Cricket: Coupar given the run around at Aberfeldy

Jun 7 2012

Breadalbane 222 for six (25 points)

Coupar Angus 133 for eight (7 points)

THIS game was scheduled for Larghan Park, but the organisers of the Lark in the Park requested that the cricket team play away from the festivities and enable a 1950's re-enactment.

Warren Sutherland made a welcome return to the side and played a pivotal role in bringing some respectability to what has been a torrid period for Bobby Edington’s side.

It was yet another tale of 10 men being given the run around at Victoria Park, as the bowlers tried their best, but conceding rather too many runs at the small Aberfeldy ground.

A feature of the Coupar Angus fielding was a magnificent caught and bowled by the soon departing to Singapore, Graham Gibbons.

The bowler then headed off to hospital for an x-ray after throwing himself to catch the ball as only bowlers do to avoid conceding runs.

Two Breadalbane batsmen inflicted most of the damage, giving what turned out to be a nine-man Coupar batting line up a near impossible ask.

The top of the Coupar batting order again failed to cope with the Breadalbane bowling attack. Coupar have always struggled at Aberfeldy, but more attention to a forward defence and capitalising on loose deliveries should be the priority of all batsmen.

Slow bowling invariably catches out most of the Larghan Park batsmen, as there is a tendency to be rather too respectful, or merely swing across the line in agricultural fashion.

Only Mike Nelson and in particular Warren Sutherland appeared to make a fist of it and unless there is a dramatic improvement by the others, First Division status will be extremely difficult to retain.

Unfortunately, Bobby Edington had the experienced pair of Grant Carnegie and Gordon Croll unavailable on Saturday, while the ever willing John McIntyre is out with a damaged foot.

Silly runs outs, of which there were two on Saturday, did not help, and there was a steady procession of weary batsmen returning from the middle to face their depressed team mates on the side lines.

Warren Sutherland's cautious knock was typical of this classy batsman, who has netted only once this season and hasn’t played for a couple of seasons.

Breadalbane 222 for six (A. Duncan–Miller 58, S. Warrack 63 not out, M Bowler 28; W. Sutherland two for 34, R. Thorne two for 36, G. Gibbons one for 16, M. Nelson one for 35), Coupar Angus 133 for eight (W. Sutherland 52, M. Nelson 26, R. Thorne 10; M. Bridgeman three for 32, M. Bowler three for 33).

Coupar take on Norwood from Dundee at Larghan Park on Saturday when it is hoped that some sort of form with bat and ball and in the field will return.

Norwood have some good players but so do Coupar and given that cricket is very much a confidence game, perhaps a sports psychologist should be brought in ahead of Saturday’s tussle!