The Annual General Meeting of the Lothian Junior Development Group delivered some good news - and more  silverware for the club - as the final positions in the local junior leagues for 2011 were announced.

It was a proud double for Carlton as both the Under 13As (below) and the Under 15As won their respective league titles. And the success didn't stop there, as the new collaboration between Carlton and Murrayfield DAFS at junior level was rewarded with the Lothian Under 15B league title - the joint side finishing a full 18 points ahead of their nearest rivals.

To complete an excellent league season all round, the Under 13Bs finished just three points behind winners Murrayfield DAFS, while our Under 11s were only pipped by one point by the outstanding Grange Sharks.

Well done to all the boys and coaches involved.

And, as there are no points awarded if any fixtures  are not played, a big part of the credit for the successful season must go to our two outstanding administrators who worked so hard to get games played in the face of a wet season and too many last minute call-offs:  well done and thanks to Liz Brown(U13) and Anja Balfour (U15)!

And there was more good news for some of our youngsters this month with the announcement of the 2012 Eastern Academy squads. Youth internationals Kyle Macpherson and Matt Wells are in the Senior Academy squad, while no fewer than 5 Carlton players (Haris Aslam, Euan Everett, Ruari Macpherson, David Mitchell and Greg Murdoch) were among the 14 names listed in the U15 Eastern Regional Development Group. Well done also to our Under 15 B team-mate from last season, Finlay Ross of Murrayfield DAFS.

Following the success of last year's Carlton Christmas party we’ve decided to do it again! This year we’re holding the Carlton CC Christmas Quiz & Party Night at Grange Loan on Saturday 17th December.

For the quiz (which will be run by quizmaster Fraggle Watts!), we’re looking for teams of 4-6 people - any ages or gender! There’s a £40 entry fee per team with cash prizes on offer. There will also be prizes for the worst shirt and most creative team name.

To enter the quiz, email fraserwatts@hotmail.com with your team members and team names ASAP. There will be rounds on General Knowledge, Geography, Sport, History, a Picture Round and a Music Round … so pick your teams carefully!

Of course, the quiz is not compulsory so come along to watch or simply to get in the party spirit. As well as the legendary well-stocked Carlton bar, there will be mince pies and mulled wine. Tickets for non quiz-players are just £5, Carlton juniors come free! Just email Fraser to reserve your places.

Doors open at 7pm with the quiz beginning at 8pm. All welcome.

Carlton were well represented at the annual East of Scotland Cricket Association dinner, as three of the club's up and coming youngsters were presented with performance awards from ESCA President and ex-Carlton player Bruce Dixon.

Fraser Allardice, David Mitchell and Gavin Rittoo, who are also all members of Gordon Drummond's Edinburgh Schools Cricket Academy, were rewarded for their displays during the 2011 season. Gavin collected the award for top bowler in East League Division Four - a great achievement for a 15 year old - as well as receiving a youth award for returning figures of 7 for 22 for Carlton 3s against Edinburgh University Staff.

Fraser was presented with his award for hitting 103 for Carlton 4s against Fauldhouse 2s, while David's award recognised his figures of 5 for 41 for the 4s against Teuchters CC.

Carlton rounded off the season in style by comfortably retaining the Murgitroyd National T20 Trophy on Finals day at Poloc CC Glasgow.

The home club had, as always, rolled out the red carpet for the competing clubs and Carlton, with a healthy travelling support of club members and juniors, settled down to enjoy the day.

An under strength Dumfries side bowled well in the semi-final to restrict Carlton to 113 for 9, but had no answer to top-class bowling and fielding from the holders as they were restricted to just 65 for 7 in their 20 overs.

As the late summer light faded fast there was a quick turnaround and the final with Clydesdale was reduced to 18 overs a side. In contrast to the high-scoring final last year, this year's final was one-way traffic after Jason Trembath bowled Majid Haq early on. Clydesdale managed to limp to 67 for 9, with Preston Mommsen the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 18.

Carlton then knocked off the runs in the 12th over for the loss of just two wickets, to become national T20 champions for the third time in four years.

The previous night's title celebrations were perhaps not the ideal preparations for the annual trip to the Berwick Sixes as Fraser Allardice reports ....

The journey down to Berwick-upon-Tweed was not without concern with the angry grey clouds looming in all directions, but entertainment was provided by Nick Martin (left) and his Bourne Identity routine.  Having begun the morning with an unreasonably strong coffee and complete unawareness of his actions during the previous night, Nick spent the morning remembering incoherent fragments of his nocturnal goings-on and promptly reporting them to his fellow passengers in the hope of enlightenment.

We found Berwick Cricket Club perched precariously on a cliff overlooking the North Sea, and with little further ado we were thrust into our first match against Leeds Trinity.  Batting first, Nick Damon opened with a decidedly brief innings which unfortunately failed to trouble the scorers.  Soon followed Boom Boom Kennedy and the Carlton sixes campaign seemed to be faltering.  But the nonchalant boundaries of Skipper Burns (two 4’s, three 6’s) and scampering singles of Craig (several 1’s) corrected our course towards victory.  Ross, having been dismissed for a commanding 33, gave way for Haris.  Unfortunately he had chosen on this particular day to model his innings on that of Nick, and returned quickly to side lines.

A useful partnership between Craig and Fraser of 20 closed the innings with a solid total of 62.  This was followed by tight overs from all five bowlers, the highlight of which was the 4-run over of part time bowler Everett, featuring the only wicket of the innings; a caught and bowled.  The margin of victory totalled 28, as convincing a win as any in this form of cricket.

After a short break Carlton’s opening batsmen retook the field against the bowling attack of Victoria CC.  And if nothing else, the consistency of Nick’s batting must be admired.  His two innings were indistinguishable from one another.  This unfortunately set the tone for the innings, and save a characteristic 24 from Ross, no batsmen broke into double figures.

Concluding the innings with a sub-par total of 44, Carlton had their work cut out.  Our defence began well and Mike, disappointed with his unusual shortfalls with the bat, took it upon himself to tear apart the Victoria top order with 2 wickets for 4 in the opening over.  However, the three tight sets from Kennedy, Martin and Aslam were undermined by loose overs from Everett and particularly Allardice.  A nerve wracking finish saw Carlton beaten with one whole ball to spare. 

A long break between games was filled by a net, a refuelling stop at MacDonalds, and some recreational darts.  When the time came, Carlton were once again sent into bat on a gradually lower bouncing and damper wicket.  It was at this point that an event occurred that over-shadowed the disqualification of Usain Bolt from the World 100 metre final just minutes beforehand: Nick faced more than one ball in a game of sixes cricket.  In fact, he managed to survive longer than his fellow opener Mike, who was bowled in the last ball of over 1.  Nick’s moment of glory was soon passed, and Ross set off with Craig in building a partnership.  Craig displayed an impressive range of shots, hitting his way to fifteen, and being bowled the penultimate ball.  An edge from Fraser to third man the very last ball of the innings added two to the total but the skipper sacrificed his average by attempting to run a third time and was dismissed.  Having watched Berwick CC batting in the previous game, we knew that 46 would be a tough total to defend.

Alas, (a word I feel is underused in modern English) qualification was not to be.  A good effort in the field wasn’t quite enough to make up for a lack of runs.  And whilst all involved in the final game may have their opinions on the pivotal points of the innings, I can sight no individual performance or poor over of bowling that would have turned the game in our favour.

An eventful and enjoyable day was, as far as I can tell, had by all, and credit to Berwick CC for a well organised tournament.

This Sunday (September 4th) will see Carlton defend their Murgitroyd National T20 crown.

The event takes place at Poloc CC, Glasgow  with Carlton playing in the second semi-final against Dumfries, starting at 1.45 pm. The winners will then play either Clydesdale or Dunfermline in the final later that day.

The club would like to end the season in style and are inviting members and supporters to join them on the day. Travel on the team coach is FREE to all members (£5 to non-members, £3 for junior non-members). The bus will leave Grange Loan at 11.10 am.

To reserve a seat call Martin Flynn on 258 1652 or email him at secretary@carltoncc.co.uk

A season that must go down as one of the wettest in living memory ended typically for the Fours as their match with Glenrothes 2s was washed out at The Meadows. As ever, the skipper has managed to piece together a somewhat soggy match report.

With the Twos’ season already finished it was down to the Threes' teenagers to finish off the season in style, which they did with a fine win over Edinburgh University Staff at Cavalry Park. Mo Ahmed hit a vital, though not entirely chanceless, 66 as Carlton posted 166, before a devastating 7 for 22 from Gavin Rittoo (left) took the Threes to a 55 run win.

The curtain was then brought down on the league season as the senior side crashed to a seven wicket defeat at Arbroath on Sunday after mustering a paltry 119 all out. Anyone would think they had been partying all night ...

As dawn broke on the morning of the biggest match in the club’s history, the rattle of yet more torrential rain on window panes across Edinburgh sounded a depressing start to the day.

A square that had been wet on Friday evening was now well and truly sodden, with the outfield underwater in many areas. Cue the Carlton groundstaff and a host of volunteers, including the entire Carlton 1st XI, who went to work with towels, forks, super soppers and even a leaf blower in an attempt to get the ground fit for play. By 11am the improvement was remarkable and a further inspection was arranged for 1.15 in an attempt to let nature lend a hand.

Sadly, however, the water table was so high that there was just nowhere for the remaining dampness to go and the umpires judged, inevitably, that the bowlers’ runups were too sodden to allow any play to take place.

As if to taunt us all, we then saw an afternoon of glorious sunshine. As spectator after spectator turned up to gaze in puzzlement at the empty outfield, the only action was in the nets where the usual clutch of enthusiastic youngsters played for hour after hour; a sure sign that the club is in good health for a long time to come.

As the afternoon wore into evening, all eyes and ears turned to Broughty Ferry where our nearest challengers Forfarshire were hosting Arbroath. A win for the home side would have taken the title race into the final day. An ever increasing crowd gathered in the Grange Loan pavilion as news continued to filter through from the north. The Forfarshire chase was faltering and wickets were falling but, ironically, our old friend and regular visitor to Grange Loan, Umair Mohammed, seemed to be standing between Carlton and the title.

Skipper Watts paced nervously, waiting for text updates, before taking matters into his own hands and phoning Forthill. Eight down, nine down ... but Umair was still there. Watts, phone to ear, disappeared into his car. Had Umair won the match? Was Watts going to drive away in disgust? But he appeared again a moment later with a bottle of champagne in his hand – “Forfarshire all out!” Carlton champions for the first time ever.

At that very moment, as if to sum up the 2011 season, the heavens opened and yet more rain cascaded onto Grange Loan. 

What happened thereafter was something of a blur. Keith Oliver arrived to present the trophy. The rains stopped and the team were able to pose for photos with the trophy as a glorious rainbow rose from behind Arthur’s Seat.

Sunday’s great win at Forfarshire has taken Carlton to within one win of their first ever national league win.

With Aberdeenshire the visitors to Grange Loan on Saturday Carlton have a chance to seal the title in front of their home crowd, although the in-from visitors will pose a tough challenge.

Skipper Stevie Gilmour (left), standing in for the injured Fraser Watts, will have his Saltires team mates Gordon Drummond and Preston Mommsen available for Saturday, although he is likely to have to do without them for the trip to Arbroath on Sunday as the Scotland squad heads south for the match with Hampshire on Bank Holiday Monday.

With two matches left, the current Premiership table looks like this:

if you can't make it along to Grange Loan on Saturday you can follow score updates via the club's twitter page.

The 2nd XI, who have already played the last game of their season, should be out in force at Grange Loan but the 3rd XI travel the short distance to play Edinburgh University Staff. Thanks to results elsewhere, the Threes notched enough bonus points in last week’s defeat to Kirk Brae to clinch the second promotion place in East League Four. Congratulations to Grant and his side.

Meanwhile, Bob Irvine takes his 4th XI the very short distance to The Meadows where his side host Glenrothes 2nd XI.

Grant Newman's promotion chasing Threes found the combination of a soft pitch and a formidable home side too hot to handle on Saturday as they fell to a crushing defeat at Kirk Brae.

Too many four balls allowed the new Division Four champions to post a well above par 230 before the big-hitting Carlton batsmen found that the home bowlers knew exactly where to put the ball. Only under 15s Craig Everett and Ruari Macpherson showed the necessary technique at the crease, while some late hitting from Josh Walker at least brought some respectability to the Carlton total.

Over at Grange Loan, skipper Nathan Pietsch was a clear Man of the Match as his 2nd XI had a comfortable win over Largo in their last match of the season. Nathan top scored with 47 as the Twos managed to hit 177, before taking 6 for 11 as his side ran out winners by 68 runs. The skipper's overly modest match report can be found here.

The Fours had an unexpected boost to their Division 7 survival hopes as opponents Peebles 2s conceded their match as they couldn't raise a side. As you'd expect, you can read the match report here.

On Sunday, a Carlton XI hosted a friendly with Dollar in which the visitors ran out victors. The Carlton communication network was in full flow during the first innings when the home side were in the field as groundsman Alasdair McLeod used the portable scoreboard to keep the Carlton boys up to date with the latest scores from the big match at Forfarshire.

There’s a critical weekend ahead for the club as the SNCL Premiership enters its final phase with Carlton heading to Broughty Ferry on Sunday for a clash with nearest challengers Forfarshire.

The remaining two league matches will see Carlton entertain Aberdeenshire on Saturday 27th August, before heading north again to take on Arbroath the following day. With only the most slender of margins separating Carlton and Forfarshire, this Sunday’s fixture is a match that could prove decisive in the Scottish title race. Head Coach Stevie Gilmour will lead the side in the absence of skipper Fraser Watts, who broke a finger playing for Scotland last weekend.

On Saturday, Grant Newman’s 3rd XI have a top of the table clash of their own as they travel the short distance to Kirk Brae. The home side are currently top of East League Division 4 just one win ahead of Carlton and a win for the visitors would put them within touching distance of the leaders with one game to go as well as sealing promotion for the Threes for the second year in succession.

At Grange Loan on Saturday the 2nd XI play their final game of the season as they entertain Largo. Meanwhile, the Fours have a vital clash of their own as they continue to flirt with relegation worries in Division Seven. A win at Peffermill on Saturday against Peebles 2s would go a long way to easing skipper Fantasy Bob’s drop fears.

The desperate weather of summer 2011 continued to play havoc with cricket, as three out of four Carlton fixtures were washed out on Saturday.

The only game to survive the weather went ahead on the artificial at Grange Loan, where the Carlton 2s found themselves hosting an East League title party as visitors Fauldhouse clinched the win they needed to finish top of East League Division 1. Three wickets apiece for Cheeky Gosain and Seb Rae had helped to dismiss Fauldhouse for just 125, but visiting quick Raja Sandhu found the bouncy arti to his liking, picking up 4 for 14 as his side bowled out the Twos for just 79.

While the Threes and Fours were called off early, the title chasing 1st XI spent a fruitless afternoon at Heriot’s as the umpires waited on the conditions to improve. However, a further heavy shower eventually triggered the inevitable cancellation. This means that Carlton head into the league ‘split’ still leading the league, albeit by the smallest of margins, from nearest challengers Forfarshire. Ironically, the controversial split may be the saviour of a rain ravaged season as it pitches the top four sides together for the last three games. All we need is two dry weekends!

Final SNCL premiership fixtures:

Sunday 21st August:   Forfarshire v Carlton

Saturday 27th August: Carlton v Aberdeenshire

Sunday 28th August:   Arbroath United v Carlton

Finally, following the Under 18s great Scottish Cup win on Sunday morning, the Carlton Sunday XI fought out an entertaining friendly with old friends Teuchters, with the visitors coming out on top by just 3 wickets.

Just when we thought it might be safe to play cricket again back came the rain to scupper a vital weekend for the club.

At Grange Loan, second placed Arbroath United won the toss and chose to bat. The match had only reached the second over when the first drops of rain began to fall and the moisture seemed to have a helpful effect on the pitch as seamers Gordon Drummond and Omar Ahmad had the ball zipping all over the place, precipitating a collapse from the visitors that left them reeling on 68 for 5 when the umpires decided that enough was enough and brought the players off. 

Drummo's celebrations when he removed the off stump of visiting overseas amateur Harry Byrnes-Howe showed just how much this match meant to Carlton and the home side were desperate to get back out. While Fraser and his team side warmed up in the drizzle (left), the Arbroath side huddled underneath golf umbrellas.

The umpires bravely decided to restart in less than perfect conditions, but the zip had gone out of the bowling with the ball like a bar of soap and Arbroath pro Vithana was still unbeaten when the increasing downpour left the umpires with no choice other than to call a halt to proceeedings with the score on 88 for 5 in the 28th over.

With Forfarshire also unable to complete their game, all three teams remain locked together at the top of the Premiership with just one scheduled match left before the controversial end of season split. This coming Saturday sees Arbroath entertain Forfarshire meaning that something has to give with Carlton's two nearest challengers (unless the rain wins again!). On the same day Carlton head across the city to play Heriot's, minus their Scotland players who will be on international duty at Aberdeen.

Both the Twos and Threes also had their matches abandoned on Saturday. The Threes had hit 240 in their 40 overs at Peffermill against Dunfermline 2s, while the Twos spent 43 overs in the field having Marchmont on 189 for 6 when play was eventually halted. Of course rain means nothing to the Fours. They made 123 for 9 against RH Corstorphine 3s at Bangholm, with Zaki Yusaf hitting 25. Not for the first time this season the Fours' inability to catch cost them dear and they slumped to a 6 wicket defeat in the rain despite two wickets for young Calum Everett.

On Sunday the continuing rain not only washed out the cricket at Grange Loan   - a kwik cricket festival and the annual friendly against Woodcutters - but the National Murgatroyd T20 day also fell victim to the weather and will now be played on Sunday September 4th

At least there was some cricket at Grange Loan on Friday evening, when Drummo's Under 11s took advantage of a fine summer's evening (yes, honestly) to beat SMRH in a cup tie.

The weekend of 8/9th August contains two days - and potentially three games - that could define Carlton's season.

Carlton currently sit on top of the Scottish Premiership, just two points ahead of nearest challengers and Saturday's visitors to Grange Loan, Arbroath. With only 5 games left, the winners of this match will surely be installed as title favourites. The home side look likely to be at full strength bar the absence of fast bowler Ali Evans, currently on an extended trial at Derbyshire. However, the visitors are packed full of excellent home grown youngsters, backed by a talented pro and overseas amateur, and Carllton are sure to face a stern test in what should be an excellent match.  As always, admission is free and the bar will be open from 1pm.

On Sunday, Carlton travel to Poloc in Glasgow to defend their Murgatroyd National T20 crown, whichh they won (below) by defeating Forfarshire last year. They take on Dumfries in the second semi-final at 1.45. The winners of this match will face either Clydesdale or Dunfermline in the final later in the afternoon.

Elsewhere on Saturday, the Carlton 2s travel round Arthur's Seat to take on Marchmont keen to extend their unbeaten run after their last two home matches. The Threes will be delighted to welcome back skipper Grant Newman as they seek to keep their promotion drive alive at Peffermill, where they entertain Dunfermline 2s. And finally, the Fours will again contain an intriguing mix of young and old as they travel to the north of the city to take on Corstorphine 3s.

Carlton bounced back after the disappointment of last weekend with a convincing win on the road at Greenock. A battling batting display, with Cedric English and Gordon Drummond leading the way, saw the visitors post 212 before a superb bowling spell from Drummo, backed by excellent work in the field, saw Greenock dismissed well short of the target.

Carlton still head the SNCL Premiership by 2 points from nearest challengers Arbroath. The two sides meet this coming Saturday at Grange Loan in what will surely be the match of the season so far.

Following their dramatic tie at Grange Loan last week, the Twos managed to cross the finishing line this time out as they saw off Boroughmuir by three wickets. Things looked comfortable for Carlton when the visitors stumbled to a below-par 124, with post-honeymoon skipper Nathan Pietsch collecting 4 for 14. A 93 run second wicket partnership between teenagers Kyle Macpherson and Tom Barrett  looked to have Carlton on easy street before a sudden collapse left Ani Majumdar to see his side home to a win that was a lot tighter than it shoud have been. The undoubted highlight, though, was a first Division One half-century for 16 year old Kyle.

A weakened Threes fell to only their second defeat of the season at Stirling, but the Fours shrugged off the loss of their talismanic skipper Fantasy Bob to trounce Fauldhouse 2s at Grange Loan on Sunday. 15 year old Fraser Allardice hit his maiden club century, well supported by the slightly more experienced Shaun Barrett, as Carlton posted a healthy 231 for 5 off their 45 overs. The 5 man (well, 5 boy) bowling attack then dismissed Fauldhouse for just 119. The oldest bowler on show was 14 year old Greg Murdoch, who collected 3 for 31, with the remaining wickets being shared by under 13s Dougal Main, Calum Everett, Rory Allardice and Keshav Arvind.

There was disappointment for Carlton when they lost their 100% record in a home defeat to West of Scotland. A century from Dougie Lockhart laid the foundations for a decent West total, but it was an aggressive 89 off just 62 balls from visiting pro Colin de Grandhomme that was the difference between the sides.

In reply Cedric English (left) hit 109 but couldn't find a partner to emulate de Grandhomme's knock as the home side finished 26 short.  Carlton now head the SNCL Premiership by just two points from nearest challengers Arbroath.

There was a comfortable win for the Threes at Musselburgh. Under 15 spin twins Haris Aslam and Chayank Gosain both took three wickets to dismiss the home side for just 84, before unbeaten 30s from Kyle Macpherson and Ross Burns took their side to an 8 wicket win.

For the Fours, it was a case of dropped catches lose matches as they crashed to defeat at the Meadows against Morton Twos.

On Sunday there was a memorable match at Grange Loan, with the Twos setting their counterparts from Watsonians 237 to win. A dramatic final over ended with a run out off the last ball, leaving both sides tied.

A second successive weekend of torrential rain in the East of Scotland saw all four Carlton senior fixtures washed out.  Last summer, when only one match out of 18 top league fixtures was lost to the rain, seems a dim and distant memory.

With 6 weekends of this season left, Carlton remain on top of the National Premiership.  However, there's plenty of cricket still to be played in 2011, with potentially home and away matches against two of our closest rivals, Arbroath and Heriots. There are four scheduled fixtures left, before the top four in the league 'split' for the final three matches, which will be played over the last two weekends in August.

Remaining SNCL Premiership fixtures:

(1) Same day as Saltires v Leicestershire

(2) Saltires play at Hampshire the following day

Carlton won the Masterton Trophy for the fifth time in six years, when they saw off the challenge of old rivals Grange in the 2011 final at Grange Loan.

Skipper Fraser Watts surprised at least one watching ex Carlton captain when he defied evening cricket convention by winning the toss and inviting Grange to bat. The decision looked a brave one when Papua New Guinea under 19 star, Lega Siaka, got the innings off to a flier, taking full advantage of the early fielding restrictions. However a great running catch at long on by Sean Olivier off the bowling of Omar Ahmad, saw the diminutive Under 19 international depart for 22 midway through the fourth over with the score on 32. Fellow opener Neil McCallum was going well, though,and at the end of the restrictions after the 6th over Grange were a threatening 52 for 1.

Immediately, Carlton started to claw back the initiative. Sean completely deceived Macca to bowl him and Jason Trembath removed young Henry Edwards with the help of a JK stumping. Carlton youngster Nik Hunt then clung on to a good catch to dismiss Brock off the bowling of Preston Mommsen before Jason pinned Moffatt lbw.

However, with Gregor Maiden batting at 7, joining the always dangerous Stuart Davidson, Grange still had plenty firepower. The Scotland keeper was struggling to time the ball, though, and was eventually deceived by Omar’s slower ball to be caught by Stevie Gilmour. Davidson did his best but eventually holed out off Drummo, well caught by Rajan Bhopal as Grange were dismissed for 124 in the final over. Jason (left) returned exceptional T20 figures of 4 for 13 off his 4 overs.

A heavy shower at the end of the innings looked to put the game in doubt, but the rain relented enough to let Carlton openers Fraser Watts and Aravind Srinivasan take to the field in increasingly gloomy light.

Both openers were quick to find the gaps and some hard running had Carlton at 57 for 0 off 8, before Aravind hit a full toss back to Brock, who took a good high catch.  Gordon Drummond took the score to 88 in the 13th over before being caught at long off off the bowling of Brock for 20. However, skipper Watts continued to bat clinically and, with the support of Preston, won the game in the penultimate over, finishing on 60 not out.

An excellent win for Carlton, and achieved without the services of the unavailable Ali Evans or Cedric English. The side now go on to play in the Murgatroyd T20 National Finals day in Glasgow on Sunday 7th August.

Photos

As the second consecutive day of violent thunderstorms swept Edinburgh, Carlton lost their third successive home SNCL match to the weather when the clash with Clydesdale was called off early on Saturday morning.

Rain stopped play

The Fours also had their home match at Peffermill cancelled, but at least they picked up the points as opponents Penicuik 3s scratched as they couldn’t raise a team. The match – or non-match – marked a return to fitness for skipper Bob Irvine, who was able to file his match report without any further damage to his dodgy back.

The Fife micro-climate did allow some cricket to be played. The Carlton 2nd XI battled to 72 for 5 off 30 overs before having to admit defeat to the elements. And at Dunfermline, the promotion chasing Threes dismissed hosts Carnegie for 139 with three teenagers in the wickets (Fergus Whatley 3 for 37, Mo Ahmed 2 for 21 and Gavin Rittoo 2 for 36). Inevitably, though, the rain had the last word and the match was abandoned.

Carlton kept their 100% league record and moved clear at the top of the SNCL Premiership with a 6 wicket win at Uddingston on Saturday. Gordon Drummond hit an unbeaten 107 off just 78 balls - his third century of the season - and was well supported by Stevie Gilmour, as Carlton chased down 246 at one of their favourite grounds.

The Twos had a welcome return to form as they beat their Grange counterparts at Raeburn Place. After the loss of 3 early wickets, the prolific Aravind Srinavasan hit another century to guide the Twos to 269. In-form skipper Nathan Pietsch supported well with 56, before picking up 5 wickets as the home side were dismissed 35 runs short.

The Threes made the most of having Grange Loan to themselves, notching 224 for 7 with skipper Grant Newman thumping 78 batting at 7. The pivotal innings of the match, though, came from 15 year old Fraser Allardice (left) who scored 74, before being run out off the last ball. In reply, the Stenhousemuir veterans put up a good fight, but two wickets for 14 year old seamer Ruari Macpherson and three apiece for teenage spinners Fergus Whatley and Leigh Kasperek took the Threes to an 81 run win.

The Fours once again missed the enthusiasm of youth as they fell to their second defeat in 6 days to Marchmont 2s. Typically tight bowling from President Carter and Mike Kennedy helped dismiss the Cavalry Park side for 153. However, this total proved too much for the Fours, despite 36 from Jim McDonald.

On Sunday, the 'Fathers & Sons' clash between Carlton and Grange perhaps didn't quite meet the strict nominal criteria due to unavailability of numerous home familes - either in part or in whole - but one son of Grange Loan, 12 year old Tom Dean, starred for the home side as he hit 34 in a total of 122 for 8 off 35 overs. Liam Prescott also thumped 47 while breaking a bat. The Grange outfit then knocked off the runs for 5 wickets down. Keith Murray took 2 for 10, while one dismissal surely made the scorecard a collectors item: "st Prescott, b irvine-Hess'.

After two Saturday washouts it was a relief to get some cricket in on the last weekend in June, even though it was a miserable on-off sort of a day.

With the Ones not in action due to the blank SNCL date, the Twos took centre stage as they entertained Holy Cross at Grange Loan. The Arboretum side always pose a tough examination for our youngsters and so it proved again. Although 14 year old Haris Aslam picked up 4 wickets for the home side to help dismiss Holy Cross  for 144, the visitors’ 4 man seam attack enjoyed the bowler friendly conditions to bundle out Carlton for just 120, despite a fighting 48 from skipper Nathan Pietsch.

Over at Stenhousemuir, the 3rd XI kept their great run going with a 9 wicket thumping of the hosts’ 2nd XI. Under 15s Gavin Rittoo and Cheeky Gosain picked up three wickets each while Aravind Srinavasan hit an unbeaten 50.

On Sunday the Fours were once again beaten at Grange Loan. Shorn of the usual crop of youngsters, who were on duty for Edinburgh Under 14s at Durham, the veterans were unable to stop Marchmont 2s heading off back round Arthur’s Seat with the points. Shaun Barrett posted a gritty half-century, but there was not enough penetration from the bowlers as the visitors cruised to a 6 wicket win.

Elsewhere on Sunday the 11 Carlton youngsters (out of the squad of 12) saw off Durham in the Lords Taverners Trophy qualifying tie, while Matt Wells finished on the winning side for Scotland U15s against Cumbria. The day before, the club’s primary school side had rounded off their season with a thrilling win over the Parents team.

Thanks to the hard working Kirstin Everett and her newly formed junior social committee, the first junior social event of the season was a great success, with an excellent turnout of parents and youngsters.

With the novelty of a dry summer's evening, the BYO BBQ proved extremely popular, while the second-hand cricket kit stall raised valuable funds for the club. On the field, the Under 11s did their bit with a fine 38 run win over visitors Watsonians in front of what was the biggest crowd of the season at Grange Loan.

But the highlight of the immaculately planned evening was the Red Arrows flying over the match in formation. How Kirstin managed to book them on such a tight budget is anyone's guess. And just how is she going to top that one at the next event in August?

Photos

Carlton’s Scottish Cup history is, sadly, littered with tales of under-achievement, more often than not involving disappointing defeats at Grange Loan. Sunday sadly, saw another match added to the list as Carlton suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Ayr.

The miserable weather leading up to the game, combined with regular bouts of light rain throughout the match, made it tough for batsmen, with timing proving difficult for everyone. Nevertheless, the prolific Ayr pro Michael Papps managed to hit another chanceless century, although he was tested all the way by some tight Carlton bowling, typified by Omar Ahmad who returned the remarkable figures of 10.4.11.1. Papps eventually fell for 101, as Ayr battled to 188 all out.  

Openers English and Watts, like all the Ayr batsman, struggled to get the ball away and when they were out, Preston Mommsen and Stevie Gilmour battled to keep the innings ticking over, but with timing almost impossible they struggled to raise the run rate over three an over. Once Preston was out Gordon Drummond and Jason Trembath raised the rate with a few lusty blows before both departed to skiers, leaving Carlton with just seven to win off two overs.

Five balls left and, with a tie good enough for Carlton, there was only one run needed to win. With Stevie Gilmour on strike on 53 not out and 5 wickets in hand, a home win seemed assured. However, a play and miss, a catch to dismiss Gilly as he attempted to hit over the top, a play and miss from Ali, and an inside edge onto pads for no run left Ali on strike with just one ball left. A firm blow failed to pierce the infield;  Ali’s full length dive to make his ground must have been mighty close, but Sandy Scotland’s raised finger consigned Carlton to a gut-wrenching defeat.

Ali ends up just short. (Picture David Potter, Cricket Scotland).

Carlton Threes batsman Joss Beharrell is missing out on some cricket this year to undertake an epic cycle ride for charity.

Joss, who does great work as a volunteer coach on Carlton primary school nights, will be cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats in August to raise funds for Cricket for Change - a charity that provides cricketing opportunities for disadvantaged and disabled children.

Joss hopes to complete the epic 1000 mile journey from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England in 14 days, averaging around 70 miles a day!

Joss will be very grateful for donations from parents, players and friends to send him on his way.

You can support him on his JustGiving page at:

http://www.justgiving.com/Joss-Beharrell0.

After featuring in a double ton partnership on Saturday, and scoring a maiden SNCL century, Gordon Drummond showed he had quickly acquired a taste for big scores by hitting a magnificent 168 in the Scottish Cup second round tie on Sunday against Renfrew.

Coming in at 5 for 2, Drummo quickly unleashed a series of trademark booming drives to take full advantage of the early fielding restrictions and set his side on the way to a second 300+ total of the weekend. Well supported by Stevie Gilmour, Jamie Kerr and Sean Olivier, the Scotland skipper surged past the 100 and then the 150 mark, before eventually falling in the penultimate over.

Three early wickets for Preston Mommsen, included two stinging caughts and bowled on a bitterly cold day, ensured there would be no giant-killing feat. Jason Trembath also collected three wickets and there was time for late call-up Fergus Whatley to pick up his first top team wicket. Full match details here.

Also on Sunday the Carlton 2nd XI won through to the third round of the Presidents Trophy after beating Leith FAB at Leith Links. Rajan Bhopal led the way with 95 as the Twos hit 271 for 7 off their 40 overs. Kyle Macpherson (38), Stevie Elder (33*) and Matt Wells (23) also chipped in. In reply, the hosts were dismissed for 191.

On a day when all four Carlton senior sides won, the highlight of Saturday was a record breaking victory for the 1st XI at Dunfermline, which extends their winning streak to 6 out of 6.

Preston Mommsen (left) hit the highest ever SNCL score for a Carlton batsman; his 152, off just 118 balls, beating skipper Fraser Watts’ previous best of 151. Gordon Drummond, who put on 225 with Preston for the 4th wicket, also hit his first century (114*) and the 50 over score of 348 for 5 was Carlton’s highest ever SNCL total. In reply, Dunfermline could only muster 223 for 6, with both Sean Olivier and Omar Ahmad picking up two wickets.

At Grange Loan, the Twos’ inadequate looking total of 164 owed a lot to just three batsmen – Bryn Lockie (28), Tom Barrett (33) and Ben Duerden (60). However, a controlled bowling effort led by Rich Metcalfe and Nathan Pietsch and backed up by some fine fielding, with Fraser Allardice to the fore, strangled the Marchmont reply before some excellent death bowling from young Haris Aslam and Rajan Bhopal brought the Twos a well deserved win by 13 runs.

The Threes' great form continued as they thumped Penicuik Twos at Peffermill. Five wickets for Scotland women’s internationalist Leigh Kasperek helped to dismiss the visitors for just 163. In-form openers Seb Rae (91*) and Kyle Macpherson (68*) then wasted no time in knocking off the runs.

And the Fours made it four club wins out of four with a good win in Dunfermline against Kismet 2s. Club president Dave Carter returned bowling figures of 4 for 27 as Kismet were all out for 135. Big-hitters Fergus Whatley (42*) and Mike Kennedy (40) then combined to take the Fours to a seven wicket win under the leadership of stand-in skipper Alex Fedenczuk.

It's 5 wins out of 5 for Carlton in the SNCL Premiership after neighbours Watsonians were seen off comfortably at Grange Loan.

A superb opening spell from Ali Evans (left), which was full of pace, accuracy and aggression, was complemented by the accurate off-spin of Preston Mommsen, who picked up the prize wicket of visiting pro Tim Weston for a duck. With 5 wickets down in next to no-time, Watsonians were indebted to a middle-order recovery from the ex-Carlton duo of Craig Wright and Fraser Boyd to take them towards respectability. Three wickets in the final over from Gordon Drummond ensured that the Myreside outfit were dismissd for 155.

After a couple of short rain breaks, the home side found themselves chasing 149 and the target was achieved with relative ease. A good start from Fraser Watts and Cedric English set the tone and an agressive 33 from in-form Saltire Preston Mommsen had Carlton well ahead of any DL calculations. After Preston fell, Fraser took the initiative and powered his way to a fine unbeaten 79 and an 8 wicket win that clearly delighted him greatly.

Earlier on Saturday, the Carlton 2nd XI's great train journey to Fauldhouse failed to leave the station as the East League 1 match was called off due to wet weather further west.

On Sunday, the Threes resurgence continued with a thumping seven wicket win at Dunfermline. After being set a challenging 236 by the home side, Edinburgh Uni students Aravind Srinivasan (100*) and Seb Rae (98) did all the hard work, as the total was passed with three wickets down and more than five overs to spare.

At Grange Loan, there was a high scoring affair, with the senior element of the Fours' bowling attack failing to follow the lead of their skipper Bob Irvine, who once again ploughed selflessly into a howling gale for 3 for 27. The experienced RH Corstorphine top order took advantage to post 258 off their 45. A good effort in response though, with youngsters Tom Dean and Keshav Arvind showing lots of promise, and big hitters Liam Prescott (63) and Mike Kennedy (36), taking their side to within 27 runs of the visitors' total.

Also at the weekend, our state primary school side visited Stewarts Melville. After a strong side defeated Merchiston in midweek, the usual Saturday challenge of football meant that a less experienced team took on the powerful StewMel outfit. Although the boys came off second best, there were still some excellent performances.

Carlton’s home match with Ayr marked the 50th anniversary of ex-Carlton skipper and president Alun Davies’s first match for the club.

To mark the occasion the club held a lunch in Alun’s honour, to which a number of ex-teammates and family members were invited.

Club President Dave Carter made a short speech and presentation to Alun to mark the occasion, during which he listed the many highlights of Alun’s association with the club:

Alun receives a gift from club president Dave Carter

One other very special guest at the lunch was Bill Courtney. Bill was the Carlton skipper in 1955 and 1956 and he was presented with a framed picture of the 1955 side by the President.

Bill Courtney 2011 ... and 1955 (centre)

Saltires opener and Carlton skipper Fraser Watts has just fixed himself up with a new bat sponsor - Funky bats, a new bat manufacturer from Hampshire.  

As Funky are keen to get into the Scottish market Fraser has negotiated a 10% discount and free next day delivery to all Carlton players on any Funky bats – junior or senior.  

Fraser tells us that he has really taken to the bats he has been given. “They are light but chunky and give me the ability to play all my shots but I also have the confidence to know that a ball will stay hit when I do connect. They also do a tremendous range in junior bats and use top quality willow all the way down their ranges.”

If anyone wants a new discounted bat, the club will be placing an order in the middle of the week beginning 30th May. You can find full details on the Funky bats range here. If you’d like a new bat, or you know a youngster with a birthday coming up, and would like to place a discounted order simply have a word with Fraser at training or email him on fraserwatts@hotmail.com

Note: Fraser has asked us to point out that he’s not making any financial gain from any Funky bats sales – he just wants to let everyone know about the discounted rates.

The Grange v Carlton clash is always a highlight of the SNCL season and there was disappointment in both camps when what could potentially be the only match between the sides this season was scheduled for the weekend of a Saltires match.

Nevertheless the importance of a win for either side was not diminished and, in the absence of Fraser Watts, skipper Stevie Gilmour was desperate to continue his side’s 100% start to the season. With Gordon Drummond and Preston Mommsen also on their way to Northants, a lot depended on the experienced bowling duo of Ali Evans and Jason Trembath – and both delivered with figures of 3 for 47 and 2 for 42 respectively. The most economical figures of the innings though came from Omar Ahmad who picked up 2 for 37, including the prize wicket of pro McSkimming. The home side managed to post a challenging 261 for 9 but a magnificent unbeaten second wicket partnership of 203 between Cedric English (119) and Stevie Gilmour (108) took Carlton to a superb win.

The Twos found the going tougher at Grange Loan as the Watsonian 2 openers made the most of an inviting wicket to set the foundations for an imposing total of 279 for 6. In reply, the rain and an accurate visiting attack combined to thwart the Carlton reply, as they fell well short on 190 all out.

At Peffermill, Threes skipper Grant Newman continued his excellent early season form against Stirling Co 3s until a pulled calf muscle saw him hit out – and get out.  Grant’s 49 was backed up by fine efforts from Seb Rae (34) and Joss Beharrel (36) as Carlton notched a round 200 for 8. The bowlers then had to cope with a buffeting from strong crosswinds across the wide open Peffermill plain (below). They stuck to their task well, with the fast improving Gavin Rittoo taking the bowling honours with 4 for 25 as Stirling were all out 29 runs short.

Given the horrendous weather forecast given by the BBC it was a miracle that any cricket was played on Saturday, particularly that the Fours got a game in at the notorious weather blackspot of Fauldhouse. Even after dismissing the hosts for 89, thanks to 3 wickets apiece for Jim McDonald and Shuaib Farooq, skipper Bob Irvine knew the total would take some chasing on a pudding-like wicket and a long outfield. Sadly, the Fours fell just three runs short despite Jim McDonald carrying his bat once again.

On Sunday, returning veterans Kevin Whitaker and Imtiaz Ahmed joined forces with some of the younger members of the club as the Sunday XI debuted for the season at a blustery Grange Loan against a West Lothian XI.

With four wins out of four for the weekend, Bob Irvine must have felt the pressure as he led his 4th XI into action on Sunday against Morton 2s.

The ultra experienced opening pairing of Bob and Shaun got things off to a solid start before a spectacular collapse had the 4s still in double figures with just one wicket left. However, a solid last stand marshalled by President Carter and well supported by 13 year old Dougal Main took the home side to a much healthier sounding 115 all out.

The Pres wasn't finished though and opened the bowling in typically miserly fashion, picking up 3 for 8 to leave the visitors in turmoil at 10 for 5. An excellent 7th wicket partnership had the Morton men back in control before skipper Bob (3 for 10) picked up his third and young Mitch capped a fine spell with a wicket. With the finishing line in sight there were no more veteran bowlers left and the ball was thrown to 11 year old Calum Everett. The diminutive all-rounder duly delivered when it mattered, collecting 2 for 10 as Carlton eventually ran out winners by 22 runs.

Down at Penicuik, skipper Nathan Pietsch led his team of kids (and Akeel) into their Presidents Trophy match knowing that his side's record in this competition is less than impressive. However, 3 wickets apiece for Josh Walker and Ruari Macpherson, and two each for Leigh Kasperek and Cheeky Gosain dismissed the hosts for 146. In reply, teenage openers Fraser Allardice (67*) and Kyle Macpherson (51) propelled the Twos (below) to an 8 wicket win.

A weekend that started with a highly successful ceilidh and a hugely impressive batting performance from the Carlton Under 11 side, continued on Saturday with wins for all three of the Carlton senior sides in action.

At Grange Loan, spectators might have been forgiven for thinking that the Carlton bowling attack had overdone it the previous evening as an unusually toothless display helped visitors Ayr to an imposing total of 251 for 6, underpinned by 104 from Kiwi pro Michael Papps.  Happily for Carlton, the visitors also looked a poor bowling outfit and a classy 83 from Preston Mommsen, backed by solid contributions from Cedric, Fraser and Stevie saw the home side to a 5 wicket win. The highlight of the innings was Preston (below) becoming the first batsman in two seasons to win the Citylets Challenge, pulling a short ball up the hill for 6 and hitting the Citylets target on the full.

Another 50 for Preston!

With availability better this weekend, the Twos travelled to Boroughmuir hopeful of picking up their first East League Division 1 win of the season.  Skipper Nathan Pietsch showed faith in his batsmen after winning the toss and it was new batting all-rounder Steven Elder (it seems only yesterday he was being asked to bat no.11) who followed up his fine performance of last week with a fine 66, to propel the Twos to an impressive 241 for 9. After early breakthroughs, the home side were looking set for victory before the late introduction of young Fraser Allardice proved the turning point as he collected 2 for 22, as Carlton won by 22 runs.

Down at the Threes' home of Peffermill, skipper Grant Newman was back on song with the bat, hitting  81 in a total of 198 for 7 off their 45 overs. There were a few cameos from the youngsters but a lack of patience too often proved to be their downfall, leaving  ‘veteran’ Alex Fedenczuk to provide the support needed with an unbeaten 30.  Amit Bij was then the star for the Threes as he returned figures of 5 for 26 as Carlton defeated Musselburgh 2s by 43 runs.

The previous evening, while his team-mates were enjoying the delights of the annual Carlton Ceilidh(below) at the excellent venue of the Edinburgh Academy Junior School (many thanks to our friends at the school for their support), Gordon Drummond was at Grange Loan overseeing the second match of the season for his Under 11 hardball development squad v SMRH.  These matches surely offer the most watchable cricket in the country and it was a joy to witness the batting of the young Carlton side as they reached a challenging total with relative ease.

 Despite a weekend of mixed weather, there was a generally sunny outcome for Carlton with 5 victories including a gritty win for the 1st XI at Drumpellier.

The Langloan pitch was something of a contrast to the sun-soaked strip at Grange Loan last week and prompted opener Fraser Watts to go on the attack from the outset. Once he was out for a quickfire 31, the middle order found themselves bogged down and, despite another innings where Cedric English top scored, they needed good contributions late on from Sean Olivier and Jason Trembath to post a total of 174. With rain around, and the potential of an early DuckworthLewis finish, the pressure was on the visitors, but an improvement in the weather and  three wickets apiece for Sean Olivier and Preston Mommsen helped Carlton to a three wicket win.

At Grange Loan a fighting 47 from skipper for the day Steven Elder (left) rescued the Carlton innings from looming disaster against visitors Glenrothes.  From the depths of 60 for 5, and well supported by mature performances from Under 15s Ruari Macpherson and Haris Aslam, Stevie shepherded the home side to a decent looking 171. The arrival of rain at the interval brought an early end to the game, although, with the sun out again later, the decision looked as if it might have been a little premature.

On the plastic at Inverleith, recently converted off-spinner Leigh Kasperek picked up three wickets to help the Threes dismiss SMRH 2s for just 121. There were also good contributions from Amit and DC (2 wickets apiece) ably supported by youngsters Gavin and Cheeky. With skipper Newman unable to repeat last week’s heroics, another 40 from Joss Beharrell formed the backbone of the innings leaving everybody’s favourite cricketer, Alex Fedenczuk, to see the side home with an unbeaten 31.

With the Fours' available batting talent stretched beyond normal boundaries, skipper Bob Irvine had the perfect excuse to promote himself to opener at Peffermill against Teuchters CC. On the positive side Bob carried his bat with 52; on the negative side the Fours were dismissed for just 95. In reply, skipper Rich Bartsch saw his Teuchters side to a 5 wicket win, but not before the soon-to-be-14-year-old David Mitchell picked up all 5 wickets with an excellent display of left arm spin.

Mitch was also involved on Friday evening as the Carlton Under 15s won their preliminary round Scottish Cup tie at Penicuik, beating the hosts by 9 wickets. Also on Friday evening, Gordon Drummond’s Under 11 Development Squad played their first hardball game of the season, defeating old rivals Grange. The coach will be delighted to note that the win was based on an excellent fielding performance from all the side.

And staying with the juniors, the Carlton Primary School side picked up another win on Saturday morning as they saw off the challenge of an Edinburgh Academy XI. An excellent bowling performance, followed by undefeated 25s from Calum Everett and Tom Simpson, saw Carlton win by 10 wickets.

Cedric English continued where he left off last season by hitting his third successive SNCL century, as Carlton thrashed newcomers Stoneywood Dyce at a sun-kissed Grange Loan.

Batting first on a cracking early season track, openers Fraser and Cedric (left) put on 171 for the first wicket.  After the unlucky departure of his skipper, Ced accelerated beyond his hundred mark and had a 150 in his sights when he was run out backing up. Another good opening spell from Ali Evans had the visitors on the back foot and once Jason Trembath, on his way to 4 for 28, dismissed Jan Stander for a well constructed 50, there was only one winner; Carlton eventually prevailing by 136 runs.

With playing resources stretched over the holiday weekend, all three lower elevens had something of an experimental look about them. The Twos, led by stand-in skipper Brad McKay succumbed to Murrayfield DAFS at Roseburn. Poor bowling in the middle overs cost them dear and then a lack of batting depth to support the injured Ani Majumdar left the Twos well short.

At their new home of Peffermill, the Threes were sitting pretty at the halfway stage having reached 244 for 5 off their 50 overs; skipper Grant Newman hitting a beautifully compiled 127. However, despite a typically miserly spell from Dave Carter and three wickets for Mike Kennedy, Dunfermline Carnegie got home with four wickets and one ball to spare.

At Beeslack High School, the Fours fell just short against Penicuik 3s. Skipper Bob Irvine's 4 for 37 had helped to dismiss the hosts for 176, but, despite a superb debut 81* from Jim McDonald, the run-chase ended 5 runs short.

Also on Saturday the Carlton Primary School Team ran out winners in the season opener against the Heriots school P6 side.

Sunday morning saw the Under 13s take to the artificial at Grange Loan, and they found formidable opposition in Grange in their preliminary Scottish Cup tie. A superb visiting bowling unit  dismissed the home side for just 54 on their way to an 8 wicket win. Lots of positives though in a top rank fielding performance, marshalled by skipper Rory Allardice.

In the afternoon, there were also lots of positives for the Twos despite a crushing defeat by the East Academy. Under 15 openers Matt Wells and Fraser Allardice saw off an impressive Academy bowling attack, with Fraser going on to hit a stylish 35. Nik Hunt also hit 50 as the 2s posted a reasonable looking 231 for 6. However, a  combination of a batsman's paradise of a wicket and a wonderful century from 16 year old Zander Muir, ably assisted by opener Chris Cash, saw the visitors to a 9 wicket win.

The first full weekend of competitive action gives all four Carlton senior sides their first taste of league action.

At Grange Loan, Fraser Watts will lead Carlton in the first match of the new SNCL Premiership season against one of six newcomers, Stoneywood-Dyce. They will do so without Gordon Drummond and Preston Mommsen, who will be heading south for the CB40 double header with Surrey and Warwickshire on Sunday and Monday. The visitors boast experienced players such as Jan Stander and  Elton Willemse and the home side will be looking to good performances from debutants Jason Trembath (left) and Sean Olivier to see off what is bound to be a tough challenge.

After their opening match was rained off last week, Carlton 2s head to Roseburn to face old foes Murrayfield DAFS. DAFS are back in the top East League after a season in Division 2 and will be looking to start their campaign with a win against Carlton. The father and son combination of Akeel and Haris Aslam look like being reunited for Carlton after the former’s sterling display against North Down last weekend. The Twos will no doubt be looking to opener Ani Majumdar to provide the foundation for a solid batting display.

The Threes will be at their new ‘home’ at Peffermill, with Grant Newman and his side facing a stern challenge from an experienced Dunfermline Carnegie as they play their first ever match at the dizzy heights of Division 4.

The Fours also begin life in a new division – 6 – as they travel to Beeslack High School to take on Penicuik 3rd XI. Skipper Bob Irvine will, as always, be relishing the challenge of fusing the talents of his veterans and youngsters to create an effective team.

On Sunday, our Under 13s have a preliminary round Scottish Cup tie at Grange Loan at 9.30. The young side couldn’t have been given a tougher task as they face up to old rivals Grange.  In the afternoon, the Twos are in league action again as they take on the East Academy side.

With an 11 am start, Grange Loan was blessed with a perfect summer's morning for this final 40 over pre-season friendly against touring Ulster Bank Premier side North Down.

The visitors batted first and an early wicker brought a familiar figure to the crease  - ex-Saltires overseas star, Ian Moran, who is the North Down pro for 2011. Moran took an early liking to the home bowling attack, who were without Ali Evans, and the visitors had raced to 81 for 1 off just 11 overs. Skipper Watts then turned to Kiwi new boy Jason Trembath and the youngster showed some impressive Botham-esque golden-arm tendencies by taking a wicket with his first ever delivery in Scotland, enticing Sutherland to hit a full-toss straight to Akeel Aslam.

Although Jason bowled a good eight over spell, changing ends half way through, Moran continued to unleash a variety of attacking shots, taking his side past 140 at the half-way mark.

Despite a good second spell from Sean Olivier, Moran (left) continued on his seemingly unstoppable way to a century and North Down were approaching the 200 mark with 11 overs to go.

So who did the skipper turn to in this time of crisis? None other than Akeel Aslam - much to the dismay of his son, Haris, who was yet to turn his arm over. Speculation that Akeel had only been thrown the ball to polish it for the skipper proved unfounded, as the veteran left-armer marked out his run. Showing a canny tactical brain, based on years of cricketing experience, Akeel followed up a tidy couple of deliveries with a wild chest-high full toss that Moran smashed to the boundary to bring himself within one hit of a well-deserved ton. 

What followed next, had Moran gazing in disbelief before dragging himself back to the pavilion. Akeel cunningly bowled another full-toss - just below waist height this time and therefore legal  - and Moran smashed him high towards the long boundary at the top of the hill; Stevie Gilmour backpedalled furiously up the hill, threw his left arm behind him and improbably, and incredibly, bounced back to his feet with the ball clutched firmly in his hand. A sensational catch to bring a fine innings to an end. Cricketing connoisseurs, however, knew that full credit for the wicket must go to the wily bowler.

A good spell at the end from Richard Metcalfe - and a diving catch from Akeel - finally restricted the tourists to 260 for 6.

In reply, the early loss of Metcalfe brought captain and vice-captain together. Fraser Watts was looking good in his first outing of the season before he became another full-toss victim on 29 with the score on 47 at the end of the twelfth over.

Gilmour and Hunt put together a useful partnership, taking the home side to 89 without further loss at the 20 over mark. Once Nik had gone, Stevie (left) pressed the accelerator, playing a range of attacking shots. With 150 passed and just 10 overs to go, Gilly was yorked for a fine 74.

Some big hitting from Jamie Kerr kept Carlton in touch and a win looked possible while Jason was batting. He smoked some big sixes, but the highlight of his cameo of 27 was an outrageous reverse scoop for four off a fast delivery. Once Jason lost his middle stump trying for another maximum the game was gone, although Stevie Elder and that man Akeel batted aggressively until the end; Carlton eventually finishing 17 runs short.

Match photos