by Jim Stark

A CONVINCING win in the Borders on Saturday kept Dunfermline and Carnegie at the top of cricket's East League Division 3.

The McKane Parkers won the toss and inserted St Boswell's and struck early through dismissals from James Honeyford and Yasser Arfat.

Arfat struck twice more within the next half hour and, after eight overs, half the home side were back in the pavilion for a paltry 16 runs.

Dunfermline and Carnegie player-coach Steve Rowley came in to the attack and struck immediately before going on to claim three wickets for only two runs.

When the last wicket went down the total was just 51 and although a run-out gave St Boswell's an early boost, Arfat and skipper for the day, Martin Honeyford, set the innings on a steady course towards the target, which was achieved in 16 overs.

Honeyford was delighted with the performance from his team in the field, telling Press Sport: “We took some good catches and there was some good bowling, all in all a decent all round performance.”

The West Fifers are back in the Borders this weekend to take on Melrose.

St Boswells (2) 51, (S Rowley 3 for 2, Y Arfat 3 for 4).

Dunfermline and Carnegie (20) 52 for 2, (Y Arfat 19 not out, M Honeyford 17).

BROOMHALL got a good home win on the board, in East Division 4, on Saturday by five wickets at The Cairns.

Watsonians third XI were in trouble quickly on batting first and at one stage were 14 for 7, with Chris Hoefling and Ieuan Ward skittling the early batsmen.

However, a solid eighth-wicket partnership took the score past 50 but a total of 64 shouldn’t have tested the home side.

They started well in reply and the first wicket saw 20 on the board but then four more wickets fell for seven runs.

However, the later middle order stood firm and they eased through to make it one win and one defeat from their opening two games.

Watsonians 3rd XI (3) 64, (I Ward 4 for 10, C Hoefling 4 for 18).

Broomhall (20) 68 for 5, (N Millar 12, Ja Chalmers 10 not out, O Robertson 2 for 6, R Kennard 2 for 18).

IN Division 7, Dunfermline and Carnegie XI blew a winning opportunity at home to Gala second XI at McKane Park on Saturday.

The home team bowled and fielded well and that added up to restricting Gala to 79 in 37 overs.

At 27 for one in reply they seemed on course for victory but a dramatic collapse saw them all out 21 runs short of the target.

Gala 2nd XI (20) 79, (M Hastings 16, B Brown 3 for 9, D Cooper 2 for 8, E Leslie 2 for 12, G Coles 2 for 19).

Dunfermline and Carnegie 2nd XI (5) 58, (D Miller 11, C Ormiston 4 for 18, C Thomson 2 for 11, L Skeldon 2 for 15).