THAT old adage about catches winning matches was never more conclusively proved than at New Cambusdoon on Saturday.
In the only top-flight tussle to dodge the downpours, Ayr looked firmly on course to deliver a serious dent to the title prospects of Grange.
Former New Zealand Test star Matt Horne was smiting the ball to all quarters and making a mockery of the
visiting bowling attack.
And even the staunchest of Grange supporters believed the contest had all but slipped away from them.
But then came the moment of magic from 17-year-old Olly Hairs which not only halted Horne in his stride, but swung the match decisively in favour of the Edinburgh outfit.
Thirteen short of the century mark, Horne latched on to a short delivery from Giles Holmes, pulling powerfully to the leg side.
The ball looked destined to crash to earth in no man's land – until Hairs scooted in from the boundary to pull off a remarkable diving catch.
No-one was more impressed than team-mate Gregor Maiden, himself one of the best fielders in Scottish cricket over the past decade.
Maiden enthused: "It was a brilliant piece of work. He had to run full pelt almost 25 metres before diving forward.
"And it couldn't have happened at a better time for us because there is no doubt that if Horne had stayed at the crease for a further five or six overs, we would have been out of it.
"He was batting beautifully, showing exactly why he has reached the very top of the cricketing tree.
"I have to be honest and say that we had reached the point where we did not have a clue how to bowl to him."
Maiden reckons the win can act as a springboard to reclaiming the championship from Greenock.
He explained: "We now know how to win the dogfights. In the past we have maybe been a bit soft in close games – but not nowadays. We can scrap with the best of them. I think we have also got rid of our west-coast jinx. We have now beaten Greenock, Poloc, Clydesdale and Ayr – which we regard as a great feat."
In the encounter, reduced to 30 overs a side, the visitors had rattled up an impressive 190 for five.
However, the challenge was met full-on by Horne, whose knock lasted only 56 balls and featured three sixes and 10 fours. After his departure, Ayr were curbed to 178 for eight, spinner Andy Wilson taking three for 24.
Holmes had earlier underlined his all-round qualities by smashing 67 not out in Grange's unbeaten sixth wicket stand of 101 with skipper Sanjay Patel (47 no).
The full article contains 458 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
