The following article is reproduced by kind permission of Clyde & Forth Press Ltd


Dunfermline Knights finished their first season in the Premier Division of the Scottish National Cricket League with a crushing victory over second-placed Watsonians.

Watsonians won the toss and batted first in a match that they had to win to have any chance of winning the title.

However, apart from the first four overs, they never looked like setting a realistic target and were bowled all out for 124 in the 44th over, handing the title to Grange.

The Knights wasted no time in chasing down the total and reached the required target in a little more than 20 overs.

Professional Alistair Gray needed to score 36 runs to become the first batsman in the history of the national league to score 1000 league runs in the Premier Division and the highlight of the day was when he reached this milestone off the penultimate ball of the match.

Club spokesman Eric Spreng said after the match, “It has been a magnificent effort by the players to finish the season in third place in the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“We are delighted that our professional, Alistair Gray, has been such a success again this year – his league record of 1000 runs and 24 wickets speaks for itself.

“However, it is not all about Alistair. Gowtham Rai scored 490 league runs and Vasu Reddy scored 402 league runs and was the third highest wicket taker in the Premier League with 31 wickets.

"Safyaan Sharif was sixth highest wicket taker with 24 wickets and Abi Shakoor was the most successful wicketkeeper in the Premier League with 27 dismissals.

“There were other individual contributions too numerous to mention and it really has been a great team effort.

"When you stop to think that the nucleus of the team were playing Second Division cricket only two seasons ago, the players deserve great credit for raising their game to the higher level.”

Watsonians 124 all out, (Y Arfat 3 for 14, S Reddy 3 for 16).

Dunfermline Knights 125 for 2, (G Rai 71, A J A Gray 36 not out).

The Knights’ second XI finished their season with a 95-run defeat by Broomhall, a result which sees Broomhall promoted to Division 3 of the East League.

Broomhall made 232 for 8 off their 50 overs and the Knights never really looked like reaching the target, with only David Miller looking in touch with the bat.

Broomhall 232 for 8, (C Humphreys 2 for 31, N Service 2 for 46, J Davidson 3 for 28).

Dunfermline Knights 2nd XI 137 all out, (D Miller 41).

The third XI finished the season on a high with a convincing win over Holy Cross.

Fourteen-year-old Scott Lucas was undoubtedly the man of the match, scoring a magnificent 103 not out to record his maiden century and following it up with an impressive bowling display, taking three wickets.

Dunfermline Carnegie finished their East League Division Four season with a thumping eight wicket victory over Stenhousemuir at Pitreavie on Saturday.

Carnegie captain David Mitchell, on his farewell appearance for the club, won the toss and asked Stenhousemuir to bat.

Mitchell was rewarded with fine opening spells from Jerry Murray and Matt Wauchop.

Gavin Ross, Neil Harris and Mitchell himself also bowled with great control as Stenhousemuir folded to 104 all out in 42 overs.

In reply, Carnegie coasted home by eight wickets in 27 overs thanks to solid batting displays from Harris, John Hynd and Martin Honeyford.

Man of the Match for Carnegie was Martin Honeyford.

Stenhousemuir 104 all out, (Moses 31, Ross 3-7, Harris 2-9, Mitchell 2-10, Wauchop 2-25).

Dunfermline Carnegie 104-2, (Honeyford 28 not out, Harris 28, Hynd 25 not out).