Accies 2nd XI 4th August 2018
After a triumphant 4th consecutive win against fellow relegation candidates Hawick & Wilton under Vice Captain Scott Logan, Haddington came unstuck against promotion chasing Accies at Newfield on Saturday. Whilst on paper there is no shame in the result, the sense of a missed opportunity hangs heavily over The Goats this week; results elsewhere fell favourably in every match, and they very much beat themselves.
Losing the toss, Accies elected to bowl first on their favourite home of the artificial wicket, keen to avenge Haddington’s only victory in the first half of the season. Things did not immediately go to plan for the home side as James Cardwell-Moore & Tom Dalrymple laid a strong platform of 60 without loss. However, Dalrymple fell on 40 to a thin top edge which the keeper fumbled and gathered dramatically on the third attempt. This began a generous slide against some less than threatening slow bowling - the middle order throwing their wickets away as 7 wickets fell for 25 runs. It was up to Jonny Mitchell, ever a man for a scrap, and James Shaw, having a breakthrough season in senior cricket, to put on 49 unbroken for the 8th and drag Haddington to 134. Mitchell drove sweetly at times off the front foot; Shaw punched & cut with Antipodean aplomb.
Sub-par on the absurdly short square boundaries, but a sniff for sure. Captain Sehgal never convinced, caught cover by Cruickshank off that man Dalrymple. Khan was even less certain in his 32 - playing & missing twenty times or more before being the first of a brace for the impressive Fergus Syme. Ash Kumar stuck to his lines in a miserly 8 overs, and Accies looked in some both at 89-4 before star man Yogi Khanchi finally found a higher gear and sent a few lust blows to midwicket to seal another half century & a six wicket win for his side.
This weekend, Haddington are at Fettes to face Grange 3rd XI in need of a positive result before penultimate games at Leith, then a possible relegation showdown with Fauldhouse at Neilson Park on the 25th.