Kinross County CC vs. Dollar Cricket Club

Date: 10/08/22 | Location: Loch Levan | Overs: 20 | Conditions: Hot and Sunny

Last Wednesday evening we ventured into Kinross-shire as we squared off against our old foes. The conditions were perfect and after a couple of last minute transfers which saw Paul Fensom and Rob Morris completed their temporary big money moves, the XIs were set. Captain Adam Buchanan-Smith (standing in for Sandy Cunningham who forgot to put his own name in the XI, but ended up keeping wicket anyway) won the toss and elected to have a bat. 

The skipper opened and was joined by JP Ward, making his long awaited DCC comeback. Unfortunately for Ward this comeback knock would only last a pair of balls as he was bowled by Deans and let out a rusty quack. The never out of form Craig Smith joined the skipper and inadvertently began to hog the strike as he sent the score on its merry way. 

Smith found the rope early and often, all while Buchanan-Smith nurdled the ball around the dry outfield. With the partnership approaching 50, Campbell got one to leap up from the artificial track and Buchanan-Smith nudged the ball skywards and into the awaiting fielders mitt, out for 5. Score, 38/2 after 6. 

Fresh off his good debutant knock against Comrie, Sanjoy Prasad vaulted up the order and entered at 4. By this stage Smith was quickly approaching yet another half century, but he would have to get over the line with a different partner as Prasad was bowled by Ross for 1. 

Marcus Tinsley was in at 5 to make only his third appearance of the summer. He took little time in finding his feet and joined in on Smith’s boundary bonanza. The score raced towards the 100 mark as both men initiated take off to send a barrage of balls from the newly transferred Kinross players clean over the rope. They saved the neighbouring farmer some diesel in the process as the fielders began to thrash the wheat in search for the hidden cherry. Smith unsurprisingly raised his bat, then harvested a few more boundaries off his final over and walked off with yet another big score of 62 not out, great knock. Score, 103/2 after 13. 

With the run rate climbing, the occasion was perfectly suited to Bruce Harper’s ability to give the bat an almighty heave. Tinsley kept causing headaches for the bowlers and both men failed to allow any bowler to find a rhythm as they peppered the outfield while confidently rotating the strike. Tinsley then put his foot down through the 30s and 40s as in the blink of an eye he accelerated from 28 to his half century and walked off unbeaten for a brilliant 52. Like his predecessors, Harper threw caution to the wind and began lording over the land around him as he re aquatinted the ball with the surrounding fields of nearly ripe gold. 

Callum Kirby joined Harper, and showed some real class at the crease as drew the ball into and away from the middle of his bat to get off the mark, and then unleashed a couple of swatted 4s. The ball continued to echo off Harper’s bat and he too was applauded away from the middle. However the scorer clearly did not pay much attention in his maths classes and just before Harper left the field of play it was calculated that he was 8 runs shy of his 50. He returned but the premature exit stalled his efforts of combining more runs and was bowled soon after, this time no turning back, out for an excellent 42. 

With only one over left to play, Charlie Dunn entered but found only chaff and immediately headed for the exit as he looked to charge the slow right armer, and was stumped, quack – with a golden shine. Bob Turner replaced him and quickly got off the mark to allow Kirby to see out the innings, but unfortunately he would not walk off unbeaten as he was bowled on the last ball looking to have a whack for a solid 14. A brilliant ‘all’ round effort with the bat.

DCC: 176/6 from 20

Top Scorers 

C. Smith, 62* | M. Tinsley, 52* | B. Harper, 42

Charlie Dunn and Tom Hall were given first nod with the ball, and in the opening over Dunn further shifted the odds our way as Campbell looked to get low to full delivery, but only found a top edge and Dunn scampered round to the short-ish point region to take a fine caught and bowled. The opening pair kept it tight too see out to first spell with Dunn even hitting the stumps but the stubborn bails were unmoved and no further wickets fell. Score 34/1 after 6. 

Two of the stars with the bat, Craig Smith and Marcus Tinsley subbed in and immediately tightened up run rate. Tinsley was keeping the cherry locked in on a dangerous length on a perilous 4th stump line, while Smith was find great zip and carry as the bats struggled to find the middle. This faulty radar would get Smith his reward in his final over as Dick looked to send one over his head, but failed to find to meat of willow and Dunn raced round from short mid-on to take a full stretch, somewhat, acrobatic tumbling snag behind umpire Glasgow. Score, 57/2 after 12. 

With the tie turning into a foregone conclusion, the skipper turned to Callum Kirby and Bobb Turner as both men rolled over their shoulder in a competitive manner  for the first time. Both were unfazed by some early jitters and started to defy their inexperience. Kirby in particular was posing tough questions and rightly got his reward as he beat the skilful Ivan’s defence and put his bails on the deck with a ball on a perfect line and length, natural talent. Score, 71/3 after 16.

Sanjoy Prasad and JP Ward were tasked with rounding off the innings and both took little time in getting themselves in the headlines. First Prasad flung one down that cleaned up Burnett, and then Ward followed suit as he bowled Jennings with a peach. In the penultimate over, Prasad would become the first, and only, to double up his tally as summer signing Morris got a leading edge and Prasad darted under the balls flight and took a brilliant catch, made only harder after his best efforts to drop the pill at first time of asking. Ward looked to put the cherry on top by sending Fensom on his way, but the temporary Kinrossian saw out the last over and down came the curtain on a dominant Dollar victory. 

Kinross CCC: 84/6 from 20

Best Figures

S. Prasad: 2 for 11 from 2 | J. Ward: 1 for 4 from 2 | C. Kirby: 1 for 8 from 2

RESULT: DOLLAR CRICKET CLUB VICTORY BY 92 RUNS

The BSB MOTM: Craig Smith

Once again Smith put his undeniable class on full show as he batted with skill and intent all evening long, in addition to some fine bowling. Special mentions goes to Marcus Tinsley and Bruce Harper.  

We give thanks to our old rivals, and wish them luck for the rest of their season. We eagerly await writing yet another chapter of this rivalry in 2023.

Played 11 | Won 7 | Lost 4