Safyaan Sharif sends Dunfermline Knights up to second

TEENAGE Dunfermline Knights bowler Safyaan Sharif continued his good start to the season and helped his club stay move up to second place in the SNCL Premier Division with a fine showing on Saturday.

The National Academy member is highly thought of at McKane Park and the seamer took 5-21 as the Fifers won the match against fellow promoted side Forfarshire by seven wickets.

Sharif now has nine wickets in the top flight this term, as well as nine for the National Academy side, after a great first month of the summer.

He caused the Forfarshire batting line-up, which was missing Scotland man Ryan Watson, all sorts of problems. Australian Kelby Pickering put up the main resistance for the visitors with an unbeaten 40 in his side's total of 192 all out.

Knights skipper Gowtham Rai led his side's reply and notched up his first half-century of the league campaign. His 58 along with 53 from South African Alistair Gray, who now has more than 200 runs for the season, saw them home with more than 12 overs remaining.

Leaders Grange are still unbeaten after Gregor Maiden's fine form with the bat continued at Glenpark.

Maiden, who is hampered by a finger injury, hit 99 not out to take him over 300 runs for the summer and help his side make it five wins out of five.

Bottom side Greenock posted 214-5 batting first, captain Kevin McLaren (58) getting his second half-century on the spin and Andy Hislop (31) posting his first real contribution with the bat since he joined over the winter.

It did not prove to be enough against Grange's strong batting line-up though, Maiden and the hard-hitting Stuart Moffat (42) seeing them home by six wickets.

Uddingston perfected the art of winning a close game at the death for the second week in a row at Mannofield when they saw off Aberdeenshire by three-runs.

Last week the men from Bothwell Castle defeated Forfarshire by one wicket and this time in the Granite City the afternoon was just as nervy.

Batting first the visitors posted 204-9 before the bowlers did a fine job to restrict the hosts, with pro Michael Parlane hitting 72, to 201 all out with four balls remaining. Paul Hoffman and Sameer Zia collected seven wickets between them.

At Myreside New Zealander Tim Weston hit his first century for his new club as Watsonians defeated Clydesdale by five-wickets.

The 27-year-old paced his innings superbly, stroking 113 not out to see his side chase down Clydesdale's 231-8 with five balls remaining. He was given good support from Craig Wright with 47, while earlier all-rounder Stuart Chalmers had warmed up for Scotland Lions duty this week with 3-32.

Carlton hit more than 300 for the second time this season as they recorded a win at McCrea FS West.

The Grange Loan side hit 308-7 against SMRH in the Scottish Cup a few weeks ago and made 304-5 on Saturday at Hamilton Crescent, captain Fraser Watts continuing his good form with 77 opening the batting.

Former West man Steve Gilmour chipped in with 60 not out and Cedric English 46 as they chalked up a daunting total.

The hosts nearly chased it down though, 115 by the experienced Dougie Lockhart being supplemented by 57 by Duncan Williams and 50 not out from youngster Anjan Luthra. It was Williams' first top flight half-century since joining from Helensburgh over the winter, but the trio's runs were in vain as they fell 14 runs short.