Today’s Cricket Scotland League prospects
EASTERN PREMIER DIVISION
Arbroath launch their quest to retain the mantle of the best team in Scotland, although Ross McLean, their stand-in captain, rejects the notion that they will be favourites this time around.
The defending champions face Grange at Lochlands in their Eastern Premier Division opener and the Scotland age-group man said: “It will be a very tough task to defend our title. Most of the teams will be vey strong and each start out with a chance of doing what we did last season. We won’t be putting any pressure on ourselves as a squad or as individuals.
“We will take each match as it comes and not look into the distance. That was the approach that served us well in 2013 and we hope it will serve us well again.”
He added: “Our line-up will be fairly similar to last season; Alvin Pollard and Benny McGill won’t be in the shake-up, but we welcome back Max Parker from Australia to counter their absence. He had a successful season with us a couple of years back and we are delight he has returned for another stint.”
Work commitments will rule Scotland front-liners Neil McCallum and Simon Smith out of a Grange side led by Andrew Brock, while Josh Edwards and Henry Edwards are also unavailable.
WHO’S WHO at
ABERDEENSHIRE
ARBROATH
Marc Petrie
Max Parker (Aus)
CARLTON
Gordon Drummond
Tom Freshwater (Aus)
FALKLAND
2nd / Brook Ditchmen
Bryn Cleaver (NZ), Conor Ryan (Aus)
AUTOECOSSE FORFARSHIRE
Craig Wallace
Arron Lilly (Aus) Bobby Frazer, their spokesman, said: “We still have a decent team. Henry Philip is back after a year away and we expect to grow stronger as the campaign progresses. It will be interesting to see how youngsters like George Munsey, Zander Muir and Chris Sole push on this season.”
Forfarshire mark their return to the top flight having added three overseas players to their ranks. Aaron Lilly and
3rd Tyler Buchan
Harsha Cooray (Sri Lanka), Hayes van der Berg (SA)
champions / 4th
4th / 2nd
promoted / 10th
promoted / 8th
MAZARS GRANGE
HERIOT’S
SMRH
Neil McCallum
Kyle Pyne-James (SA) Cameron Farrell
Ulrich Joost (SA), Max Papworth (Aus) Cedric English
Brad Moses (SA)
STONEYWOOD-DYCE
WATSONIANS
Ewan Chalmers
tba Liam Gough will be attached to the first-team and make their competitive debuts against Heriot’s at Goldenacre this afternoon, while James Ryan will play for Forthill in the new North East Championship. With Umair Mohammed back in harness, Shire, led by captain Craig Wallace, should be capable of consolidating their status. A solid win over Arbroath in a pre-season friendly should have boosted their confidence.
3rd / champions Michael Leask
Schalk Conradie (SA), Henk Conradie (SA)
6th / 5th
8th / 7th
7th / 9th
5th / 6th
Falkland, who host SMRH, have signed the Scotland all-rounder Saafyan Sharif from Clydesdale, and taken on the New Zealander Bryn Cleaver and the Australian Conor Ryan.
The meeting between Carlton and Aberdeenshire at Grange Loan is a hard one to call, while along the road at Myreside, Watsonians should make home advantage count against Stoneywood-Dyce. Richie Berrington, the Saltires top-order batsman, has ended a long association with Greenock to join the Western Premier Division club Clydesdale, writes William Dick.
The 27-year-old moves two years after the Glenpark side slipped out of the top flight and has opted to stay closer to home, having been linked with a move to Edinburgh powerhouse Grange. He believes that playing for the Titwood club will enhance his prospects of selection for the 2015 World Cup.
Colin Mitchell, a Clydesdale spokesman, said: “We’re excited to gain a player of Richie’s qualities and
1 Dunfermline v Edinburgh Accies, Marchmont v Edinburgh, Musselburgh v Heriot’s 2,
Premier Division Arbroath United v Mazars Grange, Carlton v Aberdeenshire, Falkland v SMRH, Heriot’s v Autoecosse Forfarshire, Watsonians v Stoneywood-Dyce
Division 1 Edinburgh South v RH Corstorphine, Glenrothes v Carlton 2, Mazars Grange 2 v Murrayfield DAFS, Stuart&Stuart Penicuik v Freuchie, West Lothian v Holy Cross experience. In my opinion he is the outstanding Scottish batsman of his generation and can only add to our playing strength and help raise our standards.”
Berrington, capped 133 times, has scored more than 3000 runs for Scotland and his three centuries include the first-ever by an Associate batsman in an official T20 international.
Born in South Africa, he joined Greenock as a youngster when his family moved to Scotland. He is battling to be fit for next month’s one-day international against England after sustaining an ankle injury. St Boswells v Largo, Watsonians 2 v Gala
Heriot’s 2 v Eastern Knights U18s 2 Clackmannan Co v Dunnikier, Leith FAB v Kelso, Livingston v West Lothian 2
Murrayfield DAFS 2 v Broomhall, SMRH 2 v Fauldhouse
East Championship Arrowdawn Gordonians v Arbroath, Autoecosse Forthill v DHSFP, Mannofield v Strathmore, Meigle v Perth Doocot, Stoneywood Dyce v Huntly
1 Coupar Angus v Perth Doocot 2, DHSFP XI v Rossie Priory, Kinrossshire v St Modans