Weekend preview – 25th/26th May
It was due to be another massive weekend for the Arrows with 7 fixtures across the two days but we’ve already lost 2 matches to this week’s rain.
The First XI were due to welcome joint league leaders Forfarshire to Grange Loan on Saturday, however Grange Loan has not recovered from the heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday and has been declared unplayable.
The Second XI will travel north to The Arns on Saturday where they will meet Clackmannan CCC. Last year Clacks finished top of ESCA Division 2 with 13 wins and 2 losses. This year they are currently winless in their first 4 games in ESCA Division 1 meaning they sit rock bottom as it stands. These two sides last met at The Arns in 2021 in the first round of the ESCA Championship. In that game skipper Pete Deakin won the toss and opted to bat first and things didn’t quite go according to plan with Carlton struggling to 80 for 5 at the halfway stage. Things got a bit easier after drinks and the middle order, led by Ben D’Ulisse (69), put the 2s in a strong position. Fireworks from Calum Everett (40) and Ru McIntyre (39*) at the back end helped propel Carlton to an imposing 269 for 8 from their 50 overs. The reply from the home side never really got going with wickets falling at regular intervals. McIntyre tooke 4-21 and Ruari Macpherson 3-8 as the 2s bundled Clack out for 56 in the 25th over.
The Third XI’s bottom of the table clash against Leith FAB has been cancelled due to Peffermill being underwater.
The Fourth XI will head to Inverleith Arti to face off against Stewart’s Melville’s 3rd XI. In 2023 the home side finished in 5th place in ESCA Division 5 with 6 wins and 6 losses. Stew Mel have 1 win from 4 games so far in this year’s campaign and currently sit in 8th place, one spot below the Arrows. The sides have not met in recent history. New man Shiv Jhala is set to make his Carlton debut.
On Sunday the First XI will hopefully entertain Aberdeenshire at Grange Loan in the second round of the Scottish Cup if ground conditions allow the game to go ahead. Aberdeenshire currently play their league cricket in the SPCU NE Championship and have 3 wins from 3 games so far this season. Aberdeenshire eased past Greenock in the first round of the cup this year, chasing down 197 in 30 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. The two sides met in the 2019 Scottish Cup QF. Choosing to bat first, the Arrows lost Fraser Burnett early but good knocks from Kyle Macpherson (47), Rory McCann (119), Arun Pillai (37) and Corne Dry (78) propelled Carlton to 315 for 6 from their 50 overs. Dry picked up both Aberdeenshire openers cheaply and Ali Evans and Adeel Raza claimed 3 & 2 wickets respectively as the visitors were bundled out for 97 just after drinks. The Arrows went on to beat Dyce in the semi final but fell short against Heriot’s at Meikleriggs in the final.
The Fifth XI will take on Stewart’s Melville 4s at Inverleith on Sunday. Stew Mel finished 10th in ESCA Division 6 last year with 5 wins and 11 losses. The 5s play countless friendlies against Stew Mel 4s every year so it is difficult to pick any particular game to write about. The sides most recently met in league cricket in 2022 in ESCA Division 7. In that game skipper Keith Murray lost the toss and the 5s were invited to bat first. Murray went in the first over but a fine 101 run second wicket stand between James Stronach (76) and Martin Robertson (42) put the 5s in a strong position. Mike Kennedy hit a typically aggressive 59 and despite a clatter of lower order wickets Robbie Murray (23*) and Aadi Khadse (17) helped the 5s post an impressive 262 for 9 from their 40 overs. Despite Robbie Murray picking up a wicket in the third over Stew Mel scored freely in the chase. At drinks they were 129 for 3 with Khadse & Stronach the other successful bowlers. The onslaught from the visiting batters contined and depsite Murray claiming a second Stew Mel cruised past the total in the 36th over for a 6 wicket victory, thanks largely to an undefeated century from opener Joe Grace.
The Women’s 2nd XI get their Challenger Cup campaign underway against Strathmore at Lochside Park on Sunday morning. The Cup is a standard T20 format with the winner of this game progressing to the second round where they will meet Lomond. The loser will move into the plate where they will face the loser of Doune vs Meigle/Edinburgh South.