Cricket: Knox knows Heriot’s need to sharpen up for Sonians

Heriot’s skipper Steve Knox has urged his side to tighten their bowling ahead of tomorrow’s East Premiership visit to Watsonians after conceding 42 extras when visiting Stoneywood-Dyce in one of the few games to beat the weather last weekend.

That Stoneywood-Dyce only managed a total of 130 in difficult conditions yet still eased home puts the erratic nature of the Heriot’s attack into perspective, but Knox is optimistic the return of Kevin McLaren, Keith Morton and Azhar Abid will bring instant improvement.

Knox says: “Looking for positives, we at least managed to get some cricket while others were left on the sidelines. However, Watsonians look as strong as ever with (ex-Scotland captain) Craig Wright one of those players who can come in with the side seemingly struggling at three or four wickets down and walk away with 60 or 70 to get them back on track.

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“That is something we have to be particularly wary of along with the bowling of Dewald Nel and Stuart Chalmers.”

At least Heriot’s have also been active in local midweek competitions and, while their 2nds lost out to Marchmont in a President’s Trophy tie this week on fewer wickets down when Will Collier hit the final ball for six, the top team travelled to West Lothian and saw off the county with Cameron Farrell making 45.

That encounter was also notable for a first-team debut for 14-year-old Alex Anderson, whose first over yielded two wickets in following up a maiden appearance by older brother, Duncan, at Stoneywood-Dyce.

At Grange Loan, Carlton entertain Stoneywood-Dyce with a side containing teenagers Kyle McPherson, Matt Wells and Cheeky Gosain. The unavailability of Jamie Kerr means Wells keeps wicket while McPherson opens with Scotland cap record holder, Fraser Watts, who has hailed the inclusion this week of colleague, Preston Mommsen, in the full Leicestershire side. Mommsen misses the Grange Loan action, but Watts says: “A county call-up is what Preston has been driving himself towards.”

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Grange batsman Sanjay Patel is in no doubt about the task awaiting his side at Aberdeenshire. “I rate the ‘Shire bowling attack the best in the league,” says Patel, aware that his side haven’t played for three weeks.

Patel adds: “With all-rounder George Mumsey standing in for Stuart Davidson, this is as strong a side as we can put out and our view is the season starts here.”

In East Division One, RH Corstorphine will visit Edinburgh Accies at Newfield on Sunday keen to cast an eye over new overseas amateur, Cameron Rope, from New Zealand.

Club spokesman Arnie Sathiy says: “Back home in Auckland, Cameron, who is the grandson of ex-All Blacks rugby coach Bryce Rope, is steeped in cricket and for his day job has responsibility for managing no fewer than 11 teams of under-5s at his College Rifles club as well as similar numbers at under-6 and under-7!”

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Rope had to miss out due to restrictions on overseas amateurs when RH Corstorphine beat a spirited Drummond/Trinity in the Masterton Trophy this week as South African Ruben Hattingh carried his bat for 45 pursuing a target of 86.

However, Sathiy says: “We dropped five catches before getting home with two and a half overs to spare and can’t afford to be so generous against Accies.”

Also in Division One, SMRH await Penicuik.

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