Selkirk backed up their opening day victory with a win in Fife on week 2 of their ESCA Division 2 campaign. Their hosts, Dunfermline and Carnegie CC, were bowled out cheaply the previous week and were engaged in intensive batting drills when the souters arrived. With something to prove in this part of their game, it was no surprise that, having won the toss, the hosts chose to bat.
An eventful first over saw top order batsman, Raja Khurram, hit a 4 off the first ball to backward square leg, miss a couple, and then push the fourth delivery through the covers. Khurram turned what was an easy single into a kamikaze 2 and Daniel Heard and opening bowler Michael Fenton combined to run the Fifer out. Not the planned start for the hosts but they recovered quickly and Alfred Hearnshaw (42) and captain George Olney (16) were scoring around 5 runs an over off the opening bowlers. Fenton’s first spell figures were muddied by 3 consecutive fours from Hearnshaw off of his last three balls. Both opening bowlers were also frustrated by a series of dropped catches.
Selkirk captain Greg Fenton brought himself on to bowl and this appeared to work the trick as the batsmen struggled to score. However the breakthrough was to come at the other end as Blaine Gillie found his range in his second over and took two wickets in consecutive balls to remove Olney and Chris Hill. Hearnshaw smashed Gillie’s hat-trick ball for four but then edged behind to give bowler 3 wickets in four balls. At drinks Dunfermline and Carnegie were 85 with four wickets down.
Yasar Arfat (11) and Stephen Rowley (19) both looked capable of making big scores but Gillie (4-33) added to his tally by removing Arfat and Michael Fenton returned to take Rowley’s wicket, both being caught behind by the wicket keeper. Fenton’s opening bowling partner, Daniel Heard also returned for a second spell and picked up a couple of wickets including a third catch behind the stumps for Greg Fenton.
With the top four bowlers bowled out the captain turned to Gregor Robbie and Jamie Hughes to finish off the tail. While the latter had the ignominy of having the only six of the day hit off of his bowling Robbie (2-8) rolled back the years with a couple of wickets. This included catch of the day from Keiran Toor on the mid wicket boundary, the oldest and youngest of the Selkirk team combining to remove Bruce Callan (11). Having promised a total somewhere nearer 200 the Fifers set Selkirk 148 runs for a win.
Selkirk started well with both Greg Fenton and Harry Murphy picking the right balls to score from, the pick of the early boundaries being a straight drive for four from Murphy. This was however to be his last scoring shot as he was bowled by Hill who had recovered from his golden duck to partner Arfat as opening bowlers.
Greg Fenton was joined by Michael Fenton at the crease and they were scoring over seven runs an over to take the total to 111 at drinks. Both players rode their luck at times and the Fifers will have similar groans to those of their visitors in the first innings about dropped catches and decisions that they felt didn’t go their way. On the day, the difference between the teams was the quality of the shots from the Selkirk pair and the demoralising effect this had on the hosts. Both players looked strongest off the back foot and scored easily down to third man and backward point but arguably the shot of the day was a straight drive, this time for Greg Fenton, sending the ball rattling down to the pavilion.
The biggest cheer of the day came as Greg Fenton passed 50 sweeping down to deep fine leg. From then on there was an air of inevitability about the result but some doubt as to whether both batsmen, now increasingly throwing the bat at the ball, would get themselves out or whether Michael Fenton would have enough time to get to his own half century. The answer was provided in short measure as Greg Fenton took 11 runs off the last over to finish 76 not out, leaving Michael unbeaten on 40, a partnership of 116. Carlton 3rds visit Philiphaugh next Saturday and Selkirk will hope to keep improving.
