Stoneywood-Dyce dog Heriot's with 11th league win in a row

Stoneywood-Dyce maintained the pressure on leaders Heriot's with a remarkable 11th successive league win - but only just. Chasing Ayr's 181 on a testing People's Park track, the Aberdeen side's top order collapsed, William Anderson, Grant Jamieson, Liam Crowley, Ed Willemse and Michael Leask all departing cheaply, but a fine 87 from coach Jan Stander, assisted not for the first time this season by Jarred Walters (27) and Scott Redhead, hauled them back into contention.

Then in a thrilling climax the last pair at the crease, skipper George Ninan and Ally Gill, dragged them over the line with just two balls left. Earlier Stander had made crucial inroads with the ball, halting prolific Alloway pro Michael Papps' remarkable run of high scores, bowling him for just 8, before removing keeper-bat Neil Smith and captain Mark Renny, as Ayr slumped to 40 for 5.

However, in-form veteran Dougie Johnstone passed the 600-run mark for the season with a splendid 72, and some valuable later-order contributions from brother David, Neil McCrossan and Richie Borland enabled the visitors to set a challenging total.

Heriot's, meanwhile, stood firm at the top with a comprehensive 180-run crushing of beleaguered Poloc whose batting again folded to a new low of 57 all out. Only opener Keith Sheridan (20) made it into double figures as six ducks were recorded, and Goldenacre left-arm spinner Matthew Thomas stretched his lead at the top of the league bowling charts with his 37th wicket in another impressive return of 3 for 9.

Earlier Heriot's big three run scorers had delivered once again, as Adam Lockhart-Krause (69), Gavin McIntyre (71 not out) and Sean Weereratna (48) helped the home side to 237 for 5.

Third-placed Arbroath United remain in close contention after trouncing bottom-club Stenhousemuir at Lochlands. Seamer Benny McGill again led the way, removing the Rutherford brothers, Hamilton and Gardner, with the new ball, assisted by fellow seamer Craig Ramsay (3 for 8) as Stenny folded to 62 all out in only 28 overs. The Lichties polished off the runs in 11 overs for the solitary loss of pro Craig Williams.

Left-arm spinner Ally Rawlinson's five wicket haul for just 14 runs kept Drumpellier in the title hunt, reducing Penicuik to just 142 all out, with only coach Richard Partington and Chris Ashforth passing the 20 mark for the Kirkhill side. Langloan overseas amateur Greg Lewis then blasted a quick-fire unbeaten 90, assisted by young keeper-batsman Michael Anderson (27 not out), as the home side romped home with nine wickets and 19 overs to spare.

Seamer Richie Carswell was the hero for Stirling County, grabbing the crucial Falkland wicket of pro Harsha Cooray, bowled for just 9, before featuring in an unbeaten tenth wicket stand of 21 with Graeme Taylor which saw the New Williamfield men just scrape through.

Earlier on a damp Scroogie Park deck the home side had struggled to 108 all out, before Stirling too toiled in reply, subsiding to 66 for 6, as returning Ryan Hepburn snatched four wickets for just 18, but the luckless Fifers could not make the final breakthrough.