by Jim Stark

DUNFERMLINE and Carnegie made it 10 East League Division 3 wins in a row with a 55 run triumph over Melrose at McKane Park last Saturday.

Early afternoon rain meant the game was reduced to 30 overs-a-side and on winning the toss the home team decided to bat first and set the Borders men a target.

Player/coach Steve Rowley, despite being hampered by a leg injury, batted superbly and made an excellent half century which saw the scoreboard rattle along at a rate of more than four an over, but when he was dismissed the innings’ fluidity was lost.

Still a score of 141 would prove a test for Melrose on a slow outfield and when Rowley captured two early wickets the visitors were in trouble.

Yaser Arfat’s entry into the attack ended any lingering hopes of a comeback when he took four wickets for only 10 runs, which saw Melrose reduced to 60 for six and they ended up 55 runs short.

Dunfermline and Carnegie have four games to go and are currently 23 per cent ahead of third top Selkirk, so if they can win at Haddington this weekend they will be in touching distance of their goal of promotion.

Said club president Martin Honeyford: “It was another pretty good performance and an important win, but we have achieved nothing yet and must aim to win our last four matches.”

Dunfermline and Carnegie (20) 141 for 9, S Rowley 54, V Reddy 23, J Loftus 5 for 23.

Melrose (7) 86 for 8, A Davenport 20, Y Arfat 4 for 10, S Rowley 2 for 11.

BROOMHALL kept up their promotion challenge in Division 4 by beating RH/Corstorphine 3rd XI by five wickets at The Cairns.

RHC struggled on batting first with Chris Hoefling and Alan Gudgin bowling well, backed up by the rest of the attack, and they made 131 in 40 overs.

Broomhall’s Ieaun Ward led the reply for the hosts and passed 50 before being dismissed but wickets fell cheaply at the other end.

It needed a fine unbeaten 47 from Gudgin to ensure Broomhall got over the winning line to remain half a per cent behind second top Edinburgh 3rd XI.

RH/Corstorphine 3rd XI (7) 131 for 9, Y Ali 62, F Abid 31, A Gudgin 3 for 16, C Hoefling 3 for 35.

Broomhall (20) 137 for 5, I Ward 56, A Gudgin 47 not out, G Schafer 4 for 14.