Friendly frolics finish off an enjoyable season.

Having lost out to a third Cup win in 5 seasons the week before, a change of pace was required for Portcullis to round off their season in the most pleasant of fashions.

It’s always nice to finish a season with a friendly if possible. This fixture – away to Stoneywood Dyce - would prove third time lucky as the two previous attempts saw this fixture once postponed and one curtailed by the weather.

At the third time of asking though the sun, as the song goes, firmly had his hat on and was coming out to play!

The toss was agreed that Stoneywood Dyce would bat first. They were going to win anyway as Portcullis’s prime aim for today was player participation and not a result. Our attitude is that if we cannot experiment in a friendly when can we experiment?

Stoneywood-Dyce were also looking to experiment. They had a very young side with a few seasoned adults to guide them along the way

In the first innings of this 40 over a side match, Stoneywood- Dyce amassed 175-3 with one player retiring. The player who retired – Shaun Coetzer – opened the batting with young Jack Lambley.

Through this match Stoneywood deliberately decided to bat with one senior player and one junior one, using this match as an excellent vehicle for on-field coaching and the bringing on of their youngsters.

The highlight of the Stoneywood Dyce innings was the fine 45 made by young George Robertson. This was apparently nine times higher than his previous knock so a fine achievement indeed!

There were half centuries made by the two senior players – Shaun Coetzer (51 not out) and Ahlik Bashir (50 not out). These were in truth unselfish knocks – Coetzer in particular could have knocked his runs off in half the time. He did not however.

When possible Coetzer chose to hit a boundary off of the first ball and nudge a single off his second ball. This would leave his young partners with the lion’s share of the bowling with the added bonus of not being put under undue pressure of having to score (Where were you when I was 16 batting at Cumbernauld!).

Not only that he spent his whole innings coaxing, encouraging and coaching his batting partners to bigger and better things.

On his retirement Bashir came in and continued where Coetzer had left off. He too keeping the run rate ticking over and leaving the majority of the deliveries faced to his young colleagues.

Bashir got to his 50 in the most spectacular style. With two balls of the innings remaining, he hit a four and a six to reach his half century.

The highlights for Portcullis were that nine different players got to bowl in this and that Bob “Whispering Death” Adie recorded speeds in excess of 150mph on the Stoneywood Dyce speed gun with his variety of “chin music”.

(In Bob’s case mph meant metres per hour not miles!!)

Following a lovely tea it was the turn of Portcullis to bat. In their 40 overs they amassed 88 for 7 in reply.

The Portcullis innings was bookended by two Portcullis comeback legends.

At one end Ruari Collinson, batting at three top scored with 24. A fine knock on his comeback which included three sizzling boundaries. On the other end of the scale the cheeky evergreen Alan Dobey went out to bat giving young Reuben Gandhi some ‘sledging’ about his bowling insisting that young Gandhi would never get him out.

Young Reuben had the last laugh as he got Dobey to sky one where Kennard was on hand to take a fine catch. Knowing Alan as I do there would be nobody happier at young Gandhi’s success than Dobey himself.

Other scores of note for Portcullis were a career best of 14 for late starter Andrew Blackwell, only in his second season playing cricket, having taken up cricket at the fine age off 55, and a knock of 11 by skipper Dave Mitchell.

The Stoneywood Dyce side had eight bowlers at their disposal with only Robin Taylor (29) being over the age of 20.

Of the Stoneywood youngsters young Ross Kennard bowled with fine pace and technique and he will definitely one to watch over the next two or three seasons. The other youngsters also bowled very well and Robin wasn’t bad either!

It was also heartening to see Shaun Coetzer take time out during the match to pass on tips to some of our younger batsmen despite the fact he was playing for the opposition. Kind sporting gestures that were very much appreciated by the Portcullis posse!

This was a very pleasant friendly to finish off an enjoyable season.

PORTCULLIS MAN OF THE MATCH.

RUARI COLLINSON for his fine knock of 24. Andrew Blackwell also deserves a mention for a career best 14.

STONEYWOOD DYCE MAN OF THE MATCH.

GEORGE ROBERTSON for his career best knock of 45. One hopes this will be the pedestal knock that sees this young cricketer come on in leaps and bounds over the following years.

Tuesday, 01 November, 2016