Largo’s 1st XI after missing out last weekend due to a wet outfield in St Andrews made their debut in the SPCU leagues on Saturday in a home match against Falkland’s 2nd team. New 1st team captain Hughes Gillin tossed up for the first time since getting the position this year and after losing the toss Largo were asked to bat first against a youthful visiting side.

Largo opened with experienced opener Andy Warrander and new Largo recruit Philip and the pair soon showed there was no early season rust between them scoring easily at times moving the score to a near 50 stand before both went in quick succession Philip first bowled for 16 and Warrander the aggressor in the partnership caught for 31. The fall of these wickets brought Wilson and another debutant Cusick to the crease and from this point throughout the next 20 overs the pattern remained the same of players getting in and getting out with Matt Baddeley (19), Gillin (19) and Wilson (31) all making good contributions without kicking on so with Largo on 144/7, the game was finely balanced.

The depth of the home sides batting however would show in the latter overs with Nicky Rintoul in particular taking the attack to the visiting side and top scoring with 48. He along with Barclay and Ian Brown took Largo beyond the 200 mark and up to a final score of 216 all out in the last of the 45 overs, a score which especially early season the Largo side would be rightly pleased with.

In reply captain Gillin opened with himself and Rintoul and immediately they found success with Gillin taking the 2 early wickets of Paton and Ferguson while also keeping the scoring rate below 2 per over. This early pressure was backed upby Philip, whose first 4 overs for Largo only went for 2 runs before the game was secured for the home side via spells by Barclay (2/14) and especially Cusick who got 3 clean bowled wickets for just 5 runs to leave the visitors on 38/8. It was left to Sneddon to take the final wicket of Sullivan to dismiss Falkland for 51 in just 28.3 overs.

This was a very welcome win to start the season for Largo with a lot of good performances spread through the side to build upon for the weeks to come. The 1st XI will look to get a winning run going as they travel to Glenrothes next week.

Largo 1st XI 216 All Out (Rintoul 48, Cusick 3/5) defeated Falkland 2nd XI 51 All Out (Wood 3/34, 2/26) by 165 runs.