Grange’s young bowlers hailed as Eastern Premier title race is kept alive

Mazars Grange skipper Preston Mommsen has praised young bowlers Charlie Peet and Jamie Cairns as well as the batting of Oli Hairs after they kept the CSL Eastern Premier Division title race well and truly alive on Saturday.
Preston Mommsen, above, hailed the efforts of Charlie Peet and Jamie Cairns as Grange put relegation-threatened Aberdeenshire to the sword at Portgower Place. Pic: TSPLPreston Mommsen, above, hailed the efforts of Charlie Peet and Jamie Cairns as Grange put relegation-threatened Aberdeenshire to the sword at Portgower Place. Pic: TSPL
Preston Mommsen, above, hailed the efforts of Charlie Peet and Jamie Cairns as Grange put relegation-threatened Aberdeenshire to the sword at Portgower Place. Pic: TSPL

Grange’s defeat to leaders ion8 Forfarshire nine days ago looked like being a hammer blow to the Portgower Place side’s hopes of retaining the title. However, cricket is a funny old game and with Forfar losing unexpectedly by one run to Arbroath at the weekend, it means that second-placed Grange and even Carlton and Heriot’s, in third and fourth respectively, are still in a title race.

Grange eased past relegation-threatened Aberdeenshire with teenage spinners Peet and Cairns playing a major role.

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Batting first in the Capital, Aberdeenshire posted 171 all out, Peet taking 2-15 from his 10 overs in a spell which amazingly included five maidens.

Cairns took 1-34 from his 10 overs while Hairs, usually known for his prowess with the bat, came into the attack late on and took 3-17.

Connor Shorten and Gordon Goudie were also in the wickets and, in Grange’s reply, Hairs and Ryan Flannigan set off like a train.

They put on 110 for the first wicket before Hairs was out for a well-made 87 and then Flannigan (51 not out) and captain Mommsen (24 not out) saw the hosts home by nine wickets in 24 overs.

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It has been a tricky period for Grange of late, but this result should leave them buoyant ahead of the run in.

Mommsen said: “I was very pleased with the overall performance against Aberdeenshire given the tough couple of weeks we have had.

“Charlie Peet and Jamie Cairns were superb for us and that bodes well for the Scotland Under-19 team who have some big games coming up with those two likely to be involved.

“Oli Hairs has been fantastic for us since he returned at the start of the season and it has been great having him in our batting line-up, he is in top form.”

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Carlton made it three league wins on the spin at Inverleith against Stewart’s Melville.

After losing a couple of early wickets, Arun Pillai (39), Ali Shah (37), Corne Dry (36) and Parker Neame (also 36) dug in with the bat to help Carlton post 235-9 batting first.

Captain Steven Parker made 30, but wickets kept falling around him in StewMel’s reply and they were all out for 170 to lose by 65 runs.

That triumph kept Carlton third, while Heriot’s are still fourth after a century from Elnathan Meiri and five wickets from Ryan Brown saw them defeat RH Corstorphine at Goldenacre.

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Opening batsman Meiri made a superb 104 and was supported by Peter Ross with 55 and Hayes van der Berg with 43 as the home side made 235-8.

RHC skipper Majid Haq battled for 28 not out, but a devastating spell of 5-10 from six overs from spinner Brown saw them slump to 81 all out.

Watsonians, with Scotland Women’s skipper Kathryn Bryce in their XI, lost at home to Stoneywood-Dyce.

Malusi Siboto made 92 and Euan Robertson 42 as Watsonians posted 209-7, but a brilliant 109 not out from Liam Lindsay saw the men from the north east home by six wickets at Myreside.