Cricket's enduring ability to surprise and thrill were abundantly on display in a remarkable Scottish Cup final between Clydesdale and Heriot’s on Sunday.

Both sides went into the showpiece match at Bothwell Castle Policies having clinched their respective league titles twenty-four hours earlier, so a silverware double was up for grabs. Indeed, for Heriot’s a double-double loomed after winning both trophies in 2024.

That eventuality drew ever closer when, having won the toss and elected to bowl under grey skies, the Goldenacre side dismissed their rivals for just 104.

Surely there would be no way back for the Glasgow team? That’s what most spectators thought at the halfway stage. Celebrations in the Titwood camp a couple of hours later told a different story!

It all started perfectly for the Eastern Premier champions when Adrian Neill and Charlie Cassell used the new-ball to devastating effect to put their side in charge.

Neill struck a double blow when he had Sheryar Awan caught at slip by Ryan Brown and two balls later bowled Craig Young.

A bigger scalp awaited – that of the Scotland captain Richie Berrington – and it went to his national team-mate Cassell who found the edge, Matthew Cross completing the dismissal.

At 15-3, Dale were in deep trouble, and they never fully recovered as the introduction of spin-twins Mark Watt and James Dickinson caused different but equally insurmountable problems for a beleaguered batting line-up.

Watt used all his guile to claim 3-38 though he was trumped on this occasion by the crafty leg-spin of Dickinson who took 4-20 as Clydesdale succumbed after only 31.5 overs of what was threatening to become a one-sided damp squib of an occasion.

Paddy Barbour top-scored with just 25 but it was to prove the highest individual contribution in a match which was about to take a totally unexpected twist.

With their free-scoring top order, Heriot’s have been comfortably chasing much bigger totals all season, and must have been confident of rattling-off another routine win.

Despite the loss of Watt, bowled by Adil Ghaffar for a duck, it still looked that way when Lloyd Brown and Dougie Voas struck a few lusty blows in taking the total to 35.

However, the first hint that this may not go according to plan for the Edinburgh side came when Ravi Alavala bowled Voas for 10 before the excellent Ghaffar removed skipper Brown.

And, when 35-3 became 40-5 with the dismissal of Cross and Josh Elliott to the same two bowlers suddenly all the momentum was with Clydesdale.

They ruthlessly pressed home their advantage, Isaac Rahman returning to the attack to clean-up shell-shocked tailenders who have rarely been exposed to such pressure situations.

Rahman claimed 4-24 including the winning wicket of Neill with Heriot’s 20 runs short, while Alavala took 3-27, and Ghaffar, having earlier made an important 21, was awarded man-of-the-match for his 3-28.

The sides will meet again in the CS Grand Final at Grange Loan next month.