INVERURIE Cricket Club defeated local rivals Kintore Cricket Club in a sun-drenched, low scoring match at Castle Park, Kintore last Saturday (July 26).

Inverurie again fielded a shuffled side due to holidays and honeymoons but did have a guest player in Ross Gelderbloem from South Africa who arrived in the country last Tuesday to play for Stoneywood-Dyce but was at a loose end after failing to be registered in time for their National League fixture.

After the two previous fixtures had been abandoned or rained off the fine weather was much appreciated.

Skipper Hadden lost the toss, and Kintore elected to bowl first on what initially looked like a good wicket although a little grassy. Hadden and Strachan opened the innings for ICC against Jones and Laird and in the third over Hadden edged Jones behind to the keeper Grayson for 2, the ball keeping low.

This brought Gelderbloem to the crease and after playing a couple of nice shots he also fell to the variable bounce, this time lbw to Laird against one that failed to rise above ankle height. ICC were now 13 for 2 off six overs and KCC were entitled to be pleased with their start.

Martin joined Strachan and both played a watchful innings with the variable bounce needing such caution until Strachan hit the first boundary of the innings as runs were hard to come by with the slow outfield.

As is often the case, a few balls after the boundary Strachan played all around a full toss from Laird and was bowled off his pads for 11, ICC were 20 for 3 in the tenth over. Murrison, who was in good form, came to the crease and along with Martin slowly pushed the score along at just over two an over. Jones was replaced by Anderson but ICC couldn't increase the run rate off his slow, but accurate bowling.

After scoring 13 Murrison was unlucky to play on to Laird in the 20th over and then four overs later Martin also succumbed on 13, this time to a catch by Stalker off Laird. ICC were now in a bit of trouble at 53 for 5 with a maximum of 22 overs remaining.

Coutts and Bloice were now at the crease and with Laird completing his 12 overs with excellent figures of 4 for 15, Adams came on replacing pace with spin. Bloice blocked up his end completely waiting for Coutts to score the runs, and after a slow start mainly to get used to the variability of the pitch the runs started to trickle along.

After 30 overs ICC had scored 61 and after 35 had moved on to 76. Coutts decided that it was now time to attack and started to find the boundary and increase the scoring rate, but Bloice suddenly pulled up lame requiring a runner. On the first ball he hit with the runner, Bloice forgot the situation and charged up the crease instead of remaining in his ground and was run out, but sportingly the KCC captain Balsillie recalled the appeal to allow him to continue.

Coutts extended the partnership beyond 50, of which he had scored the majority, causing a double change in the bowling with Singer and Balsillie coming in to the attack. Coutts was in sight of a deserved half century when he missed a straight one from Singer to be bowled for 49.

Veteran Ewen came to the crease with the score on 107 for 6 and along with Bloice attempted to up the scoring rate for the last few overs. Eventually the pair saw out the innings leaving Inverurie on 128 for 6 off 46 overs, Bloice 16 not out and Ewen 9 not out. This seemed at first glance to be a low total but neither the pitch nor the outfield offered much help to the batsmen.

After a fine tea, KCC opened with Balsillie and Adams, against Morrison and Gelderbloem and the batsmen immediately launched into their shots against Morrison, but struggled against Gelderbloem's line and pace as he continually beat the edge of the bat. Both openers paid the price for their shots as Balsillie was caught by Strachan off Morrison for 8 and Adams was bowled by Gelderbloem for 7 leaving KCC on 17 for 2 off 5 overs.

Irvine and Middleton steadied the innings for a few overs then went on the attack at one end taking a liking to Morrison and hitting some boundaries as they were unable to do much against Gelderbloem.

Morrison was replaced by Ewen who was straight on the mark bowling wicket to wicket and slowing the run rate. KCC continued their slow accumulation, struggling to make any headway apart from the last over of Gelderbloem's spell.

KCC had now reached 53 for 2 off 17 overs and Hadden replaced Gelderbloem and the change brought a wicket as in his second over Middleton, on 24, skied one to point where, fortunately for his calf injury no excess movement was required for Bloice to take the catch.

The next ten overs saw Irvine and Prosser only manage 22 runs against the tight bowling of Hadden and Ewen, leaving KCC a little behind the required run rate until Ewen had to finish his spell of nine overs for 14 runs and leave the field to go to work.

Now with a ten man field, Gelderbloem came back into the attack and bowled Prosser with the second ball of his first over. KCC were 82 for 4 off 31 overs and ICC had a sniff of victory if the next batsmen, Laird, could be contained.

The breakthrough came in the 35th over when Irvine gave up a sharp caught and bowled chance against Gelderbloem going for 35 and in the next over Laird charged Hadden only to miss and be bowled for 6.

The outlook for the game had now changed completely and KCC were under real pressure at 93 for 6, still needing 36 with eight overs left. Anderson and Stalker managed a few singles and gained five wides when Gelderbloem managed to swing one the wrong way to reach 104 when Stalker attempted another sweep to Hadden and was bowled for 3.

Strachan replaced Gelderbloem who had finished his 12 overs and struck immediately, bowling Grayson for 2, then in Hadden's next over he bowled Anderson for 3, and Strachan wrapped the innings up in the following over, bowling Singer for 1. Kintore had only reached 108 all out off 40.3 overs and Inverurie had a fine win over their local rivals.

The match had been keenly contested in a sporting manner by both teams and Kintore, although disappointed at the damage done to their title aspirations admitted they had been beaten by the better team on the day. Inverurie were understandably elated by a win against one of the top teams in the Grades and local rivals to boot.