Dundee hosted Crescent in an SPCU Division 1 league match on a bright, and windy afternoon. Crescent won the toss and chose to field first. Initially, Crescent bowlers performed well, but the inexperience of Dundee’s umpires changed the course of the game. Thick edges and LBW appeals went unnoticed. However, change in umpire was too late, as Dundee took control of the match, scoring over 180 runs with 10 overs remaining. The middle-order batsmen capitalized on the given chances and one of them went on to score a century. With the contributions of the two professional players from Australia, Dundee reached a total of 250 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.
In response, Crescent’s batting did not start well, as Baba and Alex got out quickly. However, Nathan stood as a lone warrior on the pitch, scoring a century and reaching 127 runs. Crescent came close to the target but fell short by 11 runs.
In another game, Inverurie hosted Crescent in a Grade 1 league match. Crescent won the toss and chose to bowl first. Shubam took three crucial initial wickets, and the other bowlers also contributed with at least a wicket or two. Hari Konda’s spell was the surprise package, as he bowled 8 overs, conceding only 19 runs and restricting the scoring for Inverurie. Inverurie was eventually all out for 156.
Crescent’s batting, however, proved challenging as the batsmen kept getting out after contributing 10-15 runs each. Captain and opener Ankush Sharma showed patience and anchored the innings. With only 30 runs required and over 15 overs remaining, Ankush had to depart. But unorthodox knocks from Hari, Anantha, and Jebin towards the end were sufficient for Crescent to secure victory.
On Sunday, Crescent hosted Edinburgh South at Brechin in their Challenge Cup Quarter-finals. The match had a delayed start due to umpires arriving late. Nathan won the toss and elected to bat first. Crescent started well, with Rajeevan holding his wicket and Alex playing some attacking shots. However, after Alex got out with the team score at 50 in the first 8 overs, the rest of the team couldn’t contribute significantly. Rajeevan, batting through the entire 40 overs, reached his century and gave Crescent a fighting chance. They finished with a total of 182 runs in their allotted 40 overs.
In reply, Crescent’s bowlers started strongly, taking two early wickets. However, Edinburgh South played cautiously, relying on singles and doubles to reach the target in the 39th over. Crescent did make a comeback in the last 4 overs, taking 4 quick wickets and putting pressure on the visitors. Ultimately, the team that made fewer mistakes emerged as the winners.
Overall, it was not a great weekend for the SPCU team, but the Grades team kept their heads held high.