Matchday 3 saw the 2s away to Kirk Brae 2s, looking to continue their unbeaten run in Div 6 so far.  The game had added spice as Kashif played for Kirk Brae for 3 games at the back end of last season, as they came up from Div 7.

Fielding the strongest side so far this season, the 2s welcomed back 'Super' Shrey Awasthi, our leg spinning master, as well as first starts of the season for Mukhtar Ahmed and Imtiaz Khairuddin.

The forecast was for rain in the morning and the potential for a shower in the afternoon, but otherwise the 2s were looking forward to playing their first game on grass this season.  With one boundary much shorter than the other, there were plenty of runs to be had, although the grass was a little long which would inevitably slow the ball down and the outfield was a little soft so the ball was likely to plug if hit high.  For a council maintained pitch it didn't look too bad if a little soft and likely slow, but still playable given the rain that came on Friday.

Skipper Anwar called tails, and again 'it failed', and Livingston were invited to field first. Cap'n Anwar turned to Kashif and Sushil to open the bowling, and both bowled well and tightly, with Sushil in particular bowling some lovely away swing. Sushil was the first to strike in the 6th over clean bowling their dangerous opener who had hit a couple of lusty blows to the shorter leg side boundary, with the score on 14.

Kashif, feeling a little under the weather but bowling well nevertheless, was replaced by Suresh who immediately found an excellent line and length and was causing all sorts of problems, and it was Suresh who struck next getting the batsman to edge a good delivery to the waiting hands of Mukhtar in the slips, who took the catch after a little juggling with the score having moved on to 36 for 2 in the 13th over.

Shrey replaced Sushil from the top end and immediately got the ball leg spinning beautifully and he struck in his second over with the batsmen moving back and across trying to late cut a ball spinning across him through point and gully but somehow managing to clip the off stump with his bat, out hit wicket with the score on 43 for 3 in the 16th over. 

There was a brief fightback from Kirk Brae which saw them accelerate and add 40 odd runs in the next 10 overs.  Skipper Anwar bought himself on replacing the excellent Suresh who'd bowled 6 overs for only 13 runs, and briefly there was spin, leg spin and off spin, at both ends with both spinners getting assistance from the pitch.  And it was skipper Anwar who struck next, bowling a good line and length and getting a lot of turn, with Shrey taking a good catch in mid wicket as the batsman tried to get cap'n Anwar away through the leg side, with the score on 88 for 4 after 27 overs.

Skipper Anwar followed that up with another 2 wickets in his 4th over, a good catch from Kashif this time, in midwicket, followed up by clean bowling the new batsman, with the ball spinning nicely between bat and pad as the batsman tried to slog a good length delivery, and Kirk Brae were now 95 for 6 after 29 overs.

The rain came and made handling the ball in the outfield harder and the ball slippy for the bowlers, for a few overs but the 2s managed to keep it reasonably tight.  Kashif came back on from the top end after Shrey had finished his 8 over spell, and he struck next next clean bowling their number 6 with a good delivery, with the score on 110 for 7 after 34 overs. Skipper Anwar kept probing away and but for a little luck could have taken more wickets, but he was replaced by Sushil after he'd finished his 8 over spell and it was Sushil who struck next clean bowling their number 8  with a lovely fuller delivery to take the 2s to 115 for 8 in the 36th over.

With few overs remaining Kirk Brae threw caution to the wind and managed to score another 29 in the last few overs before Suresh took the final wicket clean bowling their number 10 batsman with a good delivery.  Kirk Brae finished on 146 for 9 from their 40 overs probably 10 to 20 more runs than they should have got but still a very good performance from the team given the short boundary to one side, the rain in the middle of the innings and the aggressive batting towards the end of their innings.

Skipper Anwar the pick of the bowling with 3 for 16, but all the bowlers bowled well in the conditions and contributed, with Kashif 1 for 18,  Sushil 2 for 33, Suresh 2 for 34 and Shrey 1 for 37.

Chasing 146 was definitely achievable and skipper Anwar was optimistic of the win, with the batting available the 2s.

Suresh and Muktar opened the batting but were tied down in the early stages of the innings by some tight bowling from Kirk Brae before Suresh was bowled by a shortish delivery that didn't bounce as much as expected, with the score on 12 from 4 overs. This brought vice captain Neil Jarvis to the wicket and with Mukhtar set out building a platform for the 2s to push on from, scoring another 21 runs from the next 5 overs, including a well hit 6 from Mukhtar wide of mid off.

It was at this point that the heavens decided to open and both teams came off, and that as they say was that.  There were several attempts at re-starting the game but just as there was a break in the rain and everyone was ready to restart, the rain would restart and off both teams would trudge off again.  The forecast was for clearer weather later, but the clouds overhead didn't look promising and all the while the outfield and the pitch was getting wetter and wetter. Finally both captains agreed to call it a day, and wouldn't you know it the sun came out as the 2s left Kirk Brae, to head back to sunny Livingston.

Still the 2s remain unbeaten and the portents are good for the remainder of the season if the 2s can get out a consistent core of players each week, with the bowling options in particular looking strong, and the batting strength yet to be fully tested.  Dunbar are our next opponents at home next week, weather permitting, and they should provide another good test of the 2s credentials.