FALKLAND skipper Ryan Hepburn hailed the team spirit of his basement boys and refused to rule out a dramatic escape from relegation.

The Fifers grabbed a lifeline by claiming the scalp of Aberdeenshire at Scroggie Park - their first triumph of a troubled season.

Now Hepburn has called on his charges to use the success as inspiration in the build up to the last three weekends of the campaign.

He declared: “We face Heriot’s next and another result like that would definitely keep alive our hopes of staying in the top flight.

“The win was a long time coming and it felt really good after what happened during the previous there months.

“We can credit the outcome to a solid team performance in tricky conditions.

“The stand-out players were Harsha Cooray, who batted superbly against his old team, and Aaron Paul, whose four wickets took his season’s tally to 28.

“We will dwell on the positives and keep on battling.”

The curt reaction of Aberdeenshire coach David Cox said a lot as he declared: “No words can describe how I feel about this result.

“Three weeks ago we beat the champions elect and now we lose to the bottom team who haven't won all season…”

While Paul inflicted the bulk of the damage to curb Shire to 146 for nine off their 46 overs, it was Hepburn himself who struck the most telling blow.

With the visitors mounting a revival in the wake of a shaky start, he dismissed opposing captain and top batsman Chris Venske for 32.

Calum Martin was the only other Dons man to pass the 20 mark in the face of the tidy home attack.

Cooray then took centre stage to make 78, which would surely have equated to a century in kinder conditions.

A three-wicket burst by Ian Kirk sparked a dose of the jitters, but with Cooray still at the crease, Falkland were able to reach the target in the 37th over.

Venske tried everything to block them out, to the extent that keeper Kenny Reid was the only player not to be given a bowl.

Falkland’s joy was heightened when news came through that relegation rivals SMRH had been crushed by Grange at Raeburn Place.

The victory enabled chief chasers Grange to close the gap between them and pacesetters Arbroath, whose tussle with Watsonians was abandoned amid the downpours.

SMRH’s decision to take first knock backfired as they were skittles for just 71.

There was no way back after pro Shaylen Pillay was snapped up by gloveman Harris Carnegie off former Scotland hero John Blain for just two.

Blain went on to claim three for 16 off nine overs, proving there is still plenty of life in the old dog.

Skipper Preston Mommsen then struck 38 not out to guide his side across the line with only one wicket down.

In the only other tussle to dodge the elements, Heriot’s consolidated their third-place status with a convincing 25-run win against champions Carlton in a 25-over affair at Goldenacre.

Their main men were Hayes van der Berg (37) and Mark Watt (three for eight).