FIN McCreath enjoyed a memorable return to club cricket as Grange ended Arbroath’s winning start to the Eastern Premier season at Portgower Place. The 26 year-old, who earned his first Scotland cap earlier this month, produced an innings of class and maturity to score exactly 100 and put his side on course for an 83-run success. 

Having lost two early wickets to Cameron Brown after being sent in to bat, the Edinburgh side were in need of a rebuild when McCreath came together with two fellow returning cap stars. He first added 52 with Jasper Davidson (25) before the partnership of the match gave Grange the initiative, McCreath and Jack Jarvis adding 119 for the fourth wicket.

Jarvis compiled a 64-ball 51 with six crisp boundaries while McCreath went on to reach three figures from 115 deliveries, striking eight boundaries and three maximums.

At 202-4 after 37 overs, the pair appeared to have put the capital troops on course for a total approaching 300. However, Arbroath refused to buckle and displayed commendable spirit and skills in the closing stages of the innings.

The introduction of skipper Iain Worth to the attack proved pivotal, the off-spinner putting on the brakes in tandem with left-armer Craig Ramsay. Worth only entered the fray in the 36th over, removing Jarvis immediately, while Ramsay bowled McCreath with the delivery after he had reached three figures.

Former Grange all-rounder Worth went on to claim 5-36 as the home side were dismissed for 258 in the final over.

Arbroath may have gone to tea feeling the momentum was with them but their run-chase was undermined by a combination of poor shot selection and penetrative bowling.

There was certainly no lack of intent from the visitors, Worth taking the attack to the international new-ball pair of Davidson and Jarvis and striking three boundaries before feathering a catch behind off the former.

Craig Cameron took a leaf out of his captain’s book with two boundaries and a maximum before being bowled by Jarvis while Shouvik Chakraborthy miscued a lofted drive to mid-on as Dewi Jones got in on the wicket-taking act.

Opener Jack Plomer continued to watch a series of potential partners comes and go before being eighth out for a patient 48 while Lee Paterson offered late resistance with a hard-hitting 33no as the visitors were all out for 175 after 42.5 overs. 

Defeat means Arbroath drop from top to fourth in the table while champions Heriot’s have returned to the summit after a comfortable seven-wicket win over RH Corstorphine at Goldenacre.

Like Grange, the reigning champions benefitted from the return of three Saltires stars in Charlie Cassell, Matthew Cross and Mark Watt, the latter claiming 3-24 as the visitors were bundled out for 133 in 39.1 overs. However, it was Adrian Neill who accounted for the in-form Liam Naylor for 18 while Niall Alexander picked-up the prize scalp of Brandon McMullen for 34 – RHC’s top score.

Peter Ross got the home side’s chase off to an emphatic start, striking eight fours and two sixes in a 37-ball 47 before becoming the first of Kess Sajjad’s two victims while McMullen bowled Heriot’s skipper Lloyd Brown as the champions were reduced to 70-3. However, Watt and Cross hurried their team to the target in only 19.3 overs, the former leading the way with three clearances in his 24-ball 37no.

Carlton have moved into the top three after a comprehensive nine-wicket triumph over Stewarts Melville at Inverleith. Having reached 113 without loss, openers Oliver Pillinger and Harry Armstrong hitting 81 and 42, the home side lost all their wickets while adding just 62 more runs.

Yet another returning Scotland man, Chris McBride was the executioner-in-chief- with 4-39 while Rory Allardice recorded 3-31.

An opening stand of 131 between Ruari MacPherson and Ollie Davidson then put the issue beyond doubt, the former falling for 69 while Davidson went on to finish unbeaten on 71 from 104 deliveries as Carlton reached their target with more than eleven overs to spare.

Former Falkland all-rounder Lyle Robertson top-scored against his old team-mates with 81 as Forfarshire eased to victory by 101 runs at Forthill. Defeat leaves Falkland seeking their first win, as are Meigle though the villagers came close to pulling off a remarkable recovery in their clash with Edinburgh South at Victory Park.

After being skittled for just 100, Asad Amir claiming 4-41, Meigle had their visitors reeling on 24-4, Sami Ejaz bagging 4-14. However, Edinburgh scrambled home by four wickets.

There was frustration for Michael English in Western Premiership One’s match-of-the-day between Ferguslie and Ayr at Meikleriggs. The Ayr opener stroked a brilliant 109no in his side’s 221 only to end on the losing side as Ferguslie secured victory by three wickets.

Ayr will have to wait for the possibility of revenge after their home Scottish Cup tie with the Paisley side was a victim of the weather on Sunday.

Arbroath, though, hit back from Saturday’s disappointment, producing a fine chase to overhaul Edinburgh South’s 243-8 to win by four wickets at Lochlands.

In the other games to beat the weather, Clydesdale over-powered Dumfries by seven wickets at Nunholm, RH Corstorphine had too much firepower for Aberdeenshire, scoring 315 in 39 overs in a 130-run win at Royal High School, while McBride was Carlton’s main man for the second time in 24-four hours, this time hitting a match-winning 79no against a spirited Drumpellier at Grange Loan.