East Kilbride were the hosts for the Academy side’s Evening League opener this evening.  And on a gloriously warm and sunny evening, on the longest day of the year, the youngsters secured the “W”.  Batting first after skipper Ahmed-Raza Hanif won the toss, the side’s 134 for 7 was based around Calum James’s unbeaten 90* that came from just 60 balls, and saw him smack the ball to all parts of the “Torrance House” policies.  He scored seven 4s, and four 6s as he looked en route to a maiden hundred, only to be frustrated by not being able to get on strike as late innings wickets fell at the other end.  Reflecting just how much James’s knock had dominated the innings, the next highest individual score was 12, from Faiz Khan.  135 to win then for the home side.

Opening the bowling, James Cathcart and Abdulsubhan Rana both returned the identical figures of 3-0-8-0, restricting the home side’s openers, and seeing the required run-rate climb.  And that squeezing by the bowlers, backed up by good energy in the field, would be the characteristics of the whole second innings, East Kilbride eventually finishing 106 for 4, number three Doyle top-scoring with an unbeaten 38 (39).  Rajmohan had also batted nicely in reaching 20 (25), before he was run out by a neat piece of work by Moiz Maqsood.  So a 28-run win, and good start to this development XI’s senior league campaign.  [Scorecard]