Spike the hedgehog may have toiled, but the Knights need no such help

SPIKE, the McKane Park hedgehog, was the subject of a dramatic rescue on Saturday.

Prior to Dunfermline Second XI's East League clash with Kirk Brae, the wee fella was spotted hopelessly entangled in the club nets, utterly exhausted, and on the point of expiry, before he was freed and revived. No such resuscitation job, though, is required on the Dunfermline Knights themselves. They are the Scottish team of the moment.

After several seasons of close contention in cup and league, there's a sneaking feeling Fife-way that this could well be their year, when brash promise is finally converted into meaningful silverware.

Astutely marshalled by captain Gowtham Rai and new club coach Kevin McLaren - already a Scottish Cup winner with Greenock - the McKane Park men can call upon arguably the most exciting talent to burst through into the Scotland side for some time in explosive fast bowler Safy Sharif, timed last week at over 82mph as he captured four Dutch wickets on his ODI debut.

Watch out, too, for their pyrotechnic batting duet of overseas imports Kiwi Stevie Smidt and South African Waynard Schmitt, who propelled them to a massive 383 against Ferguslie on Sunday. The Fifers will be quietly delighted with a home Scottish Cup semi-final tie pitting them against Premiership high-fliers Arbroath, for whom veteran all-rounder Benny McGill continues to work miracles on the days that matter.

Regardless of the winner, it will mean a team contesting the final at Lochlands, Arbroath on Saturday, 20 August whose name does not already appear on the cup.

The other semi-final throws up an intriguing tie at Myreside, whither holders Uddingston will travel to lock horns with a useful Watsonians outfit led by ex-Saltires skipper Craig Wright, also a previous cup winner with Grange and Greenock.