SANJAY Patel, captain of new champions Grange, admitted he feared the worst after his side lost their first two wickets for just one run during Saturday's decisive clash with Ferguslie at Meikleriggs.
But Grange recovered to secure their fifth championship since the introduction of the national league in 1999.
With the Edinburgh club needing just two points to deny holders Greenock, Patel had set his sights on a solid start after being pu
t into bat. Instead he feared panic was about to set in when both he and opening partner Gregor Maiden were back in the pavilion with just a single between them.
"The idea was for me to bat thirty overs," revealed the former Scotland batsman, who has endured a testing time in his first season as captain.
"So I got back to the pavilion thinking I'd landed the boys in it. But luckily we managed to scramble our way to 191 and I was convinced we'd be fine as long as we had a total like that to bowl at."
That Grange reached a winning tally was largely down to the efforts of Saltires batsman Neil McCallum who showed all his experience and expertise in grinding out 46 from 105 balls.
McCallum added 61 with New Zealander Warren McSkimming to get the champions-elect on course but a further dose of pre-title nerves saw McSkimming and Cammy Coles run out in quick succession following mix-ups with McCallum.
The Scotland man, though, never lost sight of his task and together with Simon Smith (41no) and Giles Holmes (36) gave Grange something to defend.
The frequently fragile Ferguslie batting line-up were always likely to find the total of 191 tough, and the home side stumbled to 114-9 before rain brought proceedings to an early halt and sparked the Grange celebrations.
As the champagne started to flow Patel added: "It's been a long hard season and at times it seems as if we've stumbled towards the finishing line. But we've got there in the end and the lads are absolutely delighted.
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Meanwhile a promising day for Greenock ended in disappointment when their clash with Ayr at Cambusdoon was cancelled shortly after the halfway mark. The defending champions, clinging to the hope Grange might falter, produced a solid batting display to reach 223-9 after a slow start in difficult conditions.
Australian Harry Byrnes Howe was their top scorer with 76. And it looked even better for Greenock when Dewald Nel claimed the wicket of former New Zealand Test batsman Matt Horne with the second ball of Ayr's reply.
But with the total on 10-1 the players were forced off the field to bring the season to an aptly soggy conclusion. Yet, despite failing to hold on either to their league or cup titles, there was nothing but praise for his players from Tony Judd, the Greenock coach.
The Australian, who has been one of many regular absentees due to international call-ups, declared: "The blokes can be proud of what they have achieved. To take the title down to the last afternoon of the season was a great effort when you consider what we've been up against. I'm sure we can come back stronger next season."
At the other end of the table, Poloc will face a relegation play-off for the second season running,
after suffering a heavy 63-run defeat to Clydesdale.
They meet West of Scotland in next weekend's play-off after the Hamilton Crescent club pipped Forfarshire for the runners-up slot in the First Division.
Watsonians secured an 18-run D/L win over Carlton at Myreside but the visitors had the consolation of a third place finish – their highest ever – while Uddingston finished with a thrilling two-run win over Heriot's at Goldenacre.
The full article contains 641 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
