SELKIRK put further pressure on second placed Murrayfield DAFS II at the top of East League Division 3 following a pulsating victory over the city side at Philiphaugh.
The visitors asked Selkirk to bat after winning the toss, and openers Greg Fenton and Harry Murphy found runs hard to come by. Fenton’s was the first wicket to fall in the 13th over, the home skipper being bowled by off-spinner Patrick Andrews (2-41) for a carefully compiled 33.
Andrews dismissed Michael Fenton (24) a few overs later, and at drinks Selkirk had reached 79-2. Murphy (18) and Rory Banks (14) looked set to make some progress but both succumbed to R. Mohammed, who went on to finish as the visitors’ top bowler with 4 for 23. Selkirk would add a meagre, but ultimately vital, 36 runs in the final 15 overs for a modest total of 135 for eight.
Despite losing a couple of early wickets, Murrayfield DAFS II looked the most likely winners as opener Mulholland (30) and Peters (21) proved a dangerous combination – the latter hitting a huge six to cow corner off Kenny Paterson. However, Peters was caught flat-footed by Rory Banks in the next over, out LBW.
Chinni (44) and Mulholland got things back on track for Murrayfield, until Greg Fenton brought himself on to bowl and bent back Mulholland’s stumps in his second over. Opening bowler Michael Fenton (2-32) then returned to the fray, with Chinni helping himself to 15 runs from the first two overs of his spell, including a majestic six back over the bowler’s head.
With the visitors six wickets down, the Souters continued to keep up the pressure. With his dander now up, Michael Fenton out-thought Murrayfield batsman Chinni, who mistimed a quicker delivery and sent the ball high to extra cover. The ever-reliable Blaine Gillie, running round from mid-off, took the difficult catch to change the momentum of the match.
The visitors only managed to add seven runs for the final three wickets, falling short of their target by 22 runs.
Banks (3-16) and Greg Fenton (4-9) shared seven wickets for the loss of 25 runs. Despite some earlier drops, some fine catches were taken towards the end of the match, including an excellent one-handed diving effort from Michael Fenton (now behind the stumps) and the match-winner catch by vice-captain Kenny Paterson.
Selkirk will need to show all of the fight they displayed on Saturday to Edinburgh next week, where they face a Grange III team also on the rise in Division 3.