After ton at HQ, Greaves trains sights on Grange

CHRIS Greaves scored a century at Lord’s this week – and now the batsman is keen to help his Forfarshire team get off the mark in the league this weekend.

Greaves, the South Africanborn player who has turned out for Scotland ‘A’, was at the home of cricket on Tuesday playing for MCC Scotland.

In the T20 event they lost the final to MCC South East, but Greaves grabbed the headlines with 106.

And on Saturday he will be back in Forfarshire colours as they take on Grange in round three of CSL Eastern Premiership action.

In week one, Forfarshire pushed Aberdeenshire close, but lost out and last week they were defeated by Heriot’s so they are determined to get a positive result in Edinburgh.

Grange have started the league season very strongly though and in former Scotland skipper Preston Mommsen have a man with 183 runs from two outings.

Also in Edinburgh there is a derby match with Heriot’s playing Watsonians.

Both teams have key men back for this one with Sean Weeraratna returning for the hosts at Goldenacre and opening bowler Dewald Nel in for ’Sonians.

After last week’s win at Aberdeenshire, Watsonians captain Ewan Chalmers said: “With a few players missing we knew it would be tough, but I must pay credit to the way the guys bowled, especially Lewis Dingle.

“They didn’t let Aberdeenshire settle and we put in a good showing to bowl out a side with some good players for such a low total.

“We have now won two games in the league and one in the Masterton in the first week of the summer and hopefully we can build from here.”

Arbroath are the leaders currently and this week they travel to an Aberdeenshire side who will be keen to bounce back having been bowled out for 100 last time out.

Unbeaten Glenrothes will start as favourites against winless SMRH with Carlton and Falkland both looking to get off the mark.

In the WDCU Premier Division, Scotland prospect Michael English last week hit a match-winning 134 not out in Ferguslie’s win over Ayr.

The entire Scottish cricket community was brought together in recent days with the sad news of the passing of Sandy Strang.

Strang was a great servant to cricket in the west and Scotland as a whole and spent a number of years at Ferguslie.

And Ferguslie skipper Gregor Preston-Jones said: “Michael (English) told me he had Sandy out there with him which makes it a very special one for him.

“It was an emotional buildup and we are all so happy that we got the win in Sandy’s name.”

On Saturday Ferguslie are at unbeaten Prestwick while Poloc, who have also had a good start, are on the road to Greenock.

Meanwhile, the Citylets Scottish Cup first round takes place on Sunday and over this busy weekend Scotland hopefuls will be out to impress head coach Grant Bradburn.

Scotland’s first match of the summer is against Sri Lanka on Sunday, May 21 in Kent.