Portcullis wins Four Seasons Challenge.

The day of Saturday 25th April heralded in the long awaited start to the 2015 Aberdeenshire Grades Cricket season. For many a cricket enthusiast the season had been a long time coming. The 2015 Cricket World Cup followed by the IPL had whetted many a cricketer’s appetite so there were many a player keen to get started this season.

Portcullis’s opponents for the day came in the shape of Methlick 2nds. The respective Captain’s Dave Mitchell and Grant Cordiner went out for the toss and it was the Portcullis skipper who called correctly. With a dampish wicket on show Mitch had no hesitation in putting the visitors into bat.

It was a very new looking side on display for the City Centre Green Caps. With the mass exodus already publicised last week, Portcullis gave debuts to Andy Philip and ex-Gordonian Aaron Mundin whilst James Harding and Alan Cameron made their League debuts, having already played the previous weekend’s friendly.

The Portcullis bowling attack was, at the last minute, decimated when late call-offs by Rob Owen and Shovon Mostafa meant that skipper Dave Mitchell had a major headache with how to line his bowlers up.

Obviously opening with himself, he was unsure who would partner him. He eventually plumped to the less-plumper-than-last-season Ronnie Falconer to partner him. For Methlick it was the solid looking partnership of Rob Fryer and S. Scott who would open the batting.

It was a steady start by the Methlick side and they gave nothing away during the early jousts. Skipper Mitchell opened up with three probing maidens whilst Falconer was tight enough save two full tosses that Scott took full advantage of and dispatched with aplomb for boundaries.

The Methlick pair took the points during the early jousts and after five overs Mitchell took himself off. This action brought the debutant Aaron Mundin into the attack and it would be interesting to see how he would fit into this Portcullis attack.

One thing Methlick 2nds could never be accused of was being fair weather players. The two openers batted and battled through rain, sleet, snow and occasional sunshine. The only time there was the slightest of delays was when Rob Fryer hesitated momentarily. The reason – he found it difficult to concentrate as the hailstones were battering his [cricket] helmet (Ooh err missus!)

They breed them tough in Methlick!

Falconer was taken off after a loose 7th over damaged his figures. At this point, and after 14 overs, Methlick were on a healthy 39-0.

Falconer was replaced by his ginger compadre, Bob Adie, as Mitchell looked to think outside the box in order to achieve a breakthrough. Adie’s floaty off-spin had done for many a batsman in the past and it could be the time for the plucky Treasurer to strike again.

Alas it was not to be and after three luckless overs it was time to shuffle the cards again for Mitchell.

With one eye on player development, the cherry was tossed to new boy James Harding. This change immediately brought about the downfall of Rob Fryer. Rob was very unlucky to receive a “Tommy-Trickler” as the ball barely left the ground and bowled the luckless opener.

Methlick 79-1 after 21.1 overs. Harding with the breakthrough.

A. Scott then joined S. Scott at the crease. The pair put on a partnership of 15 before Mitchell, coming back to relieve Mundin trapped S.Scott lbw.

Methlick 94-2

At the other end Harding was relieved by Paul Brown. Brown bowled steadily down the hill as his left arm round action presented.

The other wickets came and went as thus. Falconer managed to trap Scott lbw for a splendid 46. Mundin bowled Gordon to take his first wicket on debut. Mitchell bowled N.Scott for a plucky 17.

The best wicket to fall came to Aaron Mundin. He managed to induce Choudry to clip one into the midwicket area. Debutant Alan “The Nugget” Cameron, the third of the “Ginger Triology” dashed in from deep towards a swirling ball. keeping his eye on it right through as he dived forward to take an excellent well-timed catch.

A marvellous catch from “The son of Adie!!”

Methlick finished their innings with a daunting 171-6 from their 45 overs. The last time Portcullis chased down a total that large was back in 2011. It would take a colossal effort once again.

Mitchell then had his next predicament – who to open the batting with. Falconer, after his Cup Final heroics of the previous season was one but who was to partner him?

Mitchell had seen enough from Dave Forbes the previous week to offer him the other crucial opening spot.

Some may have risen an eyebrow or two with two similar styled players at the crease, known more for their defensive play. Chasing such a high total some would have thought a mixture of attack and defence should have been the order of the day.

In the opposite camp, Methlick gave Choudry and Day first dibs on the new cherry.

The opening exchanges saw Falconer and Forbes take the attack to their opponents. Falconer opened his account with a cut through point for two and cover drive boundary. Not to be outdone, Forbes caressed a wonderful cover drive to the boundary for a 4 of his own.

The pair, quickly shaking off their dour tag, soon had the scoreboard racing. After 5 overs the score had raced along to 26-0! Racey stuff indeed!

If any IPL scouts were there on Saturday then bids are invited for the opening pair. Bids should be sealed and posted to:

Bob Adie,

Treasurer,

Portcullis Cricket Club.

£40 should seal the deal!!

The pair took the score onto 29 before Choudry struck with Methlick’s first wicket. Settling down he bowled a probing line. He eventually got one to hit Forbes bang on his front foot giving the umpire a relatively easier decision to give the hairy biker out.

Portcullis 29-1.

Next in was skipper Dave Mitchell. Joining Falconer at the crease, the pair realised that if victory was to even be considered, the pair had to build a partnership of substance.

Falconer, continued where he left off, whilst Mitchell took his time initially to play himself in. Choudry and Day had settled down and, although, not looking likely to make a breakthrough, did keep it tight enough to put the Portcullis pair under pressure.

Having settled himself in, Mitchell began to cut loose. Drives and pulls to the boundary at regular intervals began to bring the colossal total into view. Falconer, in the meantime, held his own end up whilst scoring in occasional flurries himself just to keep ticking over.

The first task was to see the opening pair off. This they did as the score rose to 82. Choudry finished his spell with a respectable 1-36 whilst young Day finished with 0-43. He nearly did for Falconer as Harding had for Fryer, a submarine ball only just dug out by the ginger Secretary.

The change in bowling brought Cordiner and Rice into the fray. The score soon accelerated just as Mitchell accelerated towards his fifty, an exquisite cover drive bringing him to his 10th half-century for the Green Caps.

The score soon rose into three figures and with it a glimpse of chasing down the daunting target. Both batsmen nearly fell. Mitchell lofted one towards deep backward point, only to see the fielder spill a difficult swirling ball, whilst Falconer edged a sharp one to Scott which was just too quick to stick.

Heartened by this, the pair marched on. Methlick mixed and matched their remaining bowlers with A. Scott and Fryer joining the attack towards the Portcullis pair.

A glorious Mitchell pull brought up the 100 partnership for the second wicket. The pair marched on and looked to be favourite to remain unbeaten as they charged towards their target.

Alas it was not to be. A good length ball from Fryer had Falconer caught in no-man’s land. As a result he feathered one to the keeper Scott who took a fine catch. Even though only he and the Keeper had heard the ball, Falconer duly put his bat under his arm and walked off to the trees. He had made a club best 47 for Portcullis and had shared a 133 run partnership with his skipper Mitchell.

New boy James Harding joined Mitchell at the crease. There were no further scares as the pair saw Portcullis through to 173 and victory. Mitchell finishing the match on 90 not out with a thunderous off drive, like many before it, had simply sizzled to the boundary.

Harding finished with a cheeky 5 not out. This included a back hand late cut which was played from behind his ankles!

Eat your heart out KP!

It was a welcome opening win of the season for the City Centre Green Caps. Methlick could count themselves a tad unlucky as they got the worst of the weather during their innings.

Club historians had to go back to 2011 to find a higher score chased down by the City Centre side. Both skipper Dave Mitchell (90 not out) and Ronnie Falconer (47) had posted their highest ever club scores. It was a heartening victory and a fine way to start the season.

PORTCULLIS MAN OF THE MATCH.

No contest. Dave Mitchell’s 2-22 was backed up with a sumptuous knock of 90 not out which carried Portcullis to an unlikely victory.

PORTCULLIS MOAN OF THE MATCH.

The weather was absolutely shocking, prompting the hailstones on the helmet gag!

PORTCULLIS LAGER MOMENT OF THE MATCH.

Alan ”The Nugget/Son of Adie” Cameron’s wonderful catch form the bowling of Mundin. With the wind swirling around him, his full concentration and anticipation rewarded him with a splendid catch.

PORTCULLIS QUOTE OF THE MATCH.

When prompted about how Portcullis would reply to Methlick’s challenging total of 171-6, 12th man Andrew Blackwell commented, whilst observing Dave Forbes and Ronnie Falconer march to the crease

“42 stone of brute strength will see us through…”

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Wednesday, 29 April, 2015