Largo's firsts build on opening day win against Glenrothes

Captain for the day, Chris Barclay, won the toss and decided to field first.

Opening the bowling with Brown and Earnshaw, Largo started well, keeping a tight line and length which lead to Brown taking the first wicket clean bowled with the score on 8.

Come the end of 12 overs the score had only moved to 17 but vitally only one wicket lost.

Bentley replaced Brown and showed some early season troubles in length leading to settled batsman Lewis and Salt hitting some much needed boundaries while Earnshaw was being let down by dropped catches in the field to leave him wicketless, despite a great spell of nine overs for just 16 runs.

Mid-innings drinks came and with that came a double change in bowling from captain Barclay bringing on himself and Ahmad, looking to break the partnership.

Immediately the changes paid off with Barclay removing Lewis for 31 caught by Coates behind the stumps before the same combo got the third wicket next ball, this time with a stumping.

The pair would continue to keep the pressure on and take wickets at one end but Salt was continuing to pepper the boundary with anything off line. Finally, after a few further drop, catches Salt was caught by Earnshaw on the boundary for 76 off Ahmad and this sparked a collapse from the home side. Barclay with his leg spin would go on to take a well deserved five wicket haul which coupled by two run outs by Brown with hard accurate throws from the boundary meant that Glenrothes were 143 all out.

In reply, Brown and Coates opened for Largo and started at a fast rate making it to 38 off the first six overs before a double strike by Glenrothes removed both to good catches in the outfield to start another batting collapse in this game. Sandhu, Dorey, Sen and McLeod would all come and go for single figure scores to leave Largo 64/6 in the 15th over and under serious pressure.

In at number 7 and 8 were Earnshaw and MacDonald and the pair managed to stop the slide temporarily for Largo with Earnshaw especially showing good form managing to find the boundary with great power to overcome the ever slowing outfield. The partnership would end with the score on 85, MacDonald caught at long off for nine bringing in captain Barclay in the knowledge this partnership would need to score the majority of any runs left in the innings to claim victory.

Good news though for the Largo side was this was exactly what happened with Earnshaw the main aggressor he would go on to score 50 not out with Barclay going against his usual aggressive instincts for a patient 13 taking Largo to within two runs of victory before Barclay was bowled by Salt. Ahmad would come in at No 10 and showed calmness to play out the rest of Salts over before hitting the winning run himself in the next to give Largo a very hard fought two wicket win.

Largo will will look to continue their 100 per cent record when they travel to face Perth Doocot’s second XI.

Scoreline: Glenrothes, 143 all out, Salt 76, Barclay 5-48, lost to Largo, 144-8, Earnshaw 50*, Lewis 3/37, by two wickets.