Few weather the storm

SCOTTISH cricket’s new domestic structure yesterday ran up against a familiar old problem when rain played havoc with the opening-day card.

Games in the Eastern Conference were hardest hit, with only one Premier Division and two First Division fixtures beating the elements.

They fared slightly better on the other side of the country, where two top-flight matches went ahead and former Scotland World Cup bowler John Blain was the headline act as West of Scotland made light work of Ayr at Cambusdoon. Blain, who moved north from Yorkshire during the close-season to take up a coaching role at Hamilton Crescent, proved he still has plenty to offer on the park with a devastating display of new-ball bowling.

He claimed five wickets for just 11 runs as an inexperienced Ayr batting line-up struggled from the start, Ian Cran also chipping in with four wickets.

The pair allowed West to dismiss their hosts for just 75.

Ayr grabbed a couple of consolation wickets at the outset of West’s reply Scotland U19 star Andrew Umeed led the way with a composed unbeaten 41 while retired international batsman Dougie Lockhart, a veteran of 178 caps, gave support with 20no.

Elsewhere, Greenock suffered a dispiriting defeat to top-flight newcomers Dumfries at Glenpark.

Half-centuries from Joe Clarke and Josh Geary hoisted the visitors’ tally to 199 before Pat Druce and Alan Davidson combined with four wickets apiece to dismiss Greenock for just 88.

In the First Division, Ferguslie came out on top in the Paisley derby with a decisive six-wicket win at neighbours Kelburne.

In the east, Arbroath and Aberdeenshire had the chance to make the early running.

And it was the men from the Granite City who edged home by ten runs in a tense affair at Lochlands.

Aberdeenshire had reached 31 when Andrew Innes was trapped by Benny McGill.

However, Neil MacRae and Sri Lankan professional Harsha Cooray kept the Dons on course for a substantial score with a partnership of 96.

Having reached his half-century, MacRae attempted to increase the tempo but paid the price when he was caught in the deep off Peter Clarke.

Kenny Reid, after contributing a breezy 21, suffered a similar fate while Graeme Tomlinson was bowled by Harsha Vithana for a duck.

Arbroath dominated the closing stages of the innings to claim five more wickets while allowing ’Shire to add just 13 more runs to finish on 185-9, Cooray top-scoring on 70.

Arbroath had good contributions from Fraser Burnett, who made a half-century, and veteran Kevin Ritchie.

However, the ’Shire bowlers took wickets at crucial stages and managed to restrict their hosts to 185-8.