Development XI defeat Gordonians

Mannofield 185 for 6 win by 3 runs, restricting Gordonians to 182 for 6 on a fine early summer's day on Mannofield park.

A father and son partnership of Steve and Nathan Elliot opened the batting seeing off the Gordonians attack on an initially tricky surface after some early match sun showers.

Aberdeenshire's new Oversees Amateur Etianne Bota upped the pace of the innings with a fluent 47 before making way for the team's younger charges. Aayush Dasmahapatra joined Bota and looked solid against some of the nippy Gordonians adult seamers and Oversees Amateur Kruti Patel.

Clark Cameron and Lewis Munro formed a useful mid innings partnership with Munro playing some expansive shots and Cameron stabilising the innings with a watchful 42.

Joseph Horne in his first senior innings impressed with a range of strokes to progress into double figures, with Munro ending on 26 n.o. giving Mannofield a healthy 185 to defend.

Michael Elliot and Rahul Chandu took the new ball for Mannofield finding some early movement against the dangerous Kruti. The introduction of Findlay Anderson provided the breakthrough, continuing unchanged to claim two wickets in partnership with Botha bowling a first tidy spell.

Munro bowled with some good control and useful away swing claiming a wicket, followed by Chandu who took the prize scalp of Kruti on reaching three figures, setting the game up for a tense finish.

Captain Stuart Horne handed the ball to his son Joseph, who along with Nathan Elliot both bowled impressive spells at the end of the innings to restrict their local rivals, with Horne taking a deserved first wicket, stumped by Dasmahapatra.

Mannofield claimed a worthy first victory, with all juniors contributing and showing excellent promise together for the season ahead as a newly formed Development team.

The team travel for their next game to play an expected strong Forthill side, although they should do so with some confidence to again play some competitive cricket in representing the club in their new venture in the Strathmore & Perthshire Cricket Union league.