GALA’S season ended in disappointing fashion with a heavy defeat at Freuchie.

The Braw Lads had defeated the famous Fife club twice last season on the way to promotion to the Championship but suffered a 156 run loss at Freuchie Park as they were relegated back to Division One.

Gala captain Jack Halls won the toss and decided to bowl first, but Freuchie openers Alan Wallace and Robbie Wright rotated the strike well while capitalising on some sloppy Gala bowling and fielding, including Wright being dropped by Kenny Paterson.

Wright would go on to score 51 before he was eventually caught by Paterson with the score on 91.

Gala then took two wickets through two brilliant pieces of fielding by Jamie Crooks and Dean Moir to pull themselves back into the game.

But they let the hosts off the hook again as Graham Dodds (22), Shane Munro (26) and Robbie Birrell (41) helped set an imposing of 242 all out. Ash Rhode was the pick of the Gala bowlers with 3 for 34 while Finlay Rutherford once again did well with 2 for 43 from his ten overs.

Gala started solidly through Jacks Halls (16) and Robbie Irvine (5) but Freuchie’s poor running between the wicket spread into the Gala innings as Halls was run out.

Irvine fell soon after and when Duncan Millar was given run out, despite even the Freuchie players saying he was well in the crease, Gala’s chances were over.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with a late partnership of 25 between Max Hastings (15 not out) and Paterson (9) saving a small amount of pride for the visitors, who were eventually all out for 86. Dale Cowan picked up 3 for 15 for the hosts.

Freuchie

A. Wallace run out (J. Crooks) 31

R. Wright ct K. Paterson b F. Rutherford 51

S. Munro lbw F. Rutherford 26

I. Stonebridge run out (D. Moir) 0

G. Dodds ct F. Rutherford b D. Tharanga 22

G. Birrell lbw A. Rhode 17

D. Cowan b A. Rhode 0

R. Birrell b D. Moir 41

S. Birrell ct D. Tharanga b A. Rhode 1

L. Duncan run out (D. Moir) 8

R. McMurdo not out 4

Extras – 41

Total – 242 for ten wickets

D. Tharanga 10-0-55-1; R. Irvine 10-0-45-0; R. Pringle 4-0-11-0; A. Rhode 10-0-34-3; D. Moir 5.3-0-43-1; F. Rutherford 10-2-43-2.

Gala

J. Halls run out (I. Stonebridge) 16

R. Irvine lbw G. Dodds 5

F. Rutherford b R. McMurdo 9

D. Millar run out (R. McMurdo) 1

A. Rhode ct & b D. Cowan 1

R. Pringle b D. Cowan 5

D. Tharanga ct A. Wallace b D. Cowan 0

J. Crooks b R. McMurdo 0

M. Hastings not out 15

K. Paterson ct L. Duncan b G. Dodds 9

D. Moir b G. Dodds 4

Extras – 21

Total – 86 for ten wickets

R. Wright 7-2-10-0; G. Dodds 6.1-0-24-3; D. Cowan 6-1-15-3; R. McMurdo 6-3-9-2; G. Birrell 4-0-13-0; S. Birrell 5-0-11-0.