Derby win keeps Dons on track

Aberdeenshire on the toss and chose to bat first at a beautifully sunny Mannofield. Stoneywood chose to open the bowling with an off-spinner given the dryness of the track, however Chris Venske (52) and Calum Howard (19) were unfazed by the prospect and scored at a healthy rate off the first 10 overs, plundering 48 runs between them.

It took Stoneywood until the 17th over to find the breakthrough, Howard being bowled by H.Conradie's off-spin for 19, with the score on 72. Venske followed soon after for a well made 52 when he was caught behind off the bowling of Jan Stander, who also accounted for Graeme Tomlison when he chopped on for 16.

At 93-3 Harsha Cooray (38) and Kenny Reid (48) began the rebuilding job for Shire as they rotated the strike and punished the bad ball during a watchful partnership of 66 from 102 balls. Cooray fell in the 43rd over trying to up the scoring rate in the latter stages when he skied a drive to be caught and bowled.

This brought Daya Singh to the wicket who continued his good batting form with a whirlwind 27 from only 18 balls, in fact Singh added 50 with Kenny Reid before he was well caught at deep extra cover.

The Dons innings petered out once Reid had been bowled trying to complete his 50 and Shire closed on 222-7 from their 50 overs.

After the interval Aberdeenshire struck in the opening over, captain Tyler Buchan removing his Stoneywood counterpart Stuart Coetzer for a duck. Daya Singh opened his account soon after to reduce the visitors to 1 for 2 wickers.

Stoneywood then put together their most meaningful parternship of the innings as Gill (36) and Leask (20) added 43 before Adrian Neill clean bowled Leask in the 14th over.

The introduction of Harsha Cooray kept the pressure on the visitors, and when he induced an edge from Willemse the Dons had an opening at 73-4. Worse was to follow for the visitors when new man Stander tried to get off the mark with a quick single into the offside, however some good work from Tomlinson resulted in the run out of the well set Gill.

S.Conradie and Stander attempted to rebuild the Stoneywood innings but the off-spin of MacRae, Cooray and Howard were keeping things tight for the Dons during the 10 overs after the drinks break. With the rate rising and Daya Singh and Tyler Buchan returned to bowl maiden's in the first two overs of the powerplay.

This increase in pressure told for Stander, who tried to pull Daya Singh away through the legside only to be clean bowled for 20 with the score on 116. Tyler Buchan (3-23 from 9) struck twice in the next over to reduce the visitors to 118-8 and Daya Singh (4-17 from 9.4) wrapped up the victory 2 overs later to dismiss Stoneywood for 124.