Scorecard

Penicuik 2nds v Edinburgh South Cricket Club 2nd XI on Sat 29 Apr 2023 at 1pm
Edinburgh South Cricket Club Won by 3 wickets

Match report South’s 2s thrillingly chased down 172 to win away at Penicuik with just one ball to spare to get their Division Five campaign off to the perfect start.

‣ Captain Daniel Saunders scored the winning runs and finished 26 not out, securing a three wicket win after Ross Liddle smashed a superb 93 in the first innings.
‣ With a wet outfield and an increasingly misshapen ball, bowling and fielding were tough, but South adapted well and took wickets at regular intervals around the impressive Liddle.
‣ Charlie Barratt was the pick of the bowlers, rolling back the years with an excellent 3-19, Harry Barratt chipped in with two wickets of his own, and Daniel was his usual miserly self - he and new-ball partner Russell Barnard took one apiece.
‣ All the batters then contributed in the second innings - Paul Reddish top scored with 33, as the 2s stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 26 games.

Daniel started the day as he meant to go on, winning the toss and putting Penicuik in on a typically dreich Midlothian day. The only way was Essex with the new ball, as Daniel and Russell Barnard opened proceedings, and in an act of genius, insanity, or maybe even blind luck, Russell’s first ball of the season was a deceptive slower delivery which caught the Penicuik opener unawares and clattered into off stump.

Only seven runs came from the next 33 deliveries, and that pressure told as captain Daniel struck with a straight delivery, bowling the other Penicuik opener. The celebrations were short lived as this brought the domineering Liddle to the crease to join number three Davidson.

It didn’t take long for Liddle to go large, striking Harry for six straight back over his head; together, the duo upped the run rate and put the hosts well on top.

Davidson, and pretty much everyone watching, thought he had brought up the 50 partnership with a powerful cover drive off Harry that never rose more than a foot off the turf. Instead of watching the ball race to the rope though, the ball nestled in the hands of Dipen Vithlani at short extra cover who added to his already long list of excellent close catches, and Harry then bowled the new batter just three balls later to reduce Penicuik to 56-4.

When Charlie took Penicuik’s fifth wicket, his first, comprehensively bowling their number six, it ended a promising stand of 39, and put South back on top. Charlie then hammered home the advantage with two wickets in two balls - a short of a length ball was dragged on, before he pinned their number eight LBW first ball with a pinpoint yorker.

At 111-7, South would have hoped to restrict Penicuik to a total around 140, but Liddle was still at the crease having passed 50, and batted well with the tail to drag the hosts to 171 from their 40 overs. He struck seven fours and four sixes, impressive on a day where his teammates managed just three boundaries between them.

In reply, Dean Penrose and Paul put on 36 for the first wicket, with Dean playing some lovely shots in his 18 before being caught on the midwicket fence.

Paul looked like a man that hadn’t played cricket for nine years, let alone nine months, but batted with a calm temperament at a time where occupying the crease was the primary objective, especially when Dipen was bowled for just six. Penicuik’s two spinners, Udayansa and McLauchlin, gave absolutely nothing away, bowling wicket to wicket on a slow pitch, forcing the batters to take risks in order to score.

Harry batted sensibly for his 20, and ran incredibly well between the wickets, pouncing on any slack Penicuik fielding, but when he and Paul fell in quick succession, South were in a spot of bother, needing 79 more to win and with overs running out.

Enter Chaitu. Pushed up the order, he hit Udayansa for six over long on off just his second ball. It was a staggering shot when everyone else was struggling to score off the slower bowlers, and he repeated the shot for a one-bounce four to prove it was no fluke. Nipun Gulia top-edged a full toss straight up to fall for 12, which brought Eóghan Forde to the crease, full of determination and a well-earned lunch. He and Chaitu were both encouraged by Penicuik returning to their seam bowlers, using the extra pace to good effect.

Eóghan walked at the bowling and struck a couple of lovely fours over cover, while Chaitu just stood still and hit Liddle for an enormous six back over his head, which sailed over the sight-screen and brought about an approving nod from the bowler. Chaitu was then caught well at short extra as the momentum swung again, and when Eóghan was bowled for 18 Penicuik celebrated wildly, knowing they were into the tail.

However, they didn’t count on Daniel and Russell’s obstinance and game awareness. South’s opening partnership with the ball chipped away at the required total with the bat, leaving the Essex boys with just two to win from the final two balls. Daniel showed no hint of nerves to blast Liddle down the ground for four, and secure a superb opening day win.

Words* by George O'Neill

*Except the puns, no prizes for guessing who was behind them

Penicuik 2nds Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
11nb 9w 8b 1lb 
for 9 wickets
29
171 (40.0 overs)		     
M Juson b  R Barnard 1
S Walter b  D Saunders 1
G Davidson ct  D Vithlani b. H Barratt 32 2 1
R Liddle Not Out  93 7 4
U Ranaweera b  H Barratt 0
J Leslie b  C Barratt 8
R Airey b  C Barratt 3
M Mclauchlin lbw  C Barratt 0
G Ingram Run out  1
A Smith Run out  0
D Smith Not Out  3

Edinburgh South Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Daniel Saunders7.0214114.002.00
Russell Barnard6.0127127.004.50
Harry Barratt8.0132216.004.00
Sriram Govindan6.003700.006.17
Eóghan Forde4.001700.004.25
Charlie Barratt6.001936.333.17
Dipen Vithalani3.001600.005.33

Edinburgh South Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 7w 3lb 
for 7 wickets
12
174		        
Dean Penrose ct  M Juson b. D Smith 18 2
Paul Reddish ct  U Ranaweera b. M McLauchlin 33 1
Dipen Vithalani b  R Airey 6 1 1
Harry Barratt b  U Ranaweera 20 1
Naga Chaitanya Malapati ct  R Airey b. G Ingram 23 1 2 2
Nipun Gulia ct  J Leslie b. D Smith 12 2
Eóghan Forde b  R Liddle 18 2
Daniel Saunders Not Out  26 2
Russell Barnard Not Out  6
Sriram Govindan  
Charlie Barratt  

Penicuik 2nds Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
R Airey8.0021121.002.63
A Smith5.002200.004.40
D Smith3.0024212.008.00
U Ranaweera8.0224124.003.00
M McLauchlin8.0031131.003.87
R Liddle4.5030130.006.21
G Ingram3.0019119.006.33