Largo 1sts make it 2 from 2 as they win against Glenrothes

Fresh off an opening win last week Largo’s 1st XI travelled to face old foes Glenrothes on Saturday for the first time in a few years and the first time in the SPCU. Captain Hughes Gillin like in the opening game lost the toss and Largo were asked to bowl first on what looked a good wicket with encouragement for both batters and bowler in perfect sunny weather conditions.

Largo opened with Hughes and Philip who both found their line and length immediately and bowled as tight an opening spell as you would be likely to see all season, restricting the home side to just 1 run off the first 5 overs before Gillin got an LBW decision to remove Burton for 1. When Gillin took himself off in the 14th over the score had moved to just 17 with countless play and misses from the Glenrothes side just never resulting in the edge the visitors were looking for.

The change in bowling to Barclay and Matt Baddeley did result in a change in the momentum of the game however with an early wicket for Barclay stumped by Warrander bringing in last weeks centurion for Glenrothes Mudie. From 38/2 after 20 overs Mudie along with Apparaju soon started to find the short boundaries with regularity punishing anything short of a length through the leg side especially. By the time Harney playing his first game of the season managed to break the partnership bowling Apparke just short of his fifty on 46, Glens had moved to 103 and looked like building a very competitive total despite the slow start.

The rest of the innings then became a battle between the Largo bowlers and Mudie with Cusick taking 3 wickets again including very narrowly missing out on a hat-trick and Bentley managing to tie down the batters at the other end as Mudie continued his good early season form at the other. A final flurry of boundaries would see Mudie to a deserved 100 in the final over and Glenrothes to 183/7 off their 45 overs a total that seemed unlikely after the slow first half of the innings.

In reply Largo opened with Warrander and Philip who from the start showed it was going to be hard for the home sides bowlers going along at a run a ball with ease through the first 10 overs with Philip in particular showing what a great addition he has been to the Largo side this season with both bat and ball timing the ball perfectly when given anything off line to attack.

After looking in full control it was Philip who surprisingly went first missing a big inswinger from Apparaju to be bowled for 42 with the score on 79, shortly followed by Cusick 2 balls later to the same bowler for a duck, caught behind. Largo would continue to score at a fast rate with Matt Baddeley coming in at number 4, however when Warrander was removed for 41 this left the visiting side on identically as in the first innings of the match 105/3 and Glenrothes back in the game.

Similarly to last week however it was Largo’s greater strength in batting that won the day with Gillin (41 Not Out) joining Baddeley at the crease and producing a great counter attack to finish the game in quick time with Barclay finishing the game with a 6 just after Baddeley had been dismissed trying to do the same for 44, Largo winning by 6 wickets with 15 overs left.

This was another solid performance for Largo with again the team element rather than any individual contributing strongly towards the win, with strength in batting especially pleasing for the Largo side with this often being the sides Achilles heel in recent seasons. Largo next week return to East Drive to face fellow table toppers Breadalbane in a good test of this sides potential for the season ahead.

Largo 185/4 (M Baddeley 44, Philip 42, Warrander 41, H Gillin 41*, Cusick 3-27) beat Glenrothes 183/7 (Mudie 105*, Apparaju 46, Apparaju 2/21) by 6 wickets.