Thu 2nd September at Mannofield starting 12:00 (noon) - Grades Select v Scotland Presidents XI
Format: Standard laws of cricket, (no restrictions on bowlers, fielders etc), whites, 50 overs & red ball.

Scotland President XI 290 for 7 (50 overs) (M Cross 56, S Smith 56, R McClean 47; K Humphrys 2-52, G Jamieson 1-31).
Grades Select 230 for 8 (50 overs) (F Awan 54, C Mouli 42, G Jamieson 29 not out; R McClean 3-45, G Ninan 2-47)

Scotland President's Select XI:
Cross Mathew (Aberdeenshire)
Goudie Gordon (West of Scotland)
Hairs Oli (Grange)
Lamb Ritchie (Aberdeenshire)
McLean Ross (Arbroath United)

THISTLE SPORTS GRADES (Umpires sponsored by Shahbaaz Tandoori)

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4th

The Malik Twenty20 Cup starts on Tuesday evening with North East Indians v. Aberdeen Grades at the Links and Aberdeenshire v. Stoneywood at Mannofield. Full fixtures list is here. Games continue throughout the week, with the Grand Final scheduled for Friday evening under the floodlights at Mannofield. Full fixtures list is here.

An eight-wicket win for Inverurie over local rivals Kintore looks to have come too late to preserve their Grade 1 status as Grammar FPs, led once again by performances from John Eagles and Jeremy Moir, took full points off Banchory to seemingly send the Kellands Park side down.  Bon Accord meanwhile took the title for a second successive season despite being unable to force victory against Mannofield in a high-scoring encounter at the Links; while Queens Cross will undoubtedly be relieved simply to have survived the season as they were hammered by Ellon, Harry Wolrige-Gordon scoring an undefeated century and Jonathan Barrett taking a hattrick as the Gordon Park side ran out 200-run winners.

There was an upset at the top of Grade 2 as St Ronald lost to 2^nd Banchory, but with Crathie also winning, it appears that St Ronald and Banchory will be playing two divisions apart next season; while Gordonians gained revenge for their cup final defeat against Cults-Artisans, 8-year old Lewis Munro holding out resolutely for four overs before his partner at the other end fell with two overs remaining to give the Countesswells men, for whom C. Mouli had earlier notched up an innings of 118, victory.

The battle to avoid relegation from Grade 1 looks as if it could go to the final week as, despite Inverurie being gifted a walkover by Queens Cross, Grammar FPs hung on to gain a draw against 2nd placed Cults, despite an undefeated knock of 128 from the visitors’ Kapil Laghate.  Bon Accord meanwhile with two further wins over the weekend look to have secured the league title for a further season.

At the top of Grade 2 St Ronald, Cults-Artisans and Anchorians all won; but at the foot Crescent were again forced to scratch while Crathie lost to Methlick, as did 2nd Banchory to Anchorians, making Crescent and 2nd Banchory favourites for relegation, while it could again be two Cults sides in the top flight next season.

Despite Grade 3 leaders 2nd St Ronald having a free day, Academy were unable to make up ground, being held to a draw against 2nd Gordonians, while a century for S Murphy and Kintore’s scratching to 2nd Grammar, means that it could be the Castle Park side which now go down with Queens Cross to Grade 4.

At that level it was again youth to the four with 11-year old Abdullah Afridi again taking three wickets for Stoneywood-Dyce, while teenagers Ryan West & Rahul Chandhu took two each for Kemnay, and Hamish Ritchie two for Huntly Highlanders as they held on for a third successive draw to frustrate Kemnay’s promotion hopes at Bogbeath Park.

Saturday August 21
Scottish Saltires v Hampshire (at Mannofield)

At its meeting on 9 August the Management Committee of the Association ruled that the match between 2nd Kintore and 2nd Methlick, played on Saturday August 7th 2010, should be awarded as a walkover to Methlick, as this game had been played by Kintore in clear breach of Note 1 to Association Rule 16, which states that a Club unable to fulfil all its scheduled fixtures on a given day must scratch (or by agreement with its opponents, postpone) its fixtures from the lowest Grade, working upwards - Kintore having previously sought and obtained a postponement of their Grade 1 game against Stonehaven [now scheduled for Saturday September 4th.]

The Committee further found proved, and admitted, that 2nd Mannofield had fielded an player, at that point unregistered, in their game versus Knightriders on 3 July 2010 in breach of Association Rule 11; and in accordance with precedent deducted 12 points for that offence.

Aberdeenshire Cricket Association Grades Select - Winners of the Monitor MCS mpower Cup 2010

Left to right; Brian Veldsman (Bon Accord), Richard Miller (Monitor MCS), Kapil Laghate (Cults), Fazal Awan (Bon Accord), Aman Arora (Ellon), Nawaz Mirza (Bon Accord), Chris Forbes (Anchorians), Jonathan Barrett (Ellon), Robin Taylor (Grades Vice President), Tauqeer Malik (Bon Accord) (captain), Gavin Jamieson (Queens Cross), Andy Win (Bon Accord), Sajid Hasan (Banchory), John Hitchen (Grades President).

Further to our news article from May, players are reminded that urninating in a public place is a public order offence. There are amply public facilities in Duthie Park, and captains are asked to remind their players of this at the start of games.

An undefeated knock from prolific opener Fazal Awan, backed up by 72 from skipper Andy Win , saw Bon Accord place one hand firmly on the Grade 1 title for a further year, as they ran out 100-run winners against Cults at the Allan Park. Facing a total of 277 for three, Cults were never really in the hunt, and despite 87 from Sreedith Devadas, and 21 from Kaoil Laghate, fell well short of the target required.

At the other end of the table meanwhile, Grammar FPs improved their chances of Grade 1 survival and pushed Inverurie closer to the drop with John Lord scoring 65 and John Eagles taking four wickets at Kellands Park, while Ellon’s run of form was brought to an end against Banchory, as Sajid Hasan and David Itter again combined to steer the Burnett Park side home despite a knock of 32 and five wickets for Jonathan Barrett.

At the top of Grade 2 St Ronald comfortably overcame a struggling Crathie side; but Anchorians’ recent run of form came to a dramatic end as they were dismissed for just 31 by Methlick, S. Murphy returning seven wickets for 17; while both Corry Bowie and Mark Oldham finished undefeated as Fraserburgh ran out nine-wicket winners over 2nd Banchory.

In Grade 3 2nd St Ronald eased passed Dunecht, with K Imran once again leading the way with the bat, while Academy were held to a draw by 2nd Grammar at Rubislaw.  A draw was also the result recorded at Kintore, where the home side playing a second team fixture despite the fact that their first team game had been postponed fell 6 runs short of victory against 2nd Methlick, anchored by an undefeated innings from Andy Stalker; while at Ellon there was a win for the home side, despite a century from 2nd Gordonians’ Shahram Memon.