FRASERBURGH were the visitor's to Duthie Park to face an Artisans side who were finding some form of late, beating fellow strugglers Academy the previous week.

Mark Oldam captained the side in the absence of C Bowie and brother L Bowie was also unavailable.

The home side won the toss and put the visitor's into bat.

The opening pair of Flowerdew and Watson went out to the middle to face the bowling of Islam and Forsyth.

A couple of wayward deliveries down legside from Islam allowed Flowerdew to work the ball away to the boundary.

However, this was short-lived when Flowerdew (8) attempted the same shot to a straighter delivery, a leading edge saw him caught backward of slip.

Skipper for the day Oldam went out to partner Watson, both batsmen could ill-afford to give away their wicket at this early stage.

Both batsmen knuckled down, attempting to hit the bad ball when it came along. A quicker delivery from Forsyth, which was pitched up caught out Watson (11) who was subsequently bowled.

This brought Ironside to the crease, the home side introduced Thomson and Dickie to the attack. Ironside and Oldam were happy to push for runs and rotate the strike.

Ironside (9) was the next man out when instead of playing straight attempted a pull shot off the back leg and was trapped LBW. Big hitting Souter was next in and immediately set about the Artisan's bowling with a couple of boundaries.

Souter's (8) positive approach failed when he played and missed at a delivery from Dickie, the ball going through between bat and pad to hit the stumps. Parkin was Dickie's next wicket when he suffered the same fate and returned to pavilion without scoring.

During all this action Oldam scored 50 and his patient play was soon to accelerate with 30 overs gone and the score at 120.

Amin and Oldam went after the bowling of Vyas and Forsyth despatching the ball to all parts of the ground. Amin (21) was unlucky when he picked out the fielder on the boundary and was caught, bowled Vyas. Murray made his way out to the middle and frustrated the bowlers, a few outside edges making it to the boundary.

Oldam (99) who was playing a Captain's innings but fell one short of his ton when he was caught out in the deep. With the score approaching 200 and with three wickets in hand, 10 overs remaining, the instruction was to get bat on ball.

Clark (8) scored a lovely four, hitting the ball back over the bowler's head and Murray (16) was throwing the bat at everything but both batsmen were later bowled by Forsyth.

Lawrance (4) and Rennie (6) added a further 10 runs to the score when Vyas bowled Lawrance. The Broch finished on 216 all out, 45 overs.

With 217 required to win, Artisan openers Munro and Chisholm faced Amin and Souter. Both batsmen found it difficult to score runs especially against the pace of Amin.

It was Souter who struck first when Munro (1) mistimed his shot, which was held by Lawrance fielding at point. Chisholm was quite content to defend and push for the odd single. Thomson (9) was the next man in but struggled against Amin, he eventually edged one to Oldam at slip. Artisan skipper Dickie played himself in and Chisholm continued to frustrate the bowlers with his defensive approach.

This prompted a change and Rennie came into the attack. Dickie was now beginning to go for his shots and the visitor's found it difficult to make the breakthrough.

Perseverance from the Broch bowlers paid off when Souter pitched one outside offstump, which Dickie (57) went after and the safe hands of Oldam held the catch at slip.

The home side knew they had to try and accelerate the run rate if they wanted to secure victory. Islam came in and hit the bowling all over the ground, scoring a quickfire 25, including six boundaries, it was certainly game on now.

This prompted a further change, which soon paid off. The right arm spin of Oldam encouraged Islam (25) to go after the ball but he was beaten by the flight and was bowled.

Chisholm's efforts paid off when he reached 50 and the home side went past 170. With less than 10 overs remaining and 47 runs required, Forsyth (9) attempted to hit out but was caught at deep midwicket by Lawrance, an excellent catch taken by the youngster.

The home side ended on 183-5 after 45 overs, Chisholm finished not out 54 and Munro not out 2, the match drawn.

The Broch secured 19 points from the match, which further strengthens their chances of remaining in Grade 2 next season.

The match against Dominion Gas St Ronald due to be played last weekend, Saturday 12th July fell victim to the wet weather, match void.

The Broch are on their travels to Aberdeen when the face AGSFP at Rubislaw, Saturday 19th July.