MATTHEW Hurst shrugged off the most potent bowling display of his career and insisted he owed his success to the catching skills of his Arbroath team-mates.
Hurst emerged as the destroyer-in-chief as struggling RH Corstorphine were dismissed for a record low of 23 at Lochlands. He routed the visiting top order and finished with figures of four for six from nine overs.
The quickfire and clinical nine-wicket triumph enabled Arbroath to remain on the heels of Eastern Premiership pacesetters Grange, who snuffed out the challenge of Stoneywood-Dyce.
Hurst said: “For me, it was obviously a very enjoyable experience. It wasn’t as if the pitch was doing anything unusual – my opening partner Brendon Ford and I just stuck to the basics and bowled a tight line.
“All my wickets were catches, so the fielders should take the bulk of the credit. The squad spirit here is fantastic. In terms of winning the league, our destiny was taken out of our own hands when the match against Grange was rained off last month. They are aware we are right behind them and perhaps Carlton can do us a favour by winning the big Edinburgh derby.”
At one stage, even a double-figure total seemed a long way off as the RHC score stood on 1-4. No fewer than five ducks were recorded, and any prospect of RHC mounting the most stirring fightback in the history of the sport was well and truly dashed as Ford thumped 15 from the first over of the reply. Arbroath completed the job off the 16th delivery, for the loss of Jack Waller, who was run out.
Bowlers were also to the fore at Peoples Park, where Grange safely negotiated the SD hurdle. Skipper Andrew Brock steadied the visitors’ jitters with a solid 62, which carried them to 165 – his knock proved to be the only one in excess of 25 all afternoon.
For Gordon Goudie, it was a glorious return to his Aberdonian roots as he claimed five for 24 to send his old club sprawling to 73 all out in the process. Shaun Coetzer (21) was the only host batsman to reach double figures, Michael Louw being next top scorer with seven. There was no way back for SD after they collapsed from 28 for none to 32 for four.
Aberdeenshire’s stricken championship defence took another downward lurch as Carlton eased to a 62-run win at Mannofield. Veteran Fraser Watts (94) and current Scotland squad member Hamish Gardiner (44) had laid the early foundations.
Forfarshire came out on top in the battle of the mid-table rivals with Falkland at Foothill. Graeme Begin snatched the limelight with a fine 102 for the Broughty Ferry brigade.
Watsonians' revival continued when they hammered Heriot’s at Goldenacre. Andy Learmonth (55) and Andy Hislop (47 not out) were the mainstays as Sonians reached the amended target with only one wicket down.
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