Leith Franklin Academicals Beige Cricket Club

A large expectant  crowd descended on Leith Links on Saturday expecting to see the filming of a new war movie. Unfortunately there had been some misunderstanding due to yet another bizarre website posting from Shavers editor Frank ‘FW De’ Simpson.

Simpson had suggested that several Leith cricketers were about to star in a remake of war classic Reach For The Sky but this was all just his usual angle on things to entice watchers down to the cricket.

More disappointment was to follow for the assembled masses as they soon discovered that the bar was also closed stopping The FAB from raking in a massive profit at the bar. I understand that meeting shall be taking place this week with the King of the Links to resolve this unhappy situation.

Anyway, the real action was now about to get underway as a severely under strength and extremely unfit 2nd XI took to the field with 9 men. They set about their task in positive fashion showing a keenness in the field unseen at Leith. For over after over messers Middleton and Dicks hobbled around in the field looking like 2 seperate halfs of a three legged race run in the shallow end of the Commonwealth Pool. Archie ‘tight on these’ Linklater was also in a keen mood and in fact made his only error when he was in fact too tight on one and let the ball under his bucket hands.

Meanwhile the bowlers were setting about their task with Blewis claiming an early LBW victim. Runs came at too slow a rate for Carlton and with first Middleton(2 for 30) then McKean( 4 for 27) wickets came all too regularly and despite Leith only having 7 fit fielders and 2 cripples Carlton could not achieve a reasonable run rate. The lack of runs brought about comedy moment of the day when under pressure to increase the rate Carlton batsman Liam ’son of John’ Prescott set off for a crazy run which lead to slow motion run out of the year. Middleton fielding at third man waddled 3 yards bent down slower than you can say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch and lobbed the ball in underarm to keeper Ahmed who whipped off the bails to exact unlikely runout of the year. Anyway, after all of this Carlton posted 191 for 9 which Leith were confident of getting.

Tea was taken and leith set about their task steadily with Linklater and Wattingham (promoted due to an early departure time) making steady progress until Wattingham feel to Aslam witht he score 22. A heavy downpur then interuppted the Leith effort and indeed didn’t do them any favours as it made the wicket sodden. This led to a mini collapse after the restart with Linklater, Ahmed and Bilson all falling in quick succession before Blewis and Dicks came together and steadied the ship. Over after over went by with the Leith pair piling on the runs at the now required rate of just over 6 before Dicks feel just 2 short of a what would have been a fine 50. There were still just 16 needed and when Satish then fell with 7 needed the pressure immediately feel back onto the home side who just 2 overs ealrier looked to be cruising to victory. Enter then the idela man for the job Stevie ‘The Pressure’ Middleton. Middleton not one to shirk responsibility immediately clubbed a 4 followed by a not so quick single. Then in the penultimate over with just 2 needed cracked one through the covers and Blewis and Middleton ran the 2 needed to see Leith home.

This victory is right up there with the best of them and the plaudits not only go to Blewis for his brillaint 74 not out but to skipper McKean who captained brilliantly throughout to see Leith home.

3 points Stevie Middleton playing through the pain

2 points Stevie Middleton *&&^*^*^*

Alright Stevie leave the points to the skipper.