonald both bowled six overs straight, with Syme bowling no more after that point, finishing on 1-12 but frustrated that five of those runs had come from extras given away by overstepping and erratic bowling.
Hiley and Kadyan turn from batting partners to a bowling pair as they replace the openers. No wickets for either but economical bowling kept the pressure on the batting side having set a high target at nearly a run a ball. Arbuthnott had a brief stint with the ball to shake some cobwebs away, but the old reliable pairing of Kumar and Cruickshank ensured that Bass Rock’s middle order couldn’t quite accelerate as needed. The pace off approach bore fruit with Cruickshank taking 2-27 off 6 with one coming from an exceptional diving catch by Hiley, and Kumar with a tempting delivery to bowl Robertson giving him 1-34 off 5. The slower bowling approach carried on, forcing batters to swing for the fences if they wanted to stand a chance of chasing down a huge total. Even tempered batting and excellent stamina from George Salmond in his 84* saw Bass Rock to 179/6 off their 40, a great individual innings to keep the match going until the last. The result, a 51 run win for Haddington to start the season in the away leg of this season’s all East Lothian match up.
HCC Player of the Match
Nikhil Kadyan – 92*, 0-38 off 8 on his league debut.
Opposition POTM
Unquestionably George Salmond
Tea Lady Exit
Not long after drinks in the second innings, off to the sponsors’ lounge no doubt
Thanks to our sponsor for this week, The Tyneside Tavern, a club favourite and Tea Lady stronghold for many years prior and many more to come. A Warm Welcome Awaits.