With Thistle losing the toss openers Bruce Findlay and Dom Cruickshanks soon found themselves under the cosh with the latter out LBW for 1. David Crozier then made 10 before running himself out. At 22 for 2 consolidation was required and arrived in the form of Barry Milne who played a patient innings and accompanied by Findlay the score inched to 60 in the 23rd over when Milne missed one and was bowled by Ballal, shortly followed by Findlay.
Paul Hay was stumped for 6 when lured down the pitch but David Long Jnr. (14) held his ground until he suffered the same fate in the 34th over with the score on 93. There was still work to be done to build a defendable total and Bryan Snelling ensured this with dogged resistance as he played within himself, hitting the bad ball - his 27 included a six and 3 fours. When Snelling was out in the 44th over Thistle had run out of batsmen; the short total a tempting target for the Mannofield batsmen. H. Niven was best of the bowlers with 5 for 16.
After tea the Aberdeenshire side started confidently with 2 off the first ball but at the other end opening bowler Andrew Long disturbed Ballal's stumps first ball with a "Jaffa." He did it again in his fourth over to dismiss B. Reid for 9 and David Crozier fielding at silly mid off caught A. Grant off the bowling of David Long Jnr.
When Andrew Long hit the stumps for a 3rd time and Bryan Snelling did likewise shortly afterwards, Mannofield were in the mire at 38 for 5 in the 18th over. Snelling was to have a stellar afternoon as he worked out the technically correct batsmen putting them on the back foot with "short of a length bowling" followed by a quicker one on the stumps. Five of his wickets were bowled; the other provided by a sharp catch from wicketkeeper Bruce Findlay. Bryan's third "Michelle" of the season came and went as Mannofield crumbled to 68 all out; Snelling finishing up with a devastating 6 for 10 in 5.4 overs. A. Long: 3 for 19 off 9.
The match ball was sponsored by Charles McHardy Butchers. Next week St Ronalds travel to Stonehaven for the half-way point of the Grade 4 season.