Portcullis Relegated Despite Fighting Finish.

The final round of Grade Three matches saw Portcullis make the long but very pleasant journey to Crathie who’s Home Ground is on the salubrious grounds of the Balmoral estate.

At the beginning of the week the Portcullis statisticians saw that, despite news from the ACA website which had all but condemned Portcullis to Grade Four, there was still hope of avoiding relegation from Grade Three. Put simply, Portcullis had to win their last match whilst either Huntly had to score four points or less OR Crathie, today’s opponents, had to score eight points or less in today’s clash.

The story took a further twist that Huntly had scratched their final match of the season in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Rather than sent even a makeshift side to acquire the five points required to guarantee Grade Three cricket the following season, Huntly took the chance that Portcullis would be unable to win at the Balmoral estate or that the weather would do for them.

This meant that today’s task would be less complicated - win and stay up. With these circumstances at Portcullis’s disposal, the toss would be simple. Win and field first. For both teams.

Alas skipper Dave Mitchell, who put Kannan Vijayakrishnan up for the toss due to his own rotten luck with the spinning coin, lost again despite the change in caller and one again Portcullis were padding up.

Having scored an encouraging 68 opening the batting on Portcullis’s previous outing, skipper Dave Mitchell opened the batting with himself. His choice of partner was to be difficult though. With no outstanding candidates to challenge it was the rotund Secretary Ronnie Falconer that the skipper Mitchell went for to partner him.

For Crathie Michael Bestwick and Bob Slee would share the new ball.

With the wicket looking lively, the first challenge for Portcullis would be to see off the new ball pairing. Opening bowler Bestwick always proved to be a challenge in any conditions so today. His previous three matches with the ball had seen him take 8 wickets for 62 runs at an average of 7.75 runs per wicket. Bestwick had also had a fantastic match against Academy that saw him take 7-21 in their joust earlier this season. How the pair played him would decide how this match would pan out.

The Crathie wicket was indeed lively as was the Crathie bowling attack. It appeared too lively for the skills of Bestwick. During his opening spell he had deliveries that were simply unplayable. All the Portcullis pair could do was cover up the stumps with the bat and pray they would not nick it. As well as the lively Bestwick Crathie also had the excellent Wicket Keeping skills of Alan Shore, surely one of the top, if not the top, Wicket Keeper in Grade Three.

Choppy waters ahead then!

For that the Portcullis pair dug in. Scoring was slow but with the conditions and the quality of bowling that was no surprise. Falconer always had the patience but it was surprising to see Mitchell held down. The pair did not panic however and the score began to accumulate.

At 10 overs, mainly thanks to Mitchell’s positive stroke play, the score had crept up to 20. The outfield was also slow and both Falconer and Mitchell had hit off-drives that on another day would have comfortably gone for fours dribble for twos. Although the score of 20 looked paltry it was noticed that today’s match would be a low-scoring one. It was the figure at the far right of the scoreboard that was the most important – the number of wickets to fall – 0.

This also meant that Bestwick had used five overs of his opening spell. He would go onto bowl another three before being rested. The main thing was, despite bowling many a wicket-taking ball; none had indeed fallen.

The score had indeed risen to 49 before Portcullis’s first wicket had fallen. Mike Baldry, on to replace Bob McAra, who himself had replaced Slee, with his first ball got Falconer to mistime a drive and sky one into the air towards mid-off. Cunningham positioned himself steadily to take a good catch. Falconer had gone for a grubby but welcome 10. Portcullis 49-1

It was the turn of the classy Qureshi to join Mitchell at the crease. Facing them was a motivated Baldry and, replacing Bestwick, a new bowler to Portcullis, MacDonald.

The pair bowled well. Baldry continuing a probing line outside off-stump whilst MacDonald intelligently mixing his bowling up bowling with both pace and guile.

Qureshi was next to go. A pull towards deep mid-wicket perhaps the wrong shot to play off of MacDonald as he was well caught in the deep by the Crathie fielder. Portcullis 60-2.

It was the turn of Keeper Kannan Vijayakrishnan to attend the crease next. He hung about long enough for Mitchell to reach a well-deserved second successive fifty with a marvellous pull towards mid-on. Again a shot that had merited a four had slowed to a two.

Vijayakrishnan was next to go. He drove at one that got away from him from Baldry. Although he had made a sturdy connection, the ball went skyward towards deep extra cover. Bestwick, determined to make a mark in the match, made tremendous ground to take a marvellous catch.

It was the turn of Jayaraj Raj next. In the reverse fixture between the two sides, Raj had made a Portcullis top-score of 42.That score had turned that match on it’s head and Portcullis picked the pockets of their Crathie rivals to win by eight runs. It was hoped Raj could produce something similar albeit in a more spectacular backdrop.

Raj brought some needed aggression into the innings as he played his natural game. He attacked the Crathie bowling, scoring a welcome 18 runs off 36 balls. He too fell to the combination of Bestwick and Baldry, the pairing that had contributed to the downfall of Vijayakrishnan before him.

Once again Baldry got one to move. Raj drove it hard in the air only to see that man Bestwick take a good catch to reward Baldry with his third wicket. Portcullis 104-5.

Owen soon joined a tiring Mitchell at the crease. The plan was two-fold. Part one was to see off the bowling of Bestwick and Baldry, two of the most dangerous Crathie bowlers, and then pile on the runs so that they could declare at 42 overs and use the activated draw rule.

The pair had almost got Plan A. They did see off Bestwick who ridiculously finished the day wicketless.

Cricket can be a cruel game.

Owen even had the audacity to crash a spectacular six over midwicket from the luckless bowler. Plan B was to fail at the final hurdle. Baldry’s very last ball was to do for Owen. He skied one towards extra cover where – yes that man again Michael Bestwick ran in to take the catch of the day. He ran some 20-30 yards in and dived forward to take a wonderful catch inches from the ground. Portcullis 126-6.

Mitchell fell soon afterwards, as he became the first player to be bowled in the match. MacDonald getting one to come back and take out his off-stump for a magnificent 72. It was his highest score for the club and perhaps his best innings for the Green Caps.

It brought Dean Leighton and Simon Winstanley to the crease and the pair saw out the final overs. At the end of the 42nd over Mitchell saw fit to declare at 128-6. The activated draw had to come into play. It meant that if Crathie did not score 96, Portcullis would win the match and thus avoid relegation. Having secured 6 points (through the six wickets) Crathie had already avoided relegation. It was now a straight dogfight between Huntly and Portcullis for the final relegation spot.

In the Portcullis innings skipper Dave Mitchell had scored a fantastic 72. The other players to get into double figures were Jayaraj Raj (18), Rob Owen (16) and Ronnie Falconer (10). For Crathie Mike Baldry finished with bowling figures of 4-32 whilst F. MacDonald finished with the other wickets with figures of 2-31. Although Mick Bestwick did not take any wickets he did take three cracking catches in the outfield.

It was the time of the interval and the time for pies! Alas there was no venison ones! Falconer was caught sneaking a second mince and skirlie pie having polished off a chicken one minutes before. If he could score runs as quickly as he ate pies he would be the Chris Gayle rather than the Chris Tavare of the team! Indeed on being captured with said second pie, he argued he had effectively cut down on his pie intake. Years before he was witnessed to have eaten SEVEN pies at one sitting. Yes SEVEN!! It was a charge he could not deny!!

Who ate all the pies (and licked all the lard) indeed!!

Back to the cricket.

Crathie opened their batting with the classy McEwan and the talented Cunningham. Crathie have always possessed a strong batting attack. Today would be no different. Portcullis also knew how difficult it would be to bat on this pitch.

Portcullis opened their bowling with a slight change. A rejuvenated Raj had earned an opening slot alongside Mitchell. The plan being to keep Owen back for the later overs.

Alas it did not quite work. Although Mitchell opened with two lively maidens, Raj appeared disjointed and not quite himself and was taken off after two overs. Owen coming onto replace him.

Mitchell struck in his third over. He got his third ball to nip back and trap Cunningham plumb lbw. Crathie 9-1.

With both Mitchell and Owen completing maidens, Mitchell soon followed up one wicket maiden with another. He had Crathie keeper prod at one that lifted. Winstanley, fielding close in at the offside dived forward to take a good catch.

Crathie 9-2.

This brought F.MacDonald to the crease. Along with Rhod McEwan the pair dug in as Owen’s and Mitchell’s bowling spells had become, like Bestwick’s before them, unplayable.

The pair got to the 15th over with only 18 runs on the board. For Portcullis Dave Mitchell had opened his spell with six successive maidens whilst it was Owen’s third over before he had conceded runs.

With both Mitchell and Owen gaining no further breakthrough, it was decided to make a change. The classy Qureshi replaced Mitchell at one end whilst Falconer was brought on as a obvious gamble at the other.

Although inconsistent, Falconer did have an uncanny knack of fluking the odd wicket. Both MacDonald and McEwan were looking solid and it was though a change of pace might break the mindset. It was not to be. Falconer bowling too loose and he was hooked off after one expensive over.

This brought Vijayakrishnan into the bowling attack with Winstanley taking the gloves.

Qureshi and Vijayakrishnan bowled well and economically but with no luck. McEwan was well set whilst MacDonald showed he too was classy with the willow. As in Portcullis’s innings before them runs were hard to come by and the 128 scored looked difficult to surpass.

The score moved onto 45 before Portcullis claimed their third wicket. Mitchell and Owen had come back on for the final push. Mitchell got McDonald to sky one and Vijayakrishnan was on hand to take the catch at short mid-wicket.

It was the turn off Geddes to come to the wicket. He was unfortunate to receive a truly brutal ball from Mitchell. It simply exploded from a good length and thankfully he managed to get his glove in front of his face. This rearguard action ballooned the ball into the air and Winstanley was on hand to take his second catch of the match.

Crathie 48-4. Portcullis back in the game.

Bestwick was next to the crease. The pair made 25 runs for the crucial fifth wicket before Bestwick went, caught at short mid-on by Mitchell from the bowling of Owen. It was a well-deserved wicket for the Lancashire man. Crathie 73-5.

It was Owen who eventually got the dogged McEwan out for a valiant 38, bowling him with a cracker of a ball. Crathie 83-6.

It was bizarre that the highest scorers in the match, Mitchell and McEwan were both bowled whilst none of the other 11 wickets to fall that day were out in this fashion.

Owen also was to do for Slee. Slee cut on into deep point where Leighton took a good catch over his head.

Alas that was it for Portcullis. Crathie got to 105-7 in their 48 overs and the match finished in a draw.

Although the match was of high importance to both teams, it was played in tremendous spirits. A sad day for the City Centre Green Caps but at least they went down with dignity and defiance. They are in good company however as they will be joined by their old rivals Turriff in Grade Four next season.

The away days to the likes of Huntly and Crathie will be deeply missed though, especially for one Portcullis player who’ll have to forage for his pies elsewhere!

It was also sadly Crathie’s Alan Shore’s last game for Crathie. A classy wicketkeeper-batsman as well as a gentleman, he will be missed in the Aberdeen Grades. He will be playing cricket in the Bedford area.

Aberdeenshire loss is to be their gain.

PORTCULLIS MAN OF THE MATCH.

Skipper DAVE MITCHELL. An all-round performance of 72 with the bat, 4-10 with the ball and a catch to boot. Typically leading from the front.

PORTCULLIS MOMENT OF THE MATCH.

ROB OWEN hitting a superb six from the bowling of Bestwick. He timed it absolutely superbly!

PORTCULLIS MOAN OF THE MATCH.

Ronnie only ate two pies…. Only kidding!! The moaning came from our earlier matches this season. It was a lovely day, a well-fought match, played in spectacular surroundings and against sporting opposition. It doesn’t get much better than that!

CRATHIE MAN OF THE MATCH.

Mick Bestwick deserves a mention but RHOD MCEWAN wins it. His dogged patient knock of 38 earned his side a draw and condemned the Green Caps to Grade Four. He is a very classy batsman and deserves this accolade.

Sunday, 24 August, 2014