Stoneywood-Dyce found the going tough in Edinburgh against a Grange side which included 10 internationalists.
The Aberdeen side slumped to 88 all out, although they gave the Raeburn Place side a fright when they batted, reducing them to 44 for four before the home team asserted themselves to ease to a six wicket win.
Despite their second defeat of the season, People’s Park captain Lennard Bester was proud of his team’s application in the field.
He was disappointed they were unable to make a challenge with the bat, the unbeaten knock of 43 opener Du Preez Stander being the exception on a dull, overcast day at the Grange.
Bester said: “It’s difficult to come here to the home of Scottish cricket with an amateur team and make an impact on a team of international hardened cricketers.
“We will be judged not on these two games against champions Heriots and Grange, but on our next four games against Stewarts Melville, Carlton, Watsonians and Falkland, three of which are at home.
“These games could define our season.”
Having won the toss, Grange had no hesitation in putting the visitors in to bat on a green seaming wicket which was to the particular liking of Christopher Greaves who was the pick of the home attack, capturing six Stoneywood-Dyce scalps for 35 from 8.3 overs, but denied the wicket of Stander who carried his bat.
The South African faced 99 balls, hitting only four boundaries but demonstrating the kind of tenacity other People’s Park batsmen will need to show in the four games targeted by Bester.
Set such a lowly target, Grange were always going to be winners, although the visiting attack gave their early batsmen a torrid time.
Abdullah Khalid made the homesters sit up and take notice, taking three for 36, including clean bowling Greaves before he had scored.
Generally, the visitors fielded well, although it’s their batting they must address in the build up Saturday’s home game with Stewarts Melville.
Rain stops play
But while the area’s top side were able to get a game, there was no such luck for all the local representatives in the NE Championship after no play was possible in the derby game between Aberdeenshire and Huntly at Mannofield, as was the case at Countesswells where the rain prevented play in the Gordonians versus Arbroath United game.
In the Aberdeenshire Grades, there was a second win for Bon Accord at Inverurie where veteran captain Taqeer Malik took three for 36, restricting the home side to 185 all out, 67 of which was carefully constructed by Jordan Thom.
The Bons response in the only Grade 1 game to be completed was led by Fazal Awan who raced to 103 in 66 balls to give his side a seven wicket win.
In Grade 2, Aberdeen Grammar kept their bid to make a quick return to Grade 1 on track with a 13 run win against Banchory. Opener Alec Keith, leading the way with belligerent 49. In the Banchory response, Sam Rotherham hit an equally brisk 39 in their attempt to chase down the 203 set them by Grammar.
In the same division Huntly were five wicket winners against 2nd AberGreen.
In the only game to be completed in Grade 3 2nd Master Blasters Aberdeen hunted down the 151 set them by Stonehaven Thistle for the loss of four wickets.
This week’s results…
EASTERN PREMIER LEAGUE
Stoneywood Dyce 88 (4 points) (D Stander 43no, C Greaves 6-35, T Foulds 2-8) Grange 89 for 4 (25 points) (F McCreath 28no, J Jarvis 20no, A Khalid 3-36)
Meigle 182 for 9 (25 points) (M Harvey 63no, T Brits 38, L Naylor 4-28, T Pratt 2-52) Watsonian 127 (2 points) (A Chalmers 55no, O Hairs 34, Z Rasheed 4-30, R Gayashan 2-4)
Falkland 119 (2 points) (J De Jager 40, J Martins 20, B Allchin 3-19, L Robertson 2-8) Forfarshire 123 for 3 (25 points) (J O’Neill 40, L Robertson 30)
Carlton 108 (F Thornton 48, A Pillai 22, J Kinghorn-Gray 5-13, J Dickinson 3-5) Heriot’s 39 for 2 (H Van Der Berg 23no) Match Abandoned
Stewart’s Melville 101 (R Henry 25, C Whitefoord 6-26, C Clarkson 2-11) RH Corstorphine 32 for 2 (C Shorten 2-14) Match Abandoned
SPCU NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Kinloch 197 (7 points) (M Ali 62, J Shah 30, G Birrell 4-32, M Hastie 2-25) Freuchie 200 for 4 (25 points) (I Stonebridge 54no, S Munro 51)
Perth Doocot 206 for 7 (25 points) (M Hussain 55, J Rush 44, D Sweeney 4-33) Strathmore 176 for 5 (10 points) (L Trueman 102, U Ahmed 24, O Patterson 2-36)
2nd Forfarshire 267 (25 points) (H Brar 113, G Garden 49, C Hepburn 4-48, R Hepburn 2-35) 2nd Falkland 124 (9 points) (S McIntyre 2-10, J Girolami 2-18)
Gordonians v Arbroath United & Aberdeenshire v Huntly – Both Abandoned
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND CRICKET GRADES
GRADE 1
Inverurie 185 (13 points) (J Thom 67, T Norval 31, T Malik 3-32, N Mirza 3-45) Culter Curry Bon Accord 186 for 3 (30 points) (F Awan 103no, K Ahmed 36)
Knight Riders 33 for 2 (M Madhan 22no) v IDI Services Crescent – Match Abandoned
TechForce Master Blasters Aberdeen v Gordonians, Ash Accountancy Cults v AberGreen & Grampian v Mannofield – All Abandoned
GRADE 2
2nd AberGreen 138 (12 points) (S Jafri 34, M Myron-Petrie 3-26, F Cameron 2-6) Huntly 139 for 5 (30 points) (M Myron-Petrie 34, A Dawar 28, A Ali 4-33)
AGSFPs 203 for 7 (30 points) (A Keith 49, A Haider 49, V Adyanthaya 2-19) Banchory 190 (17 points) (S Rotheram 39, M Herbert 28, P Poosappadi 5-24,
Portcullis v Quilter Cheviot Ellon Gordon & 2nd Knight Riders v Fraserburgh – Both Abandoned
GRADE 3
Stonehaven Thistle 151 (12 points) (N Macaulay-Dicks 73, J Sura 23, S Tenneti 4-14, A Kolapalli 3-34) 2nd Master Blasters Aberdeen 152 for 4 (30 points) (R Pamidimukkala 40, M Khan 30no)
3rd Gordonians v Crathie & Dunecht v 2nd Gordonians – Both Abandoned
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