DUNFERMLINE and Carnegie Cricket Club's first XI lost for the third successive match as their tough start to the season continued.

The McKane Park outfit, who before the campaign began had high hopes of challenging for promotion from East of Scotland Cricket Association Division Two, are still waiting for their first win after going down at Clackmannan County on Saturday.

Like in their first match of the campaign, which saw them lose out at Kelso, challenging batting conditions proved too much for the West Fifers to overcome.

The wicket at The Arms gave the Dunfermline and Carnegie bowlers plenty of assistance when the hosts took first lease, with Yaser Arfat performing very well.

He took three wickets while player / coach, Steve Rowley, also captured three as Clackmannan were bowled out for 108.

The visitors, without skipper George Olney, got to 44 for three in reply, but then lose three quick wickets and, although a late rally, led by wicket keeper, Aravind Allugubelli, had them closing in on the target, the tail folded and they lost by 13 runs.

Dunfermline and Carnegie sit second bottom of the table and club captain Vasu Reddy, who skippered the side in Olney's absence, said: "Batting was not easy, but again we lost cheap wickets at the wrong time.

"We have to concentrate hard on putting together a big score against Kirk Brae, at McKane Park, this Saturday."

Clackmannan County (20) 108, K Hefer 26, M Sharif 23, Y Arafat 3 for 14, S Rowley 3 for 19.

Dunfermline and Carnegie (7) 95, A Allugubelli 25, C Hill 15, D Hunt 4 for 23, D Daddalu 2 for 10, M Sharif 2 for 12.

In Division Six, meanwhile, there was disappointment for the second XI as they fell to their first loss of the season against Kirk Brae second XI (pictured).

The Edinburgh visitors batted solidly, scoring at around four runs an over throughout on their way to a challenging total of 160, but Dunfermline and Carnegie started well when they took to the crease.

Standing at 44 for one, they then went through a tough period, scoring just two more for the loss of three wickets, and, whilst Jamie Lee and Usman Saleem spearheaded a late recovery, they finished 18 runs short.

Kirk Brae 2nd XI (20) 160, P Bamber 33, J Ahmed 34, D Wood 3 for 12, R Cox 3 for 20, S Ali 32.

Dunfermline and Carnegie 2nd XI (9) 142, J Lee 33, D Wood 23, R Domadia 3 for 13, I Sadiq 3 for 32, N Nagi 2 for 19.

Dunfermline and Carnegie's third XI were also in action, at Westquarter and Redding second XI, but they too suffered defeat.

The home side made a competitive 161 and, in reply, the McKane side made a good start, with skipper, John Parsonage, batting soundly.

However, when he departed, the scoring rate dropped, and wickets began to fall regularly, and the West Fifers finished 68 runs short.

Westquarter and Redding 2nd XI (20) 161 K Peel 59, J Bannerman 28 not out, Josh Parsonage 3 for 39, T Burke 3 for 15, P Millmore 2 for 28.

Dunfermline and Carnegie 3rd XI (7) 93, John Parsonage 25, D Dullforce 3 for 12, A Shehnaz 3 for 21.

BROOMHALL won their second successive Strathmore and Perthshire Union game by convincingly overcoming Kinloch third XI at The Cairns.

Ieuan Ward completed his second successive century with an aggressive unbeaten 165, as the hosts scored their biggest total in many a long day, topping 300.

Kinloch struggled in reply, against the bowling of Gags Kahlon and Neil Ramsay, but kept trying to attack and ended up well short of their target.

Broomhall 312 for 4, I Ward 165 not out, N Millar 49.

Kinloch 86, G Kahlon 5 for 28, N Ramsay 3 for 36.