Cricket previews
LEADERS Clydesdale begin a crucial phase in their bid to win the Western Union for the first time since its re-formation four years ago when they entertain Ferguslie this afternoon.
The Titwood side will be without Con de Lange, their influential player-coach, who is nursing a calf strain ahead of the World T20 Qualifier which starts on Thursday.
De Lange and his fellow Scotland star Richie Berrington will then both be absent for the remainder of July and how Clydesdale cope without them will have a major bearing on the outcome of the title race.
De Lange’s absence today is particularly galling for the player himself who, having spent five memorable seasons as Ferguslie’s professional, would love to have faced his old side.
However, he is confident his new team can rise to the challenge. “I’ve been ruled out for a week with a slight calf strain which is disappointing for me but we have the players who can get the job done,” said the 34-year-old spinner and top-order batsman.
“It’s always a big game against Ferguslie and a special one for me and Saturday will be no different.
“We have been working on a certain way of playing the game this season and things are going quite well but we have to keep working hard.
“I know some people are already talking about the title but we simply can’t think like that. There is a long, long way to go and we simply have to take each match as it comes.”
Elsewhere, second-placed Kelburne are poised to pounce on any slip-up by the leaders and are strong favourites to extend Renfrew’s losing sequence at Whitehaugh.
Likewise, East Kilbride have the chance to stay firmly in touch but will be tested by defending champions Ayr at Torrance House.
Uddingston and Dumfries may reflect on recent glories when they meet in a mid-table clash at Bothwell Castle while second-bottom West of Scotland can close the gap on a Drumpellier side who are without Graeme McLaren at Hamilton Crescent. ARBROATH’S captain Marc Petrie has laughed off the popular belief that today’s Lochlands meeting with Grange will be a title-deciding showdown.
By humbling Carlton, Petrie and Co earned the tag as chief-chasers, snapping at the heels of the men from Raeburn Place. But realist Petrie insisted this weekend’s tussle merely represented a small chapter in a big book.
He declared: “I have heard this ‘decider’ chat a few times over the past few days, but as far as we’re concerned there are far too many games left for it to be labelling it as that. We have been preparing in the same way and our mentality will be the same as it has been in all our previous games during the campaign.”
Arbroath welcome back Elton Willemse in place of Blair Carnegie who drops to the seconds as part of squad rotation.
Aberdeenshire, the champions, will need something of a miracle to retain their mantle, particularly after last week’s defeat by Falkland on home turf and they won’t have it any easier at Broughty Ferry, where Forfarshire’s Ryan Watson is aiming for a third successive century.
Falkland should be too strong for struggling Watsonians at Scroggie Park. Carlton ought to get back on track in the capital derby against RH Corstorphine at Inverleith, while Stoneywood-Dyce v Heriot’s is a hard one to call.