A CAPITAL PERFORMANCE. Reporter - B. Bentley

to Inverleith park to play SMRH 2nds on a breezy day with the threat of rain to come meaning the game was reduced to 40 overs a side. Once again to buck the trend for the season captain Rintoul won the toss and decided to bowl.

Opening with Khan and Gillin this immediately looked a great decision as Khan got a wicket in the first over followed by 5 maidens with Largo well on top. The slow progress continued throughout the first part of the innings with Bentley and Anderson replacing the openers and it was the latter who broke a partnership of 32 with a great catch by Scott at short fine leg one handed removing Brown for 16. At the half way point due to some tight bowling and a slow outfield SMRH were only 48 and without their season top scorer Burgess they had a lot to do to post a competitive score.

Anderson continued on after the break and got another wicket of Armstrong LBW for 24 to finish with fine figures of 2-12 of 8 overs. This brought Pickmere to the crease and along with Speirs got the score moving a little attacking the Largo change bowlers but were unable to get on top as they would like and when Bentley returned to remove Pickmere for 16 SMRH were still only just over 100 with 7 overs to go. A rain delay as expected came and some slightly sloppy fielding meant that these last 7 overs resulted in 35 runs and a score of 135-4 off their 40 overs.

The usual opening pair of Rintoul and Warrander headed to the wicket and Rintoul began to attack from the start playing with freedom missing from the SMRH innings racing to 35 with some big drives before he was bowled by Pickmore off his first delivery. With the opposition sensing an opportunity Baddeley came to the wicket and opened his innings with a 6, showing that the run scoring was to continue. Warrander was then out for a hard worked 21 just before drinks but half way through Largo were 66-2 off 20 and looking good for a win. Khan playing in his usual attacking style scored a quick 20 including a huge 6 over mid wicket but in quick succession Khan and Baddeley (25) were removed to leave Anderson and Gillin at the crease requiring 32 off the last 10 overs.

A big over of 10 looked like to have secured the win before Gillin was bowled with 18 still required but Anderson as he has all year remained calm and was there to the end with Sneddon to secure another well deserved win for Largo. An all around team performance from Largo will give further confidence to the young Largo with bottom of the table West Lothian their next opponents on Saturday.