Stonehaven Thistle 2nd 104 for 8, Methlick 2nd 103.

Thistle 2nd XI hosted Methlick in the Johnston Cup at Mineralwell.
Skipper King won the toss and invited the visitors to bat in the blustery conditions, the bails coming off so many times it was agreed to play without.
Matthew Greig took opener Buchan out, bowled in his first over, and between himself and King kept the score down. With the visitors on 25, King, Crozier, and Garden all struck with reducing the batting side to 27 for 4 inside 14 overs. Yet again the Thistle fielding was very slick, and with a rather portly looking opposition, there was likely to be little scope for running sore than the odd singles.
Methlick were in a quandary, how to get some runs but preserve wickets with almost half the batting back in the pavilion. As the middle order tried to hit out, King still had several bowling permutations to consider, and moved the bowlers around to keep the batsmen unsettled. David Garden generated some good pace and was always going to trouble the batsman despite one or two efforts to hit him out the ground. Garden duly provided the breakthrough Thistle needed by bowling Gerrie.
King returned in an attempt to clean up the tail end, and was on a hat trick in his first over. Shaw was still hitting out and trying to ensure he had the strike as wickets fell. King then took another wicket, and Barry Milne playing a cameo role with the ball removed top scorer Shaw to a simple Crozier catch. Methlick were all out for 103.
Thistle's reply got going in a slightly jittery mode, helped by some wayward bowling by Methlick's attack. Garden fell to a mistimed shot. Pete Law couldn't get going after last week's fine knock, and was bowled, and Sam Dickinson, although ably supporting Bruce Findlay couldn't get the ball off the square, and spent all his time at the crease defending. Sam fell to a straight delivery, playing the wrong line Thistle were 38 for 4. Milne came and went, his lack of practice this season showing with a truly awful shot at a straight ball. Steve Crozier then came to the crease with Bruce Findlay looking solid. The pair attacked and defended with style, Bruce getting the lion's share of the strike, creeping his score up with single after single. After Crozier was out LBW, Calum Findlay and N King helped the score along with brief stays at the crease. Alexander Jones, a late replacement for the home side played a brief role ably supporting Findlay, and defending well.
With the score on 93 Paul Hay, under instruction from Findlay not to give his wicket away promptly pushed the score to within touching distance of victory by smacking an enormous 6, breaking the resolve of the visitors. Bruce Findlay was on 49 with the scores tied, and Thistle with 2 wickets in hand. Bruce duly obliged scoring the winning run to take him to 50 not out.
A classic Findlay innings, and one that was needed for all round confidence. Back to back wins for Thistle 2nds and the semi final of the cup beckons. Beating Methlick will serve as a psychological boost for Thistle when the meet in the league.
A well grafted win led by Bruce Findlay's intelligent batting, and Thistle's varied bowling and fielding attack.
Garden finished with 3 for 23, King 4 for 21. Bruce Findlay 50 not out, having carried his bat, and deservedly man of the match. Match ball kindle sponsored by Ruftrak Bikes, Stonehaven.

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