Jamie Dunk kept up his superb start to the season to help the Caledonian Highlanders under-15s boys defeat the Western Warriors at Clydesdale’s Titwood ground on Sunday.
Seven days previously Dunk, who plays his club cricket down south for Old Northamptonians, had hit 59 in a loss to the Eastern Knights, but this time his 94 helped his side to a hard fought victory against opponents who never gave up.
The visitors won the toss and decided to have a bowl, but the Warriors got off to a good start.
Openers Max Corbett-Byers (Dumfries CC) and Bahadar Esakhiel (Clydesdale CC) put on 66 for the first wicket before the former fell for 23 toHaider Durrani (Aberdeenshire CC).
Esakhiel carried along on his merry way and went on to top score with 83 while he was well supported by 22 not out from his Clydesdale team mate Shlok Thaker.
That meant that they posted 187-7 from their 50 overs with Durrani the pick of the Highlanders bowlers with 3-23. Alistair Banks (Doune CC) also took 2-51.
Esakhiel took an early wicket in the Highlanders’ reply and Adi Hegde and number three Dunk knew they needed to put together a good partnership after that blow – and they did just that.
Gordonians CC’s Hegde made 51 not out to anchor the innings while Dunk was hitting boundaries all over the place before Esakhiel got the better of him after a brilliantly made 94 from 82 balls.
Hegde saw the away side home by eight wickets and Highlanders’ coach Richard Rennie said: “The boys were very happy with the way they played.”
For the Warriors, they were left to rue not kicking on in the last 20 overs of their innings and their coach Tim Hart states: “The game was well poised after 30 overs of the first innings, with Esakhiel making a good 83, but the Highlanders bowled very well in those last 20 overs to restrict us to only 187.
“Then Hegde and Dunk batted really well and the Highlanders were worthy winners on the day.”
