UNDIES IN A SPIN AS LORETTO LEGGIES LAUNCH OFFENSIVE
The Under Elevens found the going tough at Loretto on Wednesday afternoon.
In a limited overs game, in this case twenty-twenty, a good start is always important to the batting side, and when Ollie Farr bowled the Loretto opener with the score on just 2 things looked bright for Belhaven.
This was, however, something of a false dawn. The Loretto top order dug in, and even with one or two batsmen retired they continued to score quickly and confidently. Ollie Farr and Geordie Younger bowled well, but in truth they were in a minority and Loretto took full advantage. After their allotted twenty overs they had scored 103 for 3.
In reply, the two openers Farr began brightly, as they had done in the first game at Craigclowan, before Ollie was unfortunate to play the ball onto his own stumps. Jamie stuck to the task briefly,before he succumbed, very unluckily, to the same fate. At 8 for 2 a recovery was needed to steady the Belhaven ship, but at this point a double bowling change brought two Loretto spinners to the fore. Both bowled with great confidence and certainly the one bowling at the Belhaven coach’s end was turning the ball just enough to cause major problems for the Belhaven batsmen. Geordie Younger put up some stubborn resistance, but the score board was remaining fairly static and in due course the patient spinners began to weave their magic. 8 for 2 had suddenly become 8 for 5, with a mixture of good length bowling and some poor shot selection from one or two.
Kit Gordon Cumming arrived, played one sumptuous cover drive and then a less good one which caused his downfall and Will Plowden and the stubborn Hughie Brooks, who once again showed good defensive technique followed soon after to bring the total to 17 for 8 after just 11 overs.
Old-fashioned coach then stepped in to suggest that, although in an overs game there can be no draw, this was a good time to dig in and try to stay in for as long as possible, to get used to spending time at the crease. Angus Harley and Wills Younger did just that, and batted out the remaining overs without losing a further wicket. We ended the match on 41 for 8, and not to be bowled out offered at least something to be pleased with.
Work to be done, then, but the desire to win is there.
JP-H
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