Largo 1st XI travelled to Aberdeen on Saturday to face 2nd place Masterblasters looking for a 5th straight win and a repeat of the victory produced at home earlier in the season against the same opponent. Captain Hughes Gillin won the toss and decided to field first.

Rowley and Cusick opened as usual for Largo and Rowley again got an early wicket as Yalamanchili returned a catch when on just 2. The league top scorer Laghari however joined Narne and the pair set about attacking the Largo bowlers with both managing to find the boundary to release the pressure when built. Rowley though would eventually get his man as Narne found Ben Coates on the mid-wicket boundary to be dismissed for 27.

Laghari was joined by Tenneti and the pair moved the score along towards 100 as Laghari showed the skill he has with the bat thats brought such success this season. After drinks though Gillin brought himself in to the attack and immediately removed Laghari for 52 thanks to a good catch at point from Udayan. Barclay in his return to the side would then get the reward for a good spell as he got 3 wickets in his final overs to reduce the home side to 144/6. Reddy would come in and hit 3 sixes to push the home side towards what looked like a 200+ score but Bentley would come in to the attack and get 3 wickets which as well as one from Das meant the home side lost their final 4 wickets for just 3 runs and finished the innings of 171.

Hopeful of chasing the target despite the variable bounce in the pitch Warrender and Cusick opened for Largo but Cusick would fall early due to a sharply rising delivery catching his edge to be dismissed for 1, followed soon after by Udayan for a duck. Coates joined Warrender and the pair looked set as they looked to see off the opening bowlers but both would fall in quick succession bowled to leave Largo 39/4.

Rowley and Barclay would provide the fightback Largo needed however as they negated the spin of the Masterblaster’s side and moved the score towards 100 but their partnership would end in unfortunate circumstances at 53 as Barclay was run out for 39. Rowley would fall soon after for 19 but with Das and Gillin at the crease Largo still felt in the game. Unfortunately for the visitors however, miscommunication again cost them as Das was run out for just 4, Largo 117/7.

Gillin would set about trying to push towards the target as he moved to a run a ball 28. However, with Bentley returning a catch to Sharma for just 2, Gillin was running out of partners and his wicket followed by that of Eilidh MacLeod resulted in a 35-run defeat.

Largo will be sad to see their winning run end and will rue the run outs in particular in the chase which may well have cost them the chance of victory, however this was still a good performance though in defeat against an in-form side who have now themselves won 6 in a row. Largo will hope a return home will mean a return to winning ways next weekend as they welcome Rossie Priory to East Drive.