Match Report by Euan Smith

Highland moved top of the league with a convincing defeat of Fort William by over 100 hundred runs. Highland were inserted into bat but work on the wicket, coupled with fine recent weather, meant a good surface for batsman. Smith was unable to take advantage of his labours and departed for 25, with the score around 40.

However, Wolton and Crabtree took advantage of the conditions (and some questionable bowling changes) to push the score on. Wolton eventually departing, having 'played on', for a well made 67. The score having moved into a healthy 150 off around 33 overs.

Crabtree's appeared to be doing the job and he was hitting the massive boundaries fairly regularly. Laidler and Nixon, in particular, offering useful support to the colourful Lancastrian.

A century was looking beyond Crabtree, when he was dismissed with an over or so left, and Fort picked up a couple of further cheap wickets. The innings finishing on 236/9. Lavin and DJ Duncan getting 3 wickets each but with Anjum the pick of the bowlers.

Fort Bill have tended not to produce their best cricket against Highland but complacency was not about to set in. They possess some dangerous cricketers but one of them, Luxton, departed early after clipping to square leg.

His opening partner soon followed and the wickets tumbled fairly regularly thereafter. Skipper Nixon producing a good spell of bowling and accounting for Anjum, first ball, within that. Some resistance was offered by DJ but Shah produced a good one to account for the Fort skipper and the game was effectively over as a contest at around 90/8.

Richard Thompson, back from lambing duty, also produced a good spell and should have had more for his efforts - two catches going down in successive balls. This meant the Fort innings staggered on for another few overs but they finished all out for 114.