The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Swansong as a Kiwi flies
Brown ascends steep curve
Stoneywood- Dyce allrounder Matthew Brown admits his first season in Scottish cricket was a steep learning curve.
The 21-year-old joined the Peoples Park side from New Zealand club Sydenham, which plays in Christchurch’s Premier Division.
Brown and his StoneywoodDyce team- mates have endured a torrid campaign and are at the foot of the Eastern Premier with 14 defeats from 14 matches ahead of tomorrow’s final game of the season at champions Carlton.
TheNewZealander said: “After this weekend’s game I amheading back home to play in Christchurch. I am
GRADES: BIG WEEKEND FOR BON ACCORD
hoping to come back to the United Kingdom somewhere next year.
“I haven’t performed as well as I would have liked. I think it was just a bit harder to adjust than I thought it would be. The conditions are different and I don’t think one season over here is enough to get a feel for what it is like.
“I have learned a lot from the experience and I will be able to take a lot home. Hopefully, I will see that benefit when I return to Christchurch.”
The Peoples Park men were denied the chance of ending their wait for a first win when last week’s match against fellow strugglers Falkland was rained off.
Brown added: “It was a bit frustrating as the word on the street was they were missingafewkey players. It would have probably been one of our easier matches.
“Carlton is one of the better pitches. Hopefully, we get 100 overs.”
Another club which has endured a difficult season is Stoneywood-Dyce’s city neighbours Aberdeenshire. Shire managed to complete just 10 games this term, only three of them at home, due to thewet summerand will be hoping to play some cricket following yet another washout last weekend.
Aaron Grayson, 16, will feature for Shire as they complete their campaign away at Arbroath United tomorrow. Highland will bid to retain the North of Scotland Cup whenthey take onForres St Lawrence in the final at Nairn’s Links on Sunday.
The Inverness players triumphed against Fochabers to win last season’s competition, with last year’s league champions Forres standing in their way of their trophy defence this weekend.
Highland captain John Paul reckons the cup represents his side’s best chance of silverware this term and he said: “Every season we compete for three titles. We are out of the Twenty20, while we have a slim chance of winning the league but the closest we can get to one is Sunday.
“We lost againstForres in the Twenty20 this month and, although they played well, we were a bit unfortunate as we had our two top batters out. We are aware that ifwe bat firstwe need to set them a big score and we need to bowl better than last time.”
Prior to Sunday’s final, Highland will aim to keep their slender North League title hopes alive when they make the trip to Fort William tomorrow, with Paul eager to close the gap on leaders Fochabers.
Paul added: “It’s an outside chance. We have two rescheduled games we need to play, meaning we have five games left and other teams have three. We play Fochabers next week which will be a key game.”
Fochabers will look to move a step closer to reclaiming the title they last wonin2014whentheyhost Ross County tomorrow but third- placed Northern Counties and Buckie, in second, will look to capitalise on any slip-up when they meet at Northern Meeting Park.
The league’s bottom two clubs go head- to- head when winless Elgin host NairnCounty, whileHuntly are at home to Forres St Lawrence.