Largo 2 XI travelled to Edinburgh to play
Murrayfield DAFS 2 hoping to improve on last weeks losing debut in Division 4.
No sooner had skipper Seath won the toss and elected to field the rain began
to fall. The wet conditions did nothing to help the Largo opening bowlers
Seath and Bentley and made fielding difficult. Murrayfields openers were in
confident mood after good knocks the previous week and the aggressive Kidd set
about the Largo attack in a brutal manner. Chances were offered to Largo but
the combination of a wet ball and some lacklustre fielding meant they were squandered
as 52 runs were scored from the first 10 overs..
The introduction of the change bowlers Nairne and
Yousaf slowed things down and Yousaf eventually made the breakthrough with his
maiden league wicket, bowling the dangerous Kidd but Murrayfield had reached
76 for 1 in the 18th over. Largo had to wait until the 28th over before
Mathews had Watson caught by Cook in cover with the score on 99. Chances
continued to be offered by the batsmen but Largo seemed to squander every
opportunity given. Sayer picked up the wicket of Hubbard but Sutha was now
supporting his skipper Gray and 70 runs were added before Nairne started to
get the rewards his bowling had deserved with a flurry of 3 late wickets.
Murrayfield DAFS had amassed 208 for 7 wickets in
their allotted 50 overs with Kidd scoring 53 , skipper Gray 65 and Sutha
44, and Largo went to tea cursing the many catches they had spilled.
Largo in reply tried to fight fire with fire and
opened with pinch hitter Sayer alongside Braid. Sayer took on the opening
bowlers but unfortunately Braid was bowled with only 11 runs on the board.
Tocher joined the fray and had to watch as Sayer scored 23 runs from only 28
balls before being caught behind going for another big one. Mathews showed his
intent striking the first ball for 4 runs but was soon to perish for 13 when
trying to dispatch another ball to the boundary. Largo were now 46 for 3 from
14 overs. Nairne and Tocher pushed the score onto 61 before Nairne was well
caught at point. Cook answering a call to arms early in the season was trying
hard to push things on when he was caught for 7 runs. Yousaf and Seath both
came and went without troubling the scorers leaving Largo on 72 for 7 from 26
overs.
Young Bobby Rintoul joined the ever-present Tocher
and these two added 25 valuable runs before the patient Tocher was finally
bowled for 29 runs after batting for the same number of overs. Rintoul went on
to score an excellent 20 runs and it was left to Fleming and Bentley to try
and nurse as many runs from the remaining overs as possible. Fleming was
eventually run out for 5 runs leaving Bentley on 10 and Largos innings ended
on 137 runs from 42 of their allotted 50 overs.
Largo let themselves down in the field and must
learn to take the opportunities when they are offered. The fitness and age
spread of the team is being questioned by opposition in this new 50 over
format and new skipper Seath has plenty to consider after only 2 weeks of the
2006 season. The bowling was respectable in the face of some aggressive batting
with Nairne 3 for 40 and Mathews 2 for 33 the pick of the bowlers.
Largo must look to Saturday and the visit of
nearby Dunfermline 2 to try and kick start their season, Match Ball Sponsorship
was provided by Barclay Bros , Hauliers, Methil.