Linlithgow Cricket Club celebrate sensational title win

Saturday’s 114-run victory over Dunnikier at Boghall was a fitting finale to a season in which they had already secured promotion to the Eastern Championship.

Delighted captain Grant Raven told the Journal and Gazette: “The whole season has been a remarkable season considering our form over the last six years that we’ve been in the league.

"It’s mostly been a struggle to stay in the league so it’s been an incredible year this year.

"We got the addition of four or five really good players which has made a heck of a difference to the club.

"It’s boosted both of our teams significantly and put us in a position where we can challenge for winning the league which we’ve done.

"We’re looking forward now. The challenge next year (in the Eastern Championship) is obviously going to be a lot tougher but we’ll just see how we go, see if we can recruit a few more players.

"Obviously we’re going to look to get an overseas amateur in if we can to try and help us along a wee bit.

"It’s a huge achievement for the club to be back up in the championship after seven years.

"This is my seventh year as captain. We had just been relegated the year before I took over so this was seven years in the making.”

Unsurprisingly, Raven said that the players’ title winning celebrations went on well into Saturday night and beyond.

He added: “We mostly had our celebrations in the clubhouse.

"Eight or nine of us were down in Nottingham on Sunday on a kind of end of season bash to extend the celebrations. We came home on Tuesday evening.”

The win over Dunnikier saw Dougie Voas record a season high top score with a brilliant knock of 130, part of Linlithgow’s final total of 281 for seven wickets.

Dunnikier were then all out for 167 in the 36th over of the innings, leading to wild celebrations on and off the pitch which continued well into the evening. Linlithgow collected the maximum 20 points with Dunnikier gaining eight bonus points.