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Cricket: No great escape for Stoneywood-Dyce in their relegation dogfight

Relegation means there will be no north-east representation in the Eastern Premier League next season.

Stoneywood-Dyce will be playing in the NE Championship next season. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson
Stoneywood-Dyce will be playing in the NE Championship next season. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Stoneywood-Dyce were relegated from the Eastern Premier League after failing to match the energy and application of Meigle, their fellow strugglers in the top Scottish club set-up, leaving the north-east without a representative in the top-flight.

Mark Lambley, the president of the Peoples Park side, acknowledged the 137-run home defeat in the final game of the season underlined the superiority of the Perthshire side on the day.

He said: ”We have been here before, and while it’s sad for the area to lose a rep in the top league in the game, dropping down to the NE Championship gives us the opportunity to rebuild and regroup.

“It has been a sharp leaning experience from which we can benefit – winning one game in the entire campaign was never going to be good enough.

“But well done to Meigle. They are a fine bunch of lads who like us faced the same issues, including long trips to Edinburgh to meet six clubs packed with professionals.

“It was never a level playing field, but we’ll be up for another go at going back with what is a generally young side.”

Stoneywood-Dyce will now resume hostilities with four other sides from the area who ply their trade in the NE Championship – Aberdeenshire, Gordonians and Huntly, who all entertain hopes of playing in the big time.

Run chase was always unlikely for the home side

Stoneywood-Dyce bowler John Grant in action against Meigle. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson.

The home side never recovered from an opening partnership of 59 between Meigle vice-captain Alan Neave (21) and Zahid Rasheed (30), which was reached in just over six overs and, just as crucially, conceding 42 extras over the afternoon.

In fairness, the home attack recovered their poise, but a late flurry of runs took the visitors to a total of 266 with only Shaun Coetzer’s three for 26 coming near the standard required.

Nathan Elliott was the most frustrated of the home bowlers, as he was on a hat-trick when the Meigle innings ended.

Facing such a high total, the Peoples Park were never in the hunt, but well served by their captain and opener Ewan Davidson, who looked set for a half century until he misread a delivery from Murray Scott and was caught behind on 31.

An on-form Davidson will be a necessary requisite next season if they are to bounce back.

The Meigle bowling hero was Adi Hegde – a Gordonian who moved to the Perthshire club at the start of the season. His five for 19 from his 8.3 overs was the spell which finally sealed the fate of Stoneywood-Dyce.

Davidson had the last word, when he said: “Our opening spell of bowling cost us. We have had a bad season, but we’ll be back. I promise you.”

In the NE Championship, Huntly finished third, this despite their home game with Freuchie being abandoned, while Shire and Gordonians ended their campaigns with disappointing defeats at Strathmore and Forfarshire on another bad day for NE teams in the national leagues.

Knight Riders claim Aberdeenshire Cup

In the Aberdeenshire Grades, Master Blasters Aberdeen need one win to be assured of winning Grade 1 going into the last week of the season, after easing past Crescent with three wickets in hand.

Second-placed Bon Accord on the other hand lost ground after they their game at Mannofield – both sides scoring 251.

Third-placed Gordonians kept their slim hopes alive with a hard-fought two-wicket win at the expense of Knight Riders, who went on to seek compensation in Sunday’s  Aberdeenshire Cup Final at Mannofield against their rivals.

In a closely contested in the prestigious final, Gordonians racked up 177 from their allocation of 40 overs, mainly due to a partnership of 86 between Ravi Mahhajan (70 not out) and  Ashfaq Bashir (37).

Knight Riders lost early wickets, but charged to a thrilling, nail-biting three-wicket win in the penultimate over, thanks to  sparkling 51 from Siva Palaniappian.

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