Meigle broke their Eastern Premier duck on Saturday with a hard-fought success against Falkland at Victory Park. Both sides went into the clash yet to register their first victory of the campaign, and the outcome was still in the balance until rain brought an early end with the home side ahead of the DLS par score.

Sent in to bat, the Fifers made a solid start with in-form Steven Meikle and Devon May putting on 61 in a patient first-wicket stand. However, Falkland proceeded to lose nine wickets for the addition of 68 runs, both openers falling on that total, Meikle run out for 23 before May was bowled by Fergus Barron for 32.

Meigle skipper Raju Gayashan and veteran Iain Stewart grabbed the initiative in the middle overs, the former claiming 4-16 in a miserly ten-over spell while Stewart picked-up the prize scalps of Asif Khan and Kyle Jacobs who fell for a second consecutive league duck.

Having reduced their opponents to 129-9, Meigle must have had high hopes of quickly polishing off the innings. Instead, the visitors produced a stirring fightback, Jarryd Lookwhy and Dan Styer adding 47 runs to frustrate their rivals.

The former led the way, top-scoring with a 73-ball 58 including five boundaries and the only maximum of the innings before being last man out while Styer contributed a valuable 16no.

Meigle’s decision to bat second was vindicated as they were always able to keep an eye on the par score during a rain-interrupted second innings. They were struggling on 33-2 before a 58-run stand between Muramalla Sriram and Gayashan put them on top. Sriram top-scored with 35 while the skipper made 30 before Falkland picked-up three quick wickets to put matters back in the balance.

Meigle still needed 52 from their last five batters and were relieved to be 12 runs ahead of the par score when the final downpour brought an end after 24.5 overs. It was by no means a foregone conclusion and Meigle spokesman Peter Drummond admitted: “It was a very nervy run chase, especially when Raju departed. 

“Sriram always looked in control but when he shoulders arms to one that nipped back in, it was very anxious in the home dressing room.” 

Meanwhile, Arbroath continued their fine start to the season, making it four wins from five by overpowering Edinburgh South at Lochlands. In another rain-affected encounter, the Lichties took just 24 overs to reach a revised target of 128, having earlier dismissed the visitors for 173.

Craig Ross was the bowling star with 3-30, the medium-pacer producing prodigious swing to trouble all the visiting batters. Keegan Crawford also claimed three scalps though it was Craig Ramsay who accounted for the dangerous Edinburgh opener Rukhmangad Holey who had made a fluent 42 before the veteran left-armer spun one through his defences.

Asad Amir finished unbeaten on 52 as the visitors were dismissed in the 45th over. 

Given 35 overs to reach their new target, Arbroath’s reply was a straightforward affair as they got there with seven overs and eight wickets to spare. Craig Cameron top-scored with 35 and skipper Ian Worth was 33no.

Arbroath coach Marc Petrie said: “It was an impressive performance from the team with contributions from most. It’s been an excellent start to the season, though we will continue to take each game as it comes.”

Elsewhere, the weather was the winner as none of the remaining three fixtures produced a result.

Champions Heriot’s posted 171-4 from 34.4 overs at Goldenacre before Forfarshire had reached 40-1 after eight overs in pursuit of a target of 212 from 43 overs.

It was a similar scenario at nearby Portgower Place where Grange youngster Abdul Butt made an attractive 48 in a tally of 120-6 from 28 overs. Rain may well have rescued the home side as Carlton, chasing139 in 28 overs, had reached 25-0 in 2.4 before the contest came to a premature and soggy end.

Jon van Zyl scored exactly 100 and Anthony Dunford 81no as free-scoring RH Corstorphine posted a formidable 281-6 from 45 overs at Inverleith but there was no time for Stewarts Melville’s reply to get underway before Jupiter Pluvius made his final, decisive entrance.

The elements were being cursed, too, in the East of Scotland Championship where Watsonian rattled-up a mammoth 501-3 – but were denied victory by rain! Big-hitting Scotland star Ollie Hairs led the way with an amazing knock of 196 in his side’s clash with Linlithgow at Boghall. 

The left-hander faced only 89 deliveries and smashed eighteen boundaries and sixteen huge maximums. In reply Linlithgow has slumped to 20-2 when the match was abandoned.

Sonians’ total is believed to be the first time a side has posted more than 500 in a 50-over club match in Scotland.