Cricket: Vithana and McGill inspire Arbroath win

HARSHA Vithana and Benny McGill combined with bat and ball to propel Arbroath to a crucial victory in their Eastern 
Premier basement battle with Forfarshire at Forthill. The Lochlands men slumped to 84-6 after electing to bat, but Sri Lankan Vithana led the recovery with a superb 107 while McGill gave admirable support to hit 42 as Arbroath battled back to reach 232 all out. Veteran McGill then played claimed 5-26 while Vithana weighed in with 3-15 as the home side tumbled to 93 all out.

The recovery of Carlton continued in fine style against Stoneywood-Dyce. The Aberdonians could make just 149 as Carlton went on to an emphatic nine-wicket success.

Aberdeenshire may be looking nervously over their shoulders after they fell to a five-wicket defeat against Grange side.

Watsonians continue to set the pace with a hard-fought three-wicket win over Heriot’s.

The top game in the Western Premier saw West of Scotland’s hopes of title success surely come to an end with defeat to Drumpellier. Drumps showed their fighting qualities to post 187-6.

n SALTIRES go into today’s CB40 clash with Durham at Uddingston today searching for more consistency after last Sunday’s defeat to the Welsh Dragons in Cardiff.

“Sunday’s game showed again that we still suffer from inconsistency,” said assistant coach Tony Judd. “It is something we are working hard to rectify. There is a familiar pattern that one day someone and bowls well and from the other end someone doesn’t.”

Skipper Gordon Drummond returns after missing the trip to Cardiff. Coach Pete Steindl may also tinker with a batting order which has failed to score heavily enough recently. The Saltires have lost their last ten matches against Durham.