Premiership: New broom sweeps champions aside

The defeat effectively ended the champions' quest to retain their crown - and Patel was quick to predict that the Lichties will assume the mantle sooner rather than later.

He said: "They are a great little club with big ideas both on and off the pitch.

"Through sheer hard work and endeavour they have produced a hugely talented crop of young players.

"If they don't go on to win the title this season, they most certainly will very quickly afterwards."

Home captain Fraser Burnett admitted it was impossible to wipe the smile off his face in the wake of the "landmark" triumph.

The success propelled his side to second place in the Premiership and bolstered their prospects of a remarkable league and Scottish Cup double.

Burnett beamed: "We have claimed some notable scalps this season. However, I reckon this was the most valuable one.

"To get the better of a side like Grange has to be regarded as a bit of a landmark for us and underlines my belief that if we can keep the bulk of this squad together, we can do a lot of damage over the next few years.

"We had set out to make this campaign one of acclimatisation to this level of cricket - more of a settling in period rather than a serious bid to win silverware.

"So finding ourselves so high up the table and in the semi-finals of the cup is way beyond all our expectations."

Burnett reckons the high degree of "spirit and togetherness" carried them to the result they craved at Lochlands.

He went on: "When we slid to 10 for three the picture didn't look very bright for us, but a fantastic innings by Ross McLean got us out of trouble.

"The way he acquitted himself in the circumstances was truly exceptional.

"After that it was teamwork and energy in the field that mainly enabled us to complete the job.

"For a while I thought that pro Warren McSkimming was going to snuff out our challenge, but the tide turned back in our favour when he became the victim of a great run out by Sparky Edwards.It was a very heartening and sensible bowling performance, which was all the more creditable when you consider that my brother Calvin was unable to join the attack because of a tweaked hamstring.

"He badly wanted to bowl, but I refused to let him because I know exactly what can happen when you don't act cautiously with that kind of injury."

McLean's 60 coupled with the captain's watchful 42 and Calvin Burnett's 37 carried Arbroath to 186.

Overseas amateur Harry Byrnes Howe then snapped up three cheap wickets to help dismiss Grange for 162.

Burnett added: "I think it was my most enjoyable match with Arbroath - but I also have to pay tribute to the opposition for their positive attitude to the game in less than perfect conditions."

Elsewhere on another rain-ravaged day, Calum MacLeod was the mainstay of Uddingston's 19-run win against Stirling County at Bothwell Castle Policies. He struck an unbeaten 84 and Bryan Clarke hit 43 as Uddy recovered from a shaky start to post a tally of 223.

Also crucial were the late fireworks supplied by overseas amateur Alecz Day, who whacked four sixes in the space of two overs.

Dunfermline got back to winning ways at the expense of West of Scotland at Hamilton Crescent - in spite of a battling 71 by former Saltires star Dougie Lockhart.

Stevie Smidt (48) and Aamir Shahzad (46) eased the Knights to the revised target of 199.

Greenock's woes continued as they were toppled by Watsonians at Glenpark.

Former home star Craig Wright snapped up three for 27 before Ryan Flannigan (39), Andy Learmonth (35) and Stuart Chalmers (30) made sure of the Sonians win.

Tim McIntosh was the pick of the home attack with three for 39.