After the roasting dished out by Methlick at Lairds in the earlier season’s encounter the tables were turned at The Shed on Saturday. Mid-week rain had spiced up the already lively track and local knowledge already meant that MCC were on the back foot from the moment that Grampian won the toss and asked their visitors to bat.

Addison brings Methlick home.
After the mauling given to Banchory with a 200 run victory for Methlick at Lairds on their first encounter, little resistance was expected for the away trip to Burnett Park on Saturday against the team lying at the foot of Grade 2. How differently things turned out as Methlick crept to victory on a putty-like surface giving lots of help to the bowlers.

Methlick back on the winning trail.

With only four games left in the season Methlick took on Siyapa from Aberdeen, an unknown prospect after the initial game was wiped out by the rain, whose early season start seemed to have fallen away of late. Once again runs seemed on the cards with a slick outfield as Siyapa were put into bat on a breezy but warm day and there was the potential for Methlick to leapfrog them in the Grade. Conti:- Conti:--

Top of the table Stoneywood Dyce visited Lairds on Saturday with almost perfect weather for cricket and a dry outfield and rock hard wicket meant that it was going to be a day for batting. Skipper Murphy won the toss and let the visitors have first go with the bat and they took full advantage, with four of their first team players on show.

The sun shone on Lairds in more ways than one as Methlick Cricket Club continued their winning streak with wins for both teams on Saturday. At home the first team faced a much changed and stronger looking Gordonians who went in to bat first.

Methlick fielded their strongest team of the season for this weekend’s encounter with Grampian, a team lying in second place in Grade 2 and pushing hard for promotion. Once again the wicket and outfield looked magnificent and higher temperatures were held back by a strong wind and a high scoring game was anticipated with a fast out-field. Conti:-

The sun shines on Methlick.

After last week’s disappointing performance at Fraserburgh, Methlick needed to bounce back with a win to lift them out of relegation territory. Bouyed by new signing, Jason Stark, spirits lifted as a heatwave hit Methlick. A tough battle was expected against a high-scoring Knightriders and on a slick outfield. Conti:-

Undone in the Broch.
After an intense game in Aberdeen last week and a continued batting improvement much was expected of Saturday’s trip to local rivals, Fraserburgh, especially with the team bolstered by the returns of Adam Veeresema and Tom Acton. What actually happened was Methlick being undone by a very damp wicket with huge variations in bounce, and local knowledge saw Fraserburgh winning by 11 runs in a low scoring game.  Conti:-

At last, the summer decided to stay for the weekend and Lairds looked perfect for Methlick 1^st XI’s home debut of the 2017 season. Needing a full haul of points after 2 early defeats so far, MCC’s hopes were raised when only 9 men had travelled from Banchory but despite this they chose to field 1^st when Skipper Steve Murphy lost his 3^rd toss on the bounce.

Methlick’s faltering start to the season continued at People’s Park on Saturday, and once again a failure to put a decent score together was the main contributing factor as the men from Lairds were bowled out for 112 on a very green wicket. With the expected slick outfield at Dyce that was never going to be a defendable target.

A new season and a typically un-tropical north-easterly met Methlick when they arrived at Counteswells to open their Grade 2 account for 2017 on Saturday.

New captain, Steve Murphy, decided to bat first and put pressure on a youthful looking Gordonians. Mark Woodhouse and Stuart Anderson opened on a very good looking, hard wicket and from the outset bowler Shaikh, the Gordos captain, managed to extract swing and seam from the track after starting with a maiden.

Gordo’s win at the death in a deluge.

Counteswells was the stage for an exciting, high-scoring  Bon Accord cup game on Saturday with the home side defeating MCC in the pouring rain with four balls remaining in the match.

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