Portcullis 131 all out
Stonehaven 132 for 7

Stonehaven Thistle 2nd XI rounded off their phenomenal season on Saturday when they lifted the Johnston Cup after a nail-biting final against Portcullis at Duthie Park.
Having already won the ACA Grade 4 title this season achieving the league-cup double for the first time in the Club’s history means they will also receive the Thomson Shield at the Grades Dinner.

Having batted first for most of the season the Thistle skipper Dave Long was in no mood for showboating and wanted to restrict Portcullis to as small a total as possible. He got his wish when the Aberdeen side won the toss and elected to bat first.

The Portcullis strategy soon became clear as their big hitters were put in early and the total climbed to 39 off 8 overs, despite losing Sony for 7, bowled by Thistle opener Nigel King. At the other end Calum Findlay was unlucky not to break through but a bowling change to alter the pattern of play was made and Bryan Snelling replaced him. The break came in King’s next over as Rahaul was bowled on 24 by an unplayable delivery. However Chetan still threatened; the score climbing to 67 off just 14 overs. Once Thistle had worked out his strategy the extra man in the deep paid off and Chetan was caught by Barry Milne off Snelling’s bowling for 19.

King’s replacement David Long Jnr. then despatched first Abdul for 3, caught Snelling, then the dangerous Dodds was bowled on 4. Thistle’s bid to wrap up the tail was halted by the opposing skipper D. Cox, who then played a dogged innings and T. Dureja stayed with him until the 23rd over when he drove one straight into the bread-basket of King at silly mid on. Portcullis added another 33 runs until Cox was last man out on 30; their 131 a respectable total off 31 overs but crucially they had run out of wickets.

In contrast the Stonehaven innings crawled at the start with only 14 off 8 overs. However openers Dominic Crucikshanks and Bruce Findlay kept their wickets for the 50 partnership when Findlay was bowled by Chetan in the 18th over. There Thistle faltered as 50 for 1 became 51 for 3, Barry Milne caught in the slips by Dodds for 0 and James Crozier LBW to Sony, no score.

With Captain Dave Long joining South African Cruickshanks at the crease they then took on the bowlers with some intelligent stroke-play and quick running between the wickets but at 74 Long tried one ambitious shot too many and was caught for 11. His replacement, and elder son David Long Jnr. was more circumspect and had to play a steadying influence as Cruickshanks was then caught and bowled for 42 by Dodds with the score becalmed on 74 and Snelling soon followed for 1.

The match now entered a crucial phase, with 53 needed off 66 balls and with two new batsmen at the crease it would have been easy to throw wickets away chasing runs. However Long and Paul Hay played themselves in, the total crawling and overs shrinking. Soon it required more than a run a ball but both men responded by scoring boundaries when necessary and picking the bad ball, Paul playing some particularly lusty blows for his 24 runs before finally being caught by Dodds. By then Thistle were on 128 with 11 balls remaining. After a No Ball the final 3 runs were scored by  Nigel King, with just 8 balls to spare; Long not out on 14.

The Johnston Cup was presented to the Captain by the ACA President. Man of the Match went to David Long. Jnr. for his 3 for 24 and 14 not out at an important phase of the match; also completing his own personal “double”. Last time Thistle won the Johnston Cup in 2000, Long Jnr. was also Man of the Match.

The Match ball was sponsored by the Station Hotel.