Peebles County Cricket Club

ESCA Division 8, Match 3: Dunfermline and Carnegie 3 Vs Peebles CCC, Saturday 10th May 2025

Last Saturday Peebles County travelled to the beautiful country setting of Charlestown in Fife to take on table topping Dunfermline and Carnegie 3 in ESCA div 8.

County lost the toss again as Pete Caddick (30) and Kevin Bunten (12) started with a 34 run partnership. Bunten later receiving his debut cap from our oldest debutant Dr Julian Pace. Sravan Parakkattu (57) continued his fine form including a couple of ‘middled’ sixes. A couple of drinks breaks together with more ‘factor fifty’ saw County lose a few wickets as they looked to quick runs. Alfie Pace (0) missed his first one while James Boyle (5) stuck around with Rev (10) as Aarad Ajmal (1) and Mehul Prajapati (0) missed their usual lofty blows. Thorsten Schutte (5) and Niall Burns (8) saw County to a total of 154 off the ESCA allocated 40 overs. A superb tea (more cakes from the fabulous Erica Revell Cakes) with cricket banter before the huddle and cap presentation.

The message from the skipper was to bowl very straight and play the game in a true Peebles Spirit of cricket fashion. Parakkattu (4-24) bowled all three of the first Dunfermline batters and unusually all played on to the stumps. Prajapati (0-51) was unlucky not to strike. County had D & C at 30-3 before Burns (1-15) was back to his miserly self and Ajmal (3-13) joined the party. Alfie Pace (0-24) was difficult to get away especially with his Father reading each delivery. So Dunfermline were 109-9 and the game ‘in the bag’ before number 10 bat hit five sixes in a last partnership, leaving six runs required off the final over. After a quick single, Alfie stepped up in the final over and Prajapati kept his nerve throwing in calmly to effect a run out and last over victory to Peebles by four runs.

An excellent performance in the field included three run outs and a safe boundary catch by Bunten together with an extremely tidy wicket keeping performance by Pace senior. A thank you to Dunfermline and Carnegie for playing in a sporting manner and ‘old style’ tea.

Peebles County are sponsored by Sully’s Fish, Chips and Pizzeria with weekly senior, ladies and junior training at the Gytes. Player of the match to Parakkattu for wickets and runs with the ‘champagne moment’ going to Prajapati holding his nerve at the final winning run out.

After a grand day out in the sunshine, County hit the hills back tae Peebles and preparation for a midweekT20 match at Melrose and Saturday’s home game against Marchmont.