Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Local clubs hoping to record cricket success
TOMORROW sees the start of a new cricket season with local interest focusing on Forfarshire, Arbroath, Glenrothes and Falkland, who will all be plying their trade in the Eastern Premier Division.
They will all be trying to catch last years winners Carlton, who will again be one of the favourites to win the title despite losing a few players
With Stoneywood Dyce dropping out of the division following their relegation, Aberdeenshire are the sole club left from the Granite City.
Forfarshire play host to the Dons at the newly named Mackay’s Forthill ground.
This will be a big test of how Forfarshire may do this season with an exciting, if young, squad.
With Umair Mohammed taking over the captaincy from Craig Wallace, who is studying down south, his faith in the promising youngsters will be added to by new signings Chris Greaves and Brock Ditchman, who will give some experience alongside new coach Aussie Matt Walters.
Aberdeenshire will be along normal lines, with Chris Venske and Craig Howard their main rungetters.
Arbroath will start strong favourites against a Falkland side who struggled last year and will not be helped by the loss of Scotland all-rounder Saffy Sharif who has moved to Glenrothes.
The Lichties are under the guidance of Marc Petrie again and will be in confident mood going into the match. They’re hoping a back problem suffered by Brendan Ford clears up in time.
Glenrothes face last year’s champs Carlton at Gilvenbank and will be hoping to run them close in a what might be a low-scoring affair.
The final two games are Edinburgh derbies with Grange having home advantage over Heriot’s and newlypromoted SMRH at home to Watsonians.
In the Western Premier Division, the top match sees Clydesdale and East Kilbride meet at Titwood while the Ayr-Dumfries game also looks a tight match. join up with
In the Western Championship, West of Scotland will be looking to gain promotion back to the Premiership after a disastrous season last year which saw them relegated, almost unthinkable for the once huge club.