On a fine sunny afternoon skipper Bob McAra won the toss and elected to field.

The match took a curious turn at the end of the first over. S Flowerdew, the Fraserburgh Captain, mis-hooked a short ball from Renwick Elder and watched as David Smith dropped the catch.

In a fit of pique Smith hurled the ball to the non-striker's end and scored a direct hit. Flowerdew, having ambled a run, was still a long way out of his crease, apparently in no hurry to reach his ground.

Elder and McAra bowled tight lines and runs were scarce. In the 6th over C Bowie hooked a ball to square leg only to pick out Barry Geddes who hung on to a fine diving chance. With the two openers back in the pavilion for 13 runs Crathie were on top.

After 10 overs Elder was replaced by Justin Thomas who continued the good work and the pressure was maintained, McAra continued to bowl until the 16th over and only conceded 12 runs in his first 8 overs.

He then handed over to David Smith who eventually made the next breakthrough in the 26th over when the score had crept to 62, clean bowling Ironside for 23.

Souter joined Liam Bowie and in an aggressive display of batting, threatened to build a large total for the visitors but just in time, McAra bowled Souter for 41 with the penultimate ball of his final over. In the next over Justin Thomas snapped up a sharp chance at first slip to remove L Bowie for 43, giving Elder his second wicket.

With ten overs to go and with the score on 120 with only five wickets down there was still the threat of a competitive score being posted but Crathie stuck to the task and only conceded a further 29 runs and took three more wickets, one apiece for Elder, Thomas and David Smith.

Fraserburgh finished on 149 for 8 from their 45 overs.
With a relatively simple total to reach Crathie's openers, Peter Cunningham and David Smith, started positively and continued to maintain a healthy scoring rate, achieving the 50 partnership in the 13th over, exactly double the Fraserburgh scoring rate.

In the 20th over Smith reached a well earned fifty, and with Cunningham's invaluable support, the pair cruised past the 100 mark in the 23rd over.

Two overs later, however, Cunningham, who had given nothing in the way of chances, cut a short ball to point off the bowling of Lawrence and departed for a stylish 41.

Tim Summers came and went in an over for 4, playing a shot that he and his team mates would rather forget. Forbes McDonald joined Smith, still with 40 runs required and played very sensibly. Smith's stay at the crease ended when he missed a turning ball from Souter and departed for an excellent 70.

Douglas Smith joined McDonald and added 6 valuable runs before he was bowled by an excellent ball from Rennie.

With only ten runs needed from 11 overs there was no longer any pressure and Rhod McEwan and McDonald steered the home side past the target with no fuss.

McDonald's 23 not out was a sound contribution which built on the excellent platform created by Cunningham and David Smith.

All in all it was an excellent day for the Deesiders who needed a win to consolidate their position in Grade two. They are now sitting in fourth place in the league behind St Ronald, Gordonians and AGSFP.

Elder finished with excellent figures of 12 overs three maidens, 3 for 27 and the skipper, McAra, again turned in a superb performance, taking one wicket and only conceding 29 runs from his twelve overs.

This weekend sees the team travelling to Aberdeen to face struggling Artisans on Saturday in the league and then a second trip into town on Sunday to meet Queen's Cross in the Bon Accord Cup.

Results for all of the Aberdeenshire Grades can be found on the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association website at www.acagrades.org.uk