Neill boosts Heriot’s bowling attack for capital derby clash with Grange
Scotland bowler Adrian Neill returns to the Heriot’s team for the big Eastern Premier League clash with Gen!us Grange at Goldenacre today.
Both teams saw their opening day matches for the 2022 season - away to Arbroath and home to RH Corstorphine respectively - start, but then be rained off seven days ago.
As a result, both sides are looking forward to locking horns and this Edinburgh derby is always a tasty one.
Heriot’s were champions last year and Grange third and the former have been boosted by the availability of seam bowler Neill following a great tour to the UAE with the national squad recently.
Dylan Wilson and Niall Alexander also come into the Heriot’s XI for the game while Grange give a league debut to Robbie Mcglasham.
The experienced Gordon Goudie also comes in for the Portgower Place men.
Stewart’s Melville were the only team to beat the rain last week, recording a victory over Watsonians, and now the men from Inverleith are away to Forfarshire.
The visitors are able to bring in South African overseas amateur Neel Tandel for this one. Tandel replaces unavailableskipperstevenparkerwith Mike Miller leading the side.
Lewis James, an off-spinner turned seamer, took four wickets for Forfarshire last week and will be one to watch in their unchanged XI. He said:
“We are looking forward to playing our first home game of the season and we know Stewart’s Melville will be up for the game, so it should be a good one.”
Meanwhile, Michael English, the Ayr player-coach, is relishing a first-ever game against his old Ferguslie teammates as the Western Premier today attempts to get going at the second time of asking.
A washout a week ago took the gloss off a remarkable
knock of 180 by English before his newly promoted side’s clash at Dumfries was abandoned. However, the 27 yearold hopes to take some of that form into today’s encounter with the club where he first made his name.
English, who moved to Ayr three years ago, is one of two former Ferguslie men plying their trade at Cambusdoon with Scotland spinner Hamza Tahir having followed during the close-season. He said: “It’s
been a good start to the season – the boys have worked really hard over the winter and are raring to go.
“People are talking about us as we have made some moves in the winter – they can see the quality that we have brought in in the departments where we needed strengthened.
“We want to consolidate and show our progression from last year but I am ambitious and want to win every game. I know there will be bumps
throughout the season but, for me, the important thing is how we handle them and whether we can show more character than the opposition at any given stage of a game.
“I’m obviously excited to be playing against Ferguslie – it’s the first time in my life I’ve done that. There’s been a bit of banter in the last few weeks and I’m sure we’ll all want to get the better of each other so I’m buzzing for two top teams to go at each other from ball one. ”