NEIL McCallum last night lifted the Scottish Cup.

It was a perk of being captain of a successful Grange side but also right he had earned after completing a stirring innings at New Williamfield. His knock of 76 was crucial to the victory and did for a Carlton team which had watched their ambitions of wining the CSL Premier Division slip away just 24 hours earlier.

The victory will resonate with McCallum all the more given it is seven years since a man-of-the-match performance was not enough to overcome Greenock. That was in the 2006 final but yesterday ended with a far more uplifting scene - the Grange captain raising the cup to the sky.

"The memory of the Greenock defeat has haunted me all those years," he said. "It was a hollow success getting the man-of-the-match award on that occasion. Today feels 100 times better because winning the cup is what it's all about.

"This was a tense match which ebbed and flowed and it didn't look good for us at 80-5. But Gregor [Maiden] and Simon [Smith] helped put on a couple of crucial partnerships and to get 217 in a final was a decent total."

Carlton suffered an early setback to their chase of that total when Hamish Gardiner was bowled for just nine by a superb swinging delivery from Stuart Davidson. Kyle Macpherson then went in similar fashion to a delivery from Gordon Goudie, with Carlton labouring on just 9-2.

Goudie and Davidson continued to keep things tight, though their rivals got the board ticking with the assistance of four overthrows. Preston Mommsen, the Carlton captain, and Fraser Watts then added 35 before the former, having struck two extra cover drives for four, offered a return catch to Josh Edwards. Watts managed another short partnership with Rory McCann before the Irishman was bowled by Andrew Brock for 18 as Carlton slumped to 112-4.

Goudie returned to the attack just one run later and induced a false shot from Gordon Drummond, who was put out for a duck. The onus was firmly on Watts to help his side get the majority of the 102 runs still needed for an historic win - all the more so when Kyle Stirling was run out for four.

However, the task was too great even for Scotland's most capped player who - having made a well-constructed 60 - offered a simple return catch to Goudie. Watts' wicket was the fourth Carlton had lost in a disastrous six-over spell that effectively ended their challenge.

Jamie Kerr and Rob Thornton rallied their side with some spirited hitting but they had too much to do and they were eventually dismissed for 175.

Earlier Grange recovered from a poor opening to post a competitive total. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, they led a charmed life with both George Munsey and Goudie offering chances off the first balls of Drummond's first over. Neither, though, took advantage as Munsey was caught in the following over, while Goudie scored 16 before he was caught by Macpherson. When Ryan Flannigan was then trapped in front by Drummond, Grange seemed to be in trouble on 33-3.

McCallum and Josh Edwards then took the total to 64 before the latter was stumped by Kerr. Henry Edwards departed soon after to leave Grange again teetering on 80-5.

However, McCallum found a formidable partner in Maiden and the former Saltires blunted the Carlton attack. There were few risks in their stand of 66 but Maiden still comprised to lob a simple catch to Stirling off a Thornton delivery which left Smith to further demonstrate the depth of Grange's batting.

The former Scotland wicket-keeper hit two huge sixes over deep mid-wicket, one each off Drummond and Thornton in his unbeaten 31. He was forced to steer the Grange innings to its conclusion after McCallum became Drummond's third victim. It mattered not, though.

Meanwhile, Calum MacLeod's 85 helped Uddingston post a winning 293-9 against West of Scotland in the CS Trophy final.