Grange duo Jamie Crawley and Jasper Davidson smashed a 149-year record in their side’s comprehensive Eastern Premier win over Edinburgh South on Saturday.

On a day of mostly high-scoring Crawley and Davidson took centre stage at Portgower Place where they came together with their side wobbling on 7-1 but proceeded to bat through the remainder of the innings as the title challengers posted 318-1. Davidson led the way with a stunning 158 including seventeen boundaries and three maximums while Crawley matched his partner’s six-count in hitting 134no.

Their 311-run stand is a club record for the second wicket, beating the previous best set in 1876 by J Speid and JM Balfour-Melville. Grange’s record partnership for any wicket – 328 by AGG Asher and RH Johnston for the fourth against MCC at Lord’s in 1892 – still stands.

Club historian Neil Leitch said: “It was clearly a great effort by Jamie and Jasper but I’m quite glad the Lord’s record remains unbroken!”

In reply Edinburgh South demonstrated some of the gritty batting that has been their hallmark during a first campaign in the top flight. However, despite five players reaching double figures, Adnan Mufti’s 48-ball 50 was their best contribution as Grange closed out victory by 131 runs, Louis Bennet’s four-wicket haul including the key one of Mufti. 

RH Corstorphine also had a pair of near record breakers in Johnathan van Zyl and Owen Gould as they cruised to a nine-wicket success against Forfarshire at Forthill. The ‘Shire players may well have been relieved when in-form RHC batter Liam Naylor was absent from the visitors’ line-up. Naylor has already amassed almost 1,000 runs in just nine innings and would have clearly have represented a major threat.

However, the Edinburgh team proved they are no one-man band as, chasing a victory target of 264, openers van Zyl and Gould scored all but two of the runs between them. The home bowlers were powerless to prevent the barrage, van Zyl leading the way with a brilliant 134, featuring seventeen boundaries and three maximums.

Durban-born van Zyl blotted his copybook when he was bowled by Lewis Robinson with just two runs needed for victory. However, former Scotland U19 captain Gould completed the job with a superb 92-ball 105, including eleven boundaries and five sixes.

The opening stand is believed to be the second highest for RHC in the Eastern Premier, behind only van Zyl and Naylor’s 290 in 2022.

Earlier, ‘Shire flattered to deceive with the bat. They were given a brisk start by Harjeet Brar’s attractive run-a-ball half-century but thereafter had to be content with a series of cameos.  Left-arm spinner Freddie Young struck the two major blows by removing Brar and in-form Callum Garden while Scotland star Michael Leask was one of cap team-mate Brandon McMullen’s three victims as the Forthill side were all out for 263 from the penultimate ball of their allocation.

Stewarts Melville were the third team to boast two centurions, Michael Miller and Shaylen Pillay helping them recover to reach 267-4 following the loss of two early wickets to Falkland at Inverleith. Opening in place of Scotland U19 star Oliver Pillinger, Miller took his opportunity, anchoring his side’s innings with a composed 107 from 140 deliveries while Pillay faced only 103 for his 119.

Joe Newman dealt Falkland two early blows in claiming the wickets of Jack Henderson and Kyle Jacobs, going on to claim 3-41 while Pillay, Adam McHoul and Greg Ruthven had two apiece.  Only Jarryd Lookwhy offered sustained resistance with 85 as the Fifers went down by 60 runs.

Runs were in much shorter supply at Goldenacre where Arbroath felt the full force of the most potent seam attack in the country, champions Heriot’s dismissing their visitors for 78 in only 23.3 overs. Having won the toss and elected to bat, Arbroath were clearly looking to set the league leaders a challenging total to chase.

Instead, wickets fell from the start as the home attack of Scotland internationals, Charlie Cassell, Gavin Main and Adrian Neill proved too hot to handle. Main was the pick, bowling ten overs unchanged and claiming 4-25 while Neill had 3-24 and Cassell 2-23.

Keegan Crawford and Cameron Brown picked-up a Scotland scalp each in Mark Watt and Matthew Cross but Lloyd Brown’s 29-ball 43no carried Heriot’s to an eight-wicket success in 9.2 overs – another step closer to retaining the title.

At the other end of the table Meigle’s hopes of avoiding relegation are fading fast, a 143-run home defeat to Carlton adding to their woes. The Victory Park side may have been satisfied with their work in the field, bowling the visitors out for 258, Charles Clark and Tassawar Hussein each claiming three wickets.

However, Meigle could not find a batter to match Scotland’s Chris McBride whose run-a-ball 95 proved decisive. Instead, Meigle’s top scorer, skipper Raju Gayashan managed 47 and with little support his team fell 143 runs short, Conor Regan Ollie Davidson and Rudy Adair all helping themselves to three wickets.

If Heriot’s look on course to retain the Eastern Premier title, Clydesdale took a huge step towards a successful defence of Western Premiership One with a convincing eight-wicket win over second top Ayr at Cambusdoon. A clinical display in the field saw Dale dismiss their rivals for just 99, Adil Ghaffar starring with 4-15.

The visitors lost two wickets but reached their target in 18.3 overs, Craig Young top-scoring with 37.