RHC LIONS

Macca the Whacka Destroy's West Lothian

With the 1st and 2nd XI being wahsed out on Saturday it was a warm but rain threatened Sunday for the 3's in Linlithgow. Mooro's Men, playing away to West Lothian, won handsomely in what many hope will be a style that is continued through the rest of the season.

Having won the toss West Lothian’s skipper put the RHC in to bat and it was looking like a good decision early on. Some tight bowling by the two West openers (Thomson and Bennie) left the Lions with just eleven runs on the board after the first 10 overs. The Lions openers finding it hard to get away the tight line and length of West’s bowlers but crucially not losing any wickets.

With the change bowlers on it looked like the Lions would cut loose but Tricky got out trying up the scoring rate after a couple of nicely timed shots. Jay Kay was in and out quickly but increased the scoring rate from 1per over.

Will and Jonesy were next and scored a quick-fire 12 and 13 respectively. All the while Nick was slowly building an innings of few chances but scoring well. After Adam’s golden Macca came in looking to make up for lost time in the middle this season. The 6th wicket partnership moved the score along nicely as Macca started to catch Nick and it became who can score 50 first.
Nick won the race by reaching his 50 off 126 balls, including three boundries: but Macca was not far behind after having scored 51 off 45 balls with six 4’s. The first two 50’s of the year set a good platform for a big total as Mooro, Fraggle, Kev and Chappers all came in and scored at more than a run a ball.

The RHC total of 192 for 9 off 45 overs looked handy with the West Lothian reputation as a bowling team. After a good tea and some words on the TMS Commentary Box that Arnie had been frequenting on Thursday and the Lions were ready to resume the battle.

Chappers and Kev opened up against the West Lothian’s Edwards and Gurr. A tight spell of bowling by these two left West 13for1 off 11 overs - with Kev claiming the wicket of Edwards for 4. The West Lothian plan of waiting for the first change bowlers to come on before hitting out looked like a gamble, and became something of a nightmare when Macca took two wickets in his first over. Not to be outdone Fraggle counjoured up the wicket of Miller with a little help from Kev at first slip, Fraggle with a well bowled away swinger and Kev taking a blinding catch low down to his left.

Three maidens in a row and wickets for Fraggle and skipper Mooro, when he brought himself on, meant that West never really looked like chasing down the stiff target set by RHC. With this in mind it seemed to lead to opener Gurr having a swing against all bowlers and getting away with it. A couple of big heaves off the captains looping over the fielders heads.

The all round fielding from the 3’s was of the highest standard with few exceptions. Adam got close to taking the catch of the season when he got close to another ariel shot by Gurr, but his speed over the outfield just wasn’t enough.

With much of West Lothian’s batting subsiding against the pressure exerted by RHC they were bowled out for 45 in the 34th over. Some top bowling left Fraggle with career best figures of 4 for 6 and Kev with only the one wicket but going for nine runs off his nine overs.

Scorecard:

RHC 3rd XI
N. Adams bowled Bennie 51
R. Goar bowled A. Newman 5
J. Kay bowled A. Newman 3
W. Blackett bowled Howldsworth 12
D. Adamson bowled Thomson 13
A. Knight bowled Thomson 0
A. Macconacie bowled Brown 51
A. Moore bowled Thomson 5
F. West caught Gurr bowled C. Newman 15
K. Meier Not Out 2
P. Chapman Not Out 1
Total (45 overs) Extras 36 192 for 9

Name Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
G. Thomson 9-2-27-3
D. Bennie 9-3-34-1
A.Newman 9-1-23-2
S. Holdsworth 9-1-37-1
D. Brown 6-0-30-1
C. Newman 3-0-26-0

West Lothian 3rd XI
D. Edwards bowled Chapman 4
A. Gurr Not Out 23
C. Ronaldson bowled Macconacie 1
C. Newman bowled Macconacie 0
J. Miller caught Meier bowled West 0
A. Newman bowled West 3
J. Strachan bowled Moore 0
D. Bennie caught West bowled Moore 3
G. Thomson caught and bowled Moore 4
D. Brown bowled West 0
S. Holdsworth bowled West 0
Total (33.4 over) Extras 6 45 all out

Name Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
P. Chapman 6-2-9-1
K. Meier 9-3-9-1
A. Macconacie 6-5-3-2
F. West 6.4-2-6-4
A. Moore 6-1-17-3