Cricket: Farrell blasts Heriot’s to cup after bowlers keep it tight

Sean Weeraratna led the way with three wickets to restrict Watsonians, who had won the Cricket Scotland Eastern Premier Division 24 hours earlier, to 171-9 from their 50 overs.

Australian Farrell then hit a brilliant 75 not out and was well supported by Bradley Kneebone with an unbeaten 51 to see Heriot’s home by seven wickets.

After winning the toss, the Watsonians innings got off to a poor start in the face of superb opening spells from Weeraratna and Ali Farooq. The first wicket fell in the fifth over when Weeraratna bowled James Easton for five. With Andy Hislop and Ewan Chalmers together, the score crawled to 18-1 off 10 overs before the Hislop was bowled by Weeraratna for eight and, in the next over, Chalmers was removed by Farooq.

At 25-3 the men from Myreside were in trouble and skipper Stuart Chalmers and Andrew Chalmers set about rebuilding the innings. They took the score to 60 in the 26th over before impressive young spinner Mark Watt got the wicket of the latter.

Former Scotland captain Craig Wright (eight) soon followed and, at 83-5, Heriot’s had Watsonians on the rack. Chalmers and Dewald Nel progressed things to 105-5 off 40 overs and, although Nel went for 20 soon after, some aggressive hitting from Pete Legget helped his side past 150. His best shot was a six off Farrell and although he (33), Chalmers and Mark Yellowlees fell before the end, the captain had made 54 and 66 runs had come in a fruitful last 10 overs as ’Sonians posted 171-9.

Heriot’s reply got off to a flyer, a flurry of boundaries being augmented by a number of wides before skipper Steve Knox was bowled by Dewald Nel for nine.

David Ross and young Kiwi Kneebone took things to 50-1 off 10 overs and, at that stage, the Goldenacre men were in charge.

The introduction of spinner Wright did give ’Sonians a boost though and two great catches, the first from Andrew Chalmers and the second by Paddy Sadler, reduced Heriot’s to 59-3 in the 15th over as Ross and Kevin McLaren were sent back.

A quiet few overs followed with Wright and Stuart Chalmers keeping things tight before a big six and then 12 off a Ewan Chalmers over by Farrell saw  Heriot’s over three figures with just over 20 overs remaining.

That little spell gave Farrell confidence and the man who was on the losing side in the final 12 months ago for Dunfermline opened up his shoulders and reached his 50 with a pulled six off Stuart Chalmers.

Kneebone then followed his team-mate in notching up a half century and Farrell ended things in the 43rd over with a four.