Glen Miller produced a 5 star bowling performance to crush the 2ndCults top order as FPs stayed on course for promotion with a convincing ten wicket win. Miller claimed 5 for 19 in his 12 over spell as 2nd Cults were bundled out for just 82.
Skipper Knudson won the toss and chose to field as FPs made 3 changes to the side which drew at Methlick with Budd and Frizell returning to replace the injury victims John Lord and Jerry Moir. Youles made his first top team start of the season replacing the unavailable Eagles.
James Lord opened the bowling and nearly gave FPs the perfect start as Mano edged the first ball of the innings but Clelland grassed the chance. Miller shared the new ball and with 7 overs gone Cults were 16 for 2 as first Miller ripped through Liversidges’s defences to bowl him leg stump for 1 and then Lord produced an absolute pearler which pitched on leg and clipped the outside of off to bowl Mano for 6.
Some sensible batting from Gill and Goshwami carried Cults to 42 before Miller ripped out the middle order as Cults lost 5 wickets for 5 runs to fall back to 47 for 7. First he bowled Gill for 13, before repeating the dose for Vikram who fell for 2. He then struck in the field as Cults attempted to run to his misfield but Goshwamiwas short of his ground, beaten by an excellent throw. Roberts failed to trouble the scorers as Miller clean bowled him and Casey fell for the same score plumb LBW.
Knudson replaced Lord and after a wayward first over he thought he had struck in his second over bowling Milne with a full toss only for the umpire to sensationally rule no bowl due to height, despite the ball striking the stumps three quarters of the way up. Knudson’s frustration was increased as MacDonald shelled a fairly routine chance at cover
Miller continued to turn the screw and a close LBW appeal was turned down as he finished with the excellent figures of 12-5-15-5. FPs then opted for a double change with MacDonald replacing Knudson and Stuart coming on for Miller and it did not take McDonald long to make up for his dropped catch bowling Singh with a fine yorker. Stuart was perhaps harshly wided a few times before producing a beauty to bowl Milne for 9. Last man Singh fell soon after Budd claiming a simple catch at cover off MacDonald as Cults were dismissed for just 82. Miller was the star but he was well supported byLord 6-2-16-1, Knudson 6-1-15-0, MacDonald 4-1-17-2 and Stuart 3-0-13-1.
Budd and Knudson opened the FPs batting and it took them just 17 overs to chase down the runs with few alarms. Both players played some fine shots with Budd reaching 25 from 58 balls with 1 four with Knudson making 20 not out from 55 balls with 3 fours.
Cults main bowling threat was Milne who bowled 4 aggressive overs for 6. But the real talking point was the extras which totalled 38 with 22 wides and 14 byes as Cults in the main struggled to find their line.
Next week FPs face Fraserburgh which will be a good chance to avenge last weeks’s cup loss and if they bowl in the same manner again they will feel confident that they can claim the points.
