Largo clinch Promotion

 Largo 1^st XI obtained promotion for the second successive season at a largely one sided affair away to Stirling County.

In a game sponsored by Balfours Electrical Engineers, St Monans, Captain Mowat won the toss and had no hesitation in asking the home side to bat first on a wicket which was soft and would prove to be unpredictable:-  Bouncy with one delivery and keeping low with the next.

 Rodden and Barclay started the bowling enthusiastically for the Largo team, cheered on by their small band of supporters. The bowling was tight and hostile and the pitch was giving assistance to the Largo men with the Stirling players taking several blows to the body. The first wicket fell after 5 overs when Rodden clean bowled the veteran MacGowan. This was the prompt for the Stirling wickets to fall regularly as only Gillies with 39 and Hanif 21 reached double figures. The Williamsfield side finished their  innings at 80 all out after 43 overs. Captain Mowat  used 6 bowlers in total, attempting to get the right balance on a difficult track. All the bowlers used returned decent figures with Barclay 3 for 12 and Rodden 4 for 20 the highlights in the Largo fielding. In claiming his 4 wickets Rodden has become the top wicket taker in Division 3. Special mention should go to Nick Robinson for a truly magnificent one handed diving catch as the ball flew over his head.

 Walker and Duncan strode out with some trepidation  to the middle after watching all the happenings of the Stirling innings. The start was predictably slow as the ball still would move, seam and bouncy erratically. “vonzipper” Duncan was first to go, falling to a sharp caught and bowled chance with the score on 8. Captain Mowat joined opener Walker and these two scored patiently until Walker became another victim of the pitch when he was bowled with the score on 16. Captain Bob had scuttled onto 14 when he showed his character and  “walked” to a caught behind chance that neither umpire had heard. Largo were shaking on 31 for 3 and the Stirling team sensed an improbable victory.  Gregg Rodden and David Cook removed all doubt on who would take the 25 points as both the Largo men played sensibly  to steer the East Neuk team home. Cook finished on 18 not out while Rodden was undefeated on  32.

 This is an outstanding achievement for the Largo Team and with the 2nds also gaining promotion and the Small Clubs Cup in the locker, there has been much cause for celebration.