Forfarshire moved into the top half of the Eastern Premier table after an exciting win over RH Corstorphine in Edinburgh on Saturday.  On the first badly rain-affected weekend of the season, ‘Shire prevailed by just 7 runs on the DLS method after their opponents fell short of a revised target.

Both sides were without key performers, the hosts lacking a trio of Scotland and Scotland A players in Brandon McMullen, Owen Gould and Liam Naylor, the league’s leading scorer. The Forthill men were without Michael Leask, on duty with the national side, while skipper Scott Cameron was suspended.

It was stand-in captain Callum Garden who led the way for the visitors after they had been sent in to bat in blustery and damp conditions. They were wobbling on 25-2 when Garden was joined in the middle by Jack Hogarth, the pair going on to compile a pivotal partnership of 146 runs at a rapid rate.

Garden was in dominant form, facing just 80 deliveries and striking a dozen boundaries and two maximums before falling just four runs short of what would have been a deserved century.

Hogarth, full of confidence following a midweek T20 ton, was content to play the supporting role, stroking seven boundaries in a 70-ball 49.

With the platform set, Lyle Robertson and Craig McConnachie maintained the momentum, the former hitting 60 at a run-a-ball while McConnachie contributed 29 as ‘Shire posted an imposing 337 before their last wicket fell in the final over.

RH Corstorphine were going well on 110-1 before a lengthy rain delay stopped them in their tracks. With the home side set a revised target of 287 from 40 overs, Lee Robinson struck a crucial blow when he bowled Johann Joseph for 53, the same bowler also dismissing Kess Sajjad while Hogarth weighed-in with the wicket of Anthony Dunford as RHC fell just behind the rate.

They had reached 207-4 from 33 overs when further rain caused an early end with ‘Shire rewarded for these wickets on the resumption.

If the weather worked in favour of the Forthill side, it perhaps conspired against Meigle who looked in a promising position before their match at Carlton was interrupted. The visitors had posted 222, with half-centuries from Sami Ejaz and Raj Gayashan, and had reduced the hosts to 104-4 when the rain arrived.

With Zahid Rasheed in full flow, having claimed all four wickets, there was a hint of panic in the home ranks. However, Carlton regrouped during the break and were comfortably ahead of the par score when further rain brought the end.

There was frustration, too, for Falkland who appeared to be well-placed to go on and record their first victory of the campaign when their clash with Stewarts Melville was abandoned six overs short of a contest at Scroggie Park. Zane Schlebusch, the league’s most potent new-ball bowler, was again to the fore, claiming 3-34 as the visitors were dismissed for 171 in 41.4 overs.

The Fifers had reached 64-2 with Steven Meikle and Asif Khan well set when the rain arrived.

An intriguing finish looked on the cards at Inch Park where Edinburgh South had posted a modest 159 before reducing Grange to 53-4. The visitors’ hopes may well have rested on Preston Mommsen who had just arrived at the crease on one of the former Scotland captain’s rare top-flight appearances.

However, there was no further play – and none at all at Lochlands where Arbroath’s meeting with Heriot’s was called-off before a ball had been bowled.

Only one match produced a result in Western Premiership One, Dumfries securing a 29-run DLS success against Drumpellier at Nunholm where Alan Davidson’s 3-25 including two in one over proved decisive. 

Meanwhile, Forfarshire were indebted to Garden for the second day running when the stand-in skipper’s contribution staved-off the possibility of a Scottish Cup shock at Huntly. Garden top-scored with 70 against the North East Championship outfit as ‘Shire were dismissed for 151 in 38.3 overs at Castle Park, Calum Howard and Jack Mitchell claiming three wickets each for the hosts.

Mitchell top-scored with 36 as Huntly moved to 140-8 before a lengthy delay kept both sides on tenterhooks. Occasional bowler Harjeet Brar was ‘Shire’s saviour on the resumption, claiming the last two wickets in six balls as the underdogs fell five runs short.

In the other tie to beat the weather Muhammed Mayet was Ferguslie’s hero in a comfortable eight-wicket win over Ayr at Cambusdoon. In a match reduced to 30 overs, the South African claimed three wickets in one over without conceding a run to restrict Ayr to 115, despite a fine half-century from Michael English.

Mayet then stroked 75no as the Paisley team cruised to victory with 10.1 overs in hand.