Cricket: Ruben rattles Stoneywood in RH Corstorphine victory

Overseas amateur Ruben Hattingh, from Durban, was the key performer as RH Corstorphine spectacularly kick-started their season with a five-wicket Scottish cricket cup win at Stoneywood Dyce in one of only three games to beat the weather.

In another sectional encounter, Stewart’s-Melville were heavily beaten at Arbroath.

Hattingh wasted no time in making his mark with a couple of early wickets in an over which helped reduce Stoneywood Dyce to 5-5 before recovering to post a target of 105.

Among Hattingh’s victims were Scottish Lion Michael Leask, who was clean bowled and internationalist Stuart Coetzer (caught behind by Gordon Lamb) in posting figures of 4-20 while, at the other end, teenager Joe Kinghorn-Gray took 1-5 from his bowling stint restricted to seven overs on age grounds.

Sulaiman Malik then came on and helped mop up the tail with 3-8 while Cameron Rope’s off-spin was rewarded with a wicket. In fact, Hattingh’s contributions were just beginning and it was his partnership with skipper Mike Yellowlees, out for 17 in sight of victory, that got RH Corstorphine across the finish line.

Appropriately, Hattingh, who had a half century in a Murgitroyd Masterton twenty:20 tie this season, hit the winning three runs through backward point to bring up his own 50.

The win was only RH Corstorphine’s second of the season in league or cup but, after entertaining East Kilbride at Fettes College this month, they expect to be able to move back to their home pitch at Barnton which has been subject to extensive drainage work.

By contrast, Stewart’s-Melville are unbeaten in the East First Division but slipped to a fourth cup defeat when allowing Arbroath to progress from 51-5 to 235.

Aussie Brayden Tracey, better known as a prolific batsman, took 3-11 but was unable to bolster the reply as Stew-Mel were dismissed for 67 with Vishal Shah top scoring on 30.