Langholm 1st XI secure one-wicket victory against Edenhall at home
ON THE same day England secured a one-wicket victory at Headingley, Langholm 1st XI produced the same result when defeating Edenhall on one of the hottest and most tense days the Castleholm can remember.
Edenhall posted 108 for 4 in 40 overs, with Bailey Donaldson starring with three wickets.
In reply, the Langholm tail held firm in support of Stuart Duggan, whose 26 not out won the match. Edenhall won the toss and elected to bat in the warm conditions. Some very tight bowling by the Steele brothers was rewarded when Tony had Armstrong caught behind by Duggan for 5. Edenhall finished the first 10 overs with only 10 runs on the board.The introduction of skipper Graham Park into the attack saw runs flow a bit more quickly and he removed himself after two overs.
Wilson and Armstrong took the score to 57, at which point Donaldson struck, with Armstrong LBW for 24. Langholm put the squeeze on as Donaldson and Jack Pool kept things tight. With the score on 66, the third wicket fell when Ashton-Smith took an easy catch off Donaldson to dismiss Bland for 5.
Wilson and Holliday struggled to find the gaps against some great Langholm bowling. Donaldson claimed his third, clean-bowling Holliday for 8 with the score on 87 in the 34th over.
Edenhall got past 100, with Wilson edging past his 50. They finished on 108 for 4 from 40 overs. Donaldson had 3 for 21, Tony Steele 1 for 18, Dave Steele 0 for 2 from 5 overs and Jack Pool a great spell of 9 overs for only 23 runs. Langholm made a reasonable start when Duncan Elliott and Graham Park added 22 for the first wicket before Park was bowled by Gate for 11. This brought on the mini-collapse. Tony Steele was caught behind off Gate for 0, then Nicky P creamed a ball straight to point, again off Gate, to leave Langholm in deep trouble on 23 for 3.
Dave Steele joined a flagging Elliott and they pushed the score up to 50 before Steele fell for 15. Elliott succumbed on 20, bowled by Bland with Langholm now 60 for 5. Donaldson followed, bowled by Kidd for 1. Ashton-Smith joined Duggan and they took the score to 68 before Jaimie misjudged a single and was run out for 6. Langholm needed 41, with young Aidan Wilson joining Duggan at the crease.
The pair chipped away at the total, adding 17 before Aidan was out for a valuable 8. Pool entered the fray and a few lusty blows got him to 4 before he fell with the score on 94 for 9. Andrew Paisley and Duggan edged the score to 103 by the 38th over. Duggan brought tremendous cheers from the crowd as he cover-drove Bland for 4 to take the score to 107 – two needed. Three balls later Duggan hit a two to give Langholm an unlikely victory. Duggan finished on 26 and Paisley a magnificent 5 not out.
This victory takes Langholm up to third, one point behind Edenhall, with three games to play.