Season-Opener Setback for Breadies

The studious Douthwaite, now joined by Damon Shearer, pressed on until Shearer holed out also for 14 with the score on 77. Wickets began to tumble until the Breadies steely stumper Mark Bridgeman joined the resolute Douthwaite and moved the score onto 133 for 5 before losing his off stump for 23. A further 46 runs were added bringing the Breadie total to 179 for 7 from their allotted 45 overs. Douthwaite finished with a career best 80 not out.

The Breadies felt comfortable at tea that this year they could break their longstanding early season bogey and win the first game of the season. Crieff tumbled to 63 for 5 and the Breadies sensed victory. They hadn't, however, accounted for the swishing blade of Leon de Lange, the crafty Crieff skipper. His bat swung like a metronome, monotonously despatching loose deliveries with consummate ease to the legside boundary. Wickets kept falling at the other end, but De Lange zeroed in on the target.

Crieff reached the target with 2 overs to spare and just 2 wickets in hand. De Lange finished on 71 not out and the Breadalbane early season hoodoo continues.

Breadies' skipper Mark Langhorn returned the best bowling figures of the day conceding just 31 from his 10 overs taking 2 wickets. Twelve year old Jason Adams took his first wicket for the club clean bowling Crieff veteran Billy Sinclair.

Leon de Lang is pictured larruping Langhorn to the boundary on his way to an unbeaten 71 leading Crieff to victory

by Shortleg