100% record over after Linlithgow loss

Gala were well beaten by 134 runs at Linlithgow to suffer their first defeat of the season.

The visitors produced an all-round poor performance, with some lack bowling allowing Linlithgow to reach an imposing 215, before Gala slumped to 81 all out in Division One.

Gala captain Dinesh Tharanga had no hesitation in bowling when he won the toss on a damp wicket after a week of rain.

A sloppy start allowed Linlithgow to get off to a fast start on a difficult pitch until Duncan Millar brilliantly stumped in-form Gregor Thomson for 10 off the bowling of Rory Hancock.

Brookes and Stump rebuild the innings before the latter was given out lbw, but Brookes proved key to the Linlithgow innings as he batted sensibly while his team-mates attacked at the other end.

With a number of boundaries being hit on the small Boghall pitch, there were also some decent catches from Hancock, Finlay Rutherford and Jamie Crooks but Brookes finished not out for 75 to guide Linlithgow past 200.

Hancock took 3 for 39 while Scott Evans (2 for 41) was unlucky not to claim more wickets from his nine over spell.

Millar and Rutherford started off positively with both openers hitting a big six each, but when both fell in quick succession, it made a difficult task even tougher.

In the end, Gala slumped to 81 all out, with Hamilton claiming a 4 for 5 in a superb spell as Linlithgow claimed a deserved win to leave the West Lothian side as the only team in Division One with a 100 per cent record.

Linlithgow

P. Brookes not out 76

G. Thomson st D. Millar b R. Hancock 10

K. Stump lbw D. Tharanga 23

C. Black ct J. Crooks b G. Ormiston 15

R. Saunders ct K. Paterson b J. Crooks 30

A. Napoli ct F. Rutherford b R. Hancock 19

G. Blackwell ct R. Hancock b D. Moir 2

A. Newman lbw R. Hancock 1

G. Raven b S. Evans 8

J. Hamilton ct F. Rutherford b N. McIntyre 4

G. Kellet b S. Evans 1

Extras – 27

Total – 215 for ten wickets

N. McIntyre 8-0-22-1; R. Hancock 6-0-39-3; S. Evans 9-1-41-2; D. Tharanga 9-1-21-1; G. Ormiston 6-0-40-1; D. Moir 5-0-28-1; J. Crooks 1-0-17-1.

Gala

F. Rutherford b G. Blackwell 23

D. Millar lbw P. Brookes 17

J. Crooks ct A. Napoli b G. Blackwell 0

G. Ormiston ct P. Brookes b J. Hamilton 7

D. Tharanga b C. Black 10

S. Evans lbw J. Hamilton 0

R. Hancock ct P. Brookes b J. Hamilton 0

M. Hastings b G. Thomson 1

N. McIntyre b J. Hamilton 1

K. Paterson lbw G. Raven 4

D. Moir not out 6

Extras – 12

Total – 81 for ten wickets

G. Thomson 9-0-28-1; G. Blackwell 8-0-31-2; P. Brookes 9-6-7-1; J. Hamilton 9-6-5-4; G. Raven 2.5-1-3-1; C. Black 2-1-5-1.