All’s Well That Ends. Well?
HCC vs St Boswells 19th June 2021
Haddington’s cricketers bounced back from defeat at Dunfermline with a hard earned win against St Boswells CC at Neilson Park on Saturday. This was, at first glance, a tidy 4 wicket win to maintain unbeaten home form. However, as ever with Borders opposition, no quarter was given and no effort left unspent in making this difficult. Master of coin Scott Logan won the currency flip yet again and kindly offered the visitors first use of a hard & dry deck, and set about unleashing the battery of quick bowling. Fergus Syme, in his breakout season with The Goats, found uncomfortable lift & carry from the very start. In his first over he violent assaulted the shoulder of Broom’s bat, only for the new ball to keep rising and draw only a parry from Logan at slip. Any cobwebs from Friday night’s Euro 2020 festivities were duly dismissed. Haddington & Syme did not have to wait long for reward, with an outrageous leg-cutter doing disturbance to the off bail, and an identikit ball first up to No.3 Graham being claimed gleefully by Pete Borrowman, who is growing in stature as regular wicket-keeper (figuratively, of course).
Whilst his colleagues looked all at sea against pace & carry, J Glover got the measure of conditions quickly and punched Blades confidently through the offside to keep the scoreboard ticking. Positive back foot play was a feature of his innings, paired with a solid forward defence and dutiful leave when required. However, wickets continued to fall at the other end, with Dylan Pearce offering a change of angle from round the wicket to burst through defences, and James Shaw bouncing out Laidlaw for 7.
Rob Macdonald’s introduction from the River Tyne End signalled what may have been an early end to proceedings, with the Boswells batsmen unable to score, and skipper Logan atoning with a couple of sharp grabs at slip. However, a life offered to Gav Deans - in his first game for over two years - at gully was chanced upon, as he stood fast and allowed Glover to pick up runs at the other end. As the partnership grew, Logan changed back to pace, and Blades was able to find the yorker which eluded him in his first spell, to clip leg stump and send Glover on his way for a terrific 54. The tenth wicket pair then edged and nudged their way to some bonus runs, Deans finishing on a hard working 24* to drag Boswells to 113-8 from their 40.
The rain, a spectator during the latter half of the first innings, provided a thrilling half-time show, and threatened to curtail the match. Fortunately the downpour passed, and credit to both teams for resuming play quickly. The conditions changed, with a slower and damper surface more suited to Boswells’ cutters & spin, and an outfield subdued slightly - though still offering value for shots. A promoted Dave Arbuthnott threatened briefly, but was caught at mid off, too early on a checked drive. James Cardwell-Moore joined Mr Cruickshank who looked in fine order once again, before the change to off spin brought about a loose drive, and Ash Kumar poked to first slip very next ball, to set the jitters about at 30-3. Borrowman, ever the man for a scrap, looked to dig runs out as a farrier attends to horse’s hooves, though his utility belt of clips and flicks brought about his downfall through a leg side strangle - his opposite number returning the favour with the big gloves.
Mr Graham’s day behind the stumps peaked there though, as he was later to shell a late chance to remove the impressive James Shaw, somewhat of a robber down at no.8, who joined the irrepressible James Cardwell-Moore (55*) in an unbroken stand of 60 to drag Haddington from 55-6 over the line. Cardwell-Moore, as ever, took his time and the runs on offer in negotiating a tricky pitch, whilst Logan & Blades came and went to loose strokes and good catches - Katherine White with a hand in both dismissals. Broom & Young were miserly with 4-26 from their 16 overs combined. JC-M accelerated at the right time however with booming strokes down the ground and over long-on, and both he and Shaw punished the returning Marshall when he dropped too short. With boundaries beginning to flow, wickets were St Boswells’ only hope, though midwicket shelled a simple grab before Shaw’s fortune to a deserving nut from Marshall. In the end HCC won with 3.4 overs to spare, though much credit for their ascension to third place in ESCA Division 3 goes to both of the Jameses. This Saturday, Haddington make their first ever league trip to Melrose CC.