The game proceeded under the cloud of news of the death the night before of a great stalwart of Ross County and NOSCA cricket in general, Tom Fraser.

Ross had contemplated calling the game off but Tom's widow insisted he would have wanted it to proceed.

The teams lined up for a minute's silence before the first ball. Ross won the toss and their captain, Renato Belli, decided to bat first. Andy Dixon took the reins for OrCa and put on Australian Chris Rae to open. He put in a mini-spell of three overs of sustained pace and movement that helped strangle the innings at birth. Only a streaky edge for two, a bye and a wide were given away off his first over.

At the other end, Douglas Rennie bowled a completely different style of fast bowling, making use of his height. Initially he was also difficult to score off. The first breakthrough was made by Rae when he nipped one back off the seam into the left-hander R. Alexander to have him pretty much plumb lbw for 3.

The other opener, H. Tolliday Snr, looked rather more in control and, with new man A. Hardwick, started to build a partnership. The first bowling change, when Rae took his rest, produced results. Russell Bremner, with his skiddy style, trapped Hardwick lbw for 2.

Rennie's fourth over was quite expensive and he retired to nurse a sore finger, giving way to Dougie Snape, with his left arm spin bowled at a brisk pace. This change again produced immediate results as he trapped Di Alexander plumb lbw with his first ball for 9, including two fours. The steady flow of wickets continued with Tolliday Snr eventually falling to Snape in his next over, caught by Mike Bugh at mid-wicket for 12. Not long after, another bowling change worked quick results when Bugh came on for Bremner and had H. Tolliday Jnr caught by Stewart at mid-wicket for 3.

Snape kept up his good spell with a third wicket in three overs when P. Mandy was clean bowled.

At 52 for 6 in the 14th over, the Ross innings was on the verge of collapse, averted by Belli, who came in to play something of a captain's innings.

Cajoling his partner T. Wright into plenty of sharp running, they put on 17 together until Wright was clearly run out for 7 by a good piece of work from Ewen Scott.

Belli continued to press hard and started to hit some big shots, including a fine six in Snape's last over of the maximum five and a four off his replacement Andy Reid.

Dixon decided enough was enough and brought Rae back to apply some brakes. Rae, if anything, bowled even faster, and certainly straighter, against the tail-enders and soon bowled M. Monahan, and in his last over L. Mardon for 1. Nearly out of partners, Belli continued to hit out but soon was perplexed enough by Reid's leg spin to edge one behind where Jonathan Morgan took a juggling catch to end the innings. Belli had top-scored with 20 and Ally Lamb had remained unbeaten without score.

The final total of 94, off 22.1 overs, was well below par but by no means a doddle to chase. Once again to OrCa's shame a fair proportion of the score, nearly a third, was extras – primarily wides.

Comfortably the best bowler was Rae, with 3 for 6 off his five overs – only three runs were off the bat. Snape also produced good figures and important wickets – 3 for 21 off 5. Bremner, Bugh and Reid all chipped in with a wicket each and good economy, while Rennie was unlucky not to take a wicket and to give away runs after his injury.

Dixon hoped to confuse the Ross bowlers by using left-right combinations so sent in Snape with regular opener Morgan.

Initially neither was overly troubled by the bowling of Lamb, steady but unspectacular, and Tolliday Jnr, who was erratic, and there were wides and byes aplenty to run. The opening partnership was not huge at 18 when Snape, on 4, took a wild swing around a straight ball from Lamb to be clean bowled.

Morgan moved on to 7 but before he got properly into his stride his first real attacking stroke, a square cut, was snaffled by Tolliday Jnr, at short point, at the second, diving, attempt. There then followed quite a collapse. Next man Stewart (another leftie) got a golden duck as he played on to first change bowler Wright, and the score had not moved on when in the next over Lamb got more reward when Dixon, on 1, tamely spooned one up to mid-off where Wright, getting involved in everything, took an easy catch.

Chris Ambrose too came and went quickly when only two runs later he chipped up an easy return catch to Wright, also for a duck. Rae had started well and, with company from Bugh, had started the scoreboard moving again when Bugh was very unlucky to receive a ball above waist height that should have been called no-ball. He tried to hit it hard only to present Wright with another, harder, caught and bowled which he took calmly.

The situation was looking grim at 36 for 7 but Douglas Rennie provided firstly sound support to Rae, and then later also started to hit out. They built a match-winning partnership with a judicious mix of sound defence, firm hits for boundaries, and good running. Rae produced the more classic strokeplay but Rennie, finally gaining some confidence, the more spectacular hits – including one seemingly effortless blow over long on for six.

Together they advanced increasingly rapidly towards the target and had all but secured victory when Rae had to retire for a composed 36, giving way to Bremner. Rennie unfortunately got out before the end, clean bowled by Monahan for 28 in the 23rd over.

After joining Bremner, Scott kept his head, scoring a single with a deft glance to third man, and both had scored 1 when the required total was reached, courtesy of two successive wides from Monahan.

Ross's bowling was by no means bad. Wright will be very pleased with 4 for 13 off five overs and Lamb was difficult to get way and took 2 for 9 off his five. The only other wicket-taker was Monahan, who, however, didn't complete an over. Belli took some punishment from Rae and Rennie in their pomp and the other bowlers were economical but lacked a cutting edge.

OrCa are now looking forward to the final, due to be played on Sunday, August 16. Before then Caithness alone will send a team to the reserve sevens this Sunday (August 2).

The cup competition, along with all other NOSCA tournaments, enjoys continued support from Macallan whisky distillers. Caithness Cricket Association gratefully acknowledges assistance from Caithness Sports Council and the Dounreay Communities Fund.

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