Livingston captain leads by example as side take First Division top spot

Linlithgow and Livingston’s First XI sides continued their remarkable seasons with victories as they both sit atop their respective divisions.

A terrific display against Grange Second XI saw Linlithgow bowl out their hosts for 109 before requiring less than 16 overs to seal a six wicket win.

Keith Morton (3-23) was the pick of the bowlers while Craig Black continued his great season with 62 not out to ensure they sit top of the Championship table.

Livingston, meanwhile, are at the summit of the First Division table following their 29-run home win over Marchmont.

Batting first, Livi scored 209-9 with Ahmed Ali top scoring on 65 before the bowlers blitzed through the top and middle order. A revival did see Marchmont recover from 68-7 but they were eventually bowled all out for 180 with Adnan Ali’s 4-25 helping to set the tone early on.

In Division Four, Linlithgow Second XI ensured it was a perfect week for the club with a114-run home win over Melrose. A remarkable display from Safeer Ahammed saw him net a century with the bat and pick up four wickets with the ball.

He scored 104 while his third-wicket partnership with Will Nettleton (86) netted the bulk of the runs as Linlithgow scored 268-5. He then proved too hot to handle in the reply with figures of 4-27 as Melrose were dismissed for 154.

Livingston’s Second XI also won, beating Edinburgh South by 34 runs in a Division Five fixture. Livi scored 178-8 from their allotted 40 overs with plenty of batters making starts before being dismissed as Mohammed Ahmed, Jai Kathickeyan, and Shrey Awasthi all topped 30 runs. Ahmed was the pick of a fine team bowling display with figures of 3-27 to seal the win.

The club’s Third and Fourth XIs, however, both lost.

The Thirds suffered