Double celebration for Livingston Cricket Club

Aug 27 2010 By Alistair Watson

THERE was a double celebration for Livingston Cricket Club last weekend as victories for their two teams in the penultimate round of the East of Scotland Cricket League sealed promotion for both.

THERE was a double celebration for Livingston Cricket Club last weekend as victories for their two teams in the penultimate round of the East of Scotland Cricket League sealed promotion for both.

At Dresselrigg, the Livingston 1st XI defeated Murrayfield DAFS II by 92 runs.

Livingston scored 176 for 8 from their 50 overs, batting first in damp and difficult conditions.

Anand Kumar and Salman Aslam anchored the batting, scoring 32 and 33 at the start and end of the innings respectively, while Romil Mehta produced a steady spell of 3 for 49 for the visitors.

Murrayfield started their reply brightly, but Mark Collings ran through the middle order, taking 5 wickets for 18, to dismiss the visitors for 84 in the 35th over.

The win secures the second promotion place for Livingston, and keeps the pressure on Clackmannan

County, the Division 3 leaders, going into the final game.

The Livingston 2nd XI travelled to St Andrews, for their Division 7 clash with Largo III.

Livingston were able to contain Largo to 113 for 8 from 45 overs, despite being two men short, with 3 wickets to Conner Clark and 2 to Jeremy Franks.

The Largo total was passed for the loss of only 5 wickets, and more than 7 overs to spare, with Franks compiling a patient 37.

The win maintains Livingston’s third place standing, but with fourth and fifth place teams, Dunbar and

Broomhall II, contesting a final round play off, the Livingston 2nd XI are assured of one of four promotion places to Division 6.

Bathgate ruin Bo'ness title party

BATHGATE ruined the party for Bo’ness United as they came away from Newtown Park with a 2-0 win on a day of upsets for the reigning Super League champions.

Second-half goals from Gary Fallon and Lee Johnstone secured the win for Thistle in the first game of the season.

Bo’ness supporters were already upset when they found out that the Super League flag, normally presented before the champions’ first league game of the season, was not at the ground before Bathgate compounded their misery.

The mix-up left the big crowd unhappy with the East Region Management team and no date has yet been given for the presentation.

Bathgate boss Graeme Love was delighted with the win

He said: "To come here and beat last season’s winners was a super result for us."

The first half looked to be heading for a stalemate but, with only three minutes to go before half-time, Bo’ness were reduced to ten men.

Bathgate’s Lee Johnstone picked up a loose ball just outside his own penalty area and as he raced forward he was stopped by a blatant shoulder charge by Will Snowdon which knocked him to the ground. Referee Neil McLennan issued a straight red card, much to the anger of the Bo’ness players.

Nevertheless, the ten men started the second half well, forcing a series of corners, only to see Bathgate keeper Andy Carlin deal comfortably with every one.

With only five minutes played after the restart, Bathgate took the lead. Steven Payne swung over a super free-kick from wide on the left. Sub Gary Fallon came flying in at the back post to slide the ball back across goal and into the net.

Bo’ness responded well and were soon forcing corner after corner. However, again they found Carlin in super form. Bathgate gradually found their feet again and, in the 73rd minute, they doubled their advantage.

Alex Lurinski played a good ball between the two central defenders for Lee Johnstone to attack. He looked out of it but the defence just bounced off him as he drove into the box. Ryan McGurk, the Bo’ness keeper, came out but Johnstone showed remarkable composure to drill the ball past him.

Bo’ness now had to come out of defence and throw everything at Bathgate. This left them open at the back and once again Lurinski and Johnstone took advantage. They sliced through the home defence on numerous occasions without adding to their tally.

In the end there was no way back for Bo’ness.

Going to the home of the champions and winning will give Bathgate a huge lift in confidence ahead of this weekend’s game at Linlithgow.

Bo’ness Manager Willie Newbigging was very unhappy with the sending off. "It changed the game," he said. "We were forced into positional changes which took the edge off our strike force.

"It was a big game for us as they all are now we are the champions."