OrCa coast to victory in plate final
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THE combination of Caithness Cricket Association and Orkney Cricket Club, known as OrCa, has ended its season in the North of Scotland Cricket Association (NOSCA) reserve team cup with a consolation prize.
In a five-team group OrCa won two games well, suffered a no result due to rain, then lost the last game in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, finishing second. This meant they qualified for the plate final against Fochabers on Sunday, September 11, at Forres.
OrCa struggled to put together a side but, with a few calls to former members and a couple of local lads roped in to field, put 11 men on the pitch when they won the toss and elected to bowl.
They then put on a fine bowling display, strangling the innings almost at birth.
Captain Chris Rae started down wind and slope, and built up his usual head of steam for three niggardly overs.
At the other end Douglas Rennie made a double breakthrough in his first over, firstly catching A. Priddle from a mistimed stroke then inducing a similar mishit from S. Goldsbrough – this time taken behind his head by wicketkeeper Jonathan Morgan who doggedly held on while falling heavily backwards.
The sight of OrCa bringing in the field for a hat-trick ball must surely have affected Fochabers’ batsmen because although G. Griffin and D. Timms proceeded to put together the first of only two substantial partnerships it was at a slow rate characteristic of rebuilding. Luke Merchant kept up the pressure and soon made another breakthrough having Griffin well caught, again by Morgan – diving away to his right.
I. Dickson joined Timms for another substantial, but even slower, stand as they played out tight bowling from Dave Kirkland, who replaced Rennie, and the end of Merchant’s spell.
Kirkland finally got Timms in his fourth over when Rae took a sharp chance at mid on from an unusual belligerent shot.
His 17 was the only double-figure score and he had held the innings together. Douggie Snape soon followed this in his second over getting rid of Dickson caught and bowled.
The innings was looking terminally sick and the coup de grâce was applied by Snape. He took the second two-in-two of the innings as Merchant caught I. Stockwell and Carney went lbw.
Once again the hat-trick was avoided and the Fochabers resistance stretched to playing out the 30 overs, although after Keith Keldie weighed in to get the captain, N. Dickson, out for nine, Kirkland taking the catch, this was at a funereal rate. The final total was 71 with, tellingly, only two boundaries.
OrCa only needed to score at a little more than two an over, but started as if they wished to waste no time.
A. Smith and Keldie hit out quite extravagantly – Keldie hitting a big six over mid-wicket – although the partnership did not last too long as Keldie was taken off a skier in the third over for seven.
Rae kept up the momentum and looked to be cruising as the score bowled along at more than four an over.
Andy Hollinrake later provided intelligent support to Smith, a lot of whose shots went high into the longer outfield before he really got his range to pick up three boundaries in his last seven balls faced to end up retiring on 36.
Morgan only had time to hit a couple of singles and Hollinrake finished it off on the 14 over for a comfortable win by seven wickets.
There was a distinct feel of anticlimax about this easily won game, especially as OrCa felt they should have been contesting the main final.
However, they have now the proud record of being in a “final” each of the last five seasons and taking a piece of silverware home four times.
Full innings scores (in brackets) in batting order with bowlers analyses – Fochabers: A. Priddle (1), G. Griffin (9), S. Goldsbrough (0), D. Timms (17), I. Dickson (6), I. Stockwell (4), N. Dickson (9), J. Carney (0), S. Gibb (1 no), W. Leiper (4 no), C. Tiddy (dnb).
C. Rae, (five overs, two maidens, four runs, zero wickets); D. Rennie (5, 0, 17, 2); L. Merchant (5, 1, 12, 1); D. Kirkland (5, 0, 12, 1); D. Snape (5, 2, 8, 3); K. Keldie (5, 1, 11, 1).
OrCa: K. Keldie (7), A. Smith (36 ret), C. Rae (14), A. Hollinrake (5 no), J. Morgan (2 no), D. Snape (dnb), L. Merchant (dnb), D. Kirkland (dnb), D. Rennie (dnb).
N. Dickson (4, 0, 24, 1); S. Gibb (5, 0, 14, 0); D. Timms (3.3, 0, 10, 1); G. Griffin (1, 0, 15, 0); J. Carney (1, 0, 6, 0).
