It was a weekend of ups and downs from both a cricketing and weather perspective, as Carlton’s 100% league record disappeared but the Twos kept up their great run and the top side bounced back in fine style with a Scottish Cup win on Sunday.

Unfortunately the weather didn’t play ball for the top of the table clash between Carlton and Grange and strong winds swept the Capital throughout the day; the only saving grace being that the rain showers flew by quickly. After being sent in to bat Carlton got off to a solid start, with Watts and Gardiner putting on 61 for the first wicket before three quick wickets tumbled. Preston Mommsen and Stevie Gilmour then put together a vital stand of 144 before Gilly did his hamstring going for a quick single. This stalled the momentum slightly, but Preston (below) smashed 24 off John Blain’s last 5 balls to finish on 116* to take the innings score to 273 for 5.

After playing without bails for most of the Carlton innings, the sightscreen had to be retired hurt during the interval due to the increasingly wild conditions. The lack of a sightscreen proved to be no handicap to the Grange openers as they got off to a fine start and after 17 overs they were on 73 for 0, with George Munsey (below) on 34* and Lang on 33*. From this point on Munsey started middling almost everything (he gave one difficult chance on 93*) to take the game away from Carlton. Tellingly, Munsey brought up his 150 before Lang reached his own 50. A tremendous example of selective hitting and the Carlton bowlers had no answer on a day that was tremendously difficult for bowling. Although Ali and Ryan both picked up a wicket late on, there was no stopping Munsey who ended the innings on 177* - not the first time he’d put a Carlton attack to the sword.

Round the corner at Cavalry Park, the Two shrugged off the loss of their skipper and saw off the challenge of Marchmont under the guidance of Steven Allen. Inspired by the continuing battle at the top of the fantasy league Player’s Table, Ahmad Shah decided to close the gap on brother Ali by picking up four wickets for 31 in his ten overs as Marchmont were dismissed for 139. In reply, Kyle Macpherson top scored with 44 as the Twos cruised to a 7 wicket win with over 11 overs to spare.

The Threes were forced to concede second best to Drummond Trinity in their league clash, after the home side hit 208 for 9 in their 45 overs. Under 15 all-rounder Angus Beattie was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 30 from his 9 overs and he also top scored with the bat, hitting 47 as opener. However, the Threes were bowled out for 155 and had to return to Grange Loan with just 9 bonus points for their efforts.

On Sunday, Carlton endured a long day after setting off at 7.30 in the morning for their Scottish Cup Round 2 clash at Aberdeenshire. Openers Gardiner and Watts endured no fewer than four rain breaks but the on-off nature of the match didn’t affect their concentration as they put on a hundred partnership. In the circumstances Carlton posted an impressive 190 for 5 off 34 overs, with Hamish top scoring with 64. After three early wickets pro Harsha Cooray was looking in fine form and there was alarm for Carlton when, shortly after hitting a six, the players were off for rain again with Carlton a run behind on Duckworth Lewis. Happily the players got back on shortly afterwards with Drummo soon running out Cooray as Carlton eventually won by 16 runs at 8pm.

At Peffermill, the Under 15s saw off the challenge of Arbroath United in their NatWest Club Championship 2nd round clash, but only after they recovered from a score of 4 for 8 early on. Man of the match was undoubtedly Tom Kujawa who hit an unbeaten 52 before taking 4 wickets for 3 runs as the Carlton youngsters won by 40 runs.

At Craiglockhart the Carlton women lost out in an entertaining encounter with George Watson’s despite a 5fer for Ollie Rae and 47 runs from skipper Ruth Willis.

Meanwhile at Grange Loan, the Fours had a comfortable win over Dalgety Bay. Teenager Maxwell Farrer led the way with 3 wickets as the visitors were all out for 96. Experienced openers Barnacle Barrett and Keith Murray got things off to a sound start before Zaki Yusaf, with an unbeaten 28, saw the Fours to an 8 wicket win.

Carlton maintained their winning ways with a big win over reigning league champions Aberdeenshire at Grange Loan.

Sent in to bat, openers Fraser Watts (below) and Hamish Gardiner got things off to a good start with a partnership of 81 before Hamish was caught behind.  Fraggle then put on 37 with Preston, before the latter was run out, and 70 with Rory McCann, before Fraggle was the man run out. By that time he’d hit a fine 103, and with the in-form Rory contributing a classy 63, Carlton were able to post a healthy 263, the last wicket – another run out – falling off the last ball of the innings.

The Aberdeenshire reply never really got off the starting blocks with Martin run out early thanks to some great work from Rory. Fellow opener Venske, who had scored a big hundred at Grange Loan last year, was then dismissed by Tom Freshwater, courtesy of a catch by keeper Boyd (below). Shortly afterwards pro Harsha Cooray was undone by Ryan McCloy, skying a steepler to Gilly. Cheeky then stepped in to do a bit of hoovering, returning figures of 4 for 35 as Aberdeenshire were dismissed for 120.

Up at Freuchie, Rob Thornton’s 2nd XI kept up their fine run with a good win over the home side. Kyle Macpherson contributed a vital 53, while Ali Shah continued his excellent early season form with 71. 30 from the skipper batting at 7 then took his side to 240 all out after 49 overs.  The Freuchie reply was stifled by some superb bowling from Brad McKay, who amassed heaps of fantasy points with a spell of 10 overs, 5 maidens, 4 for 16. Spinner Rory Allardice also did his bit with a couple of wickets as Freuchie were all out for 145.

At Peffermill, the Fours earned their second win of the season with a crushing victory over their SMRH counterparts. Young Ben d’Ulisse held the early part of the innings together with 21, before Barnacle Barrett reminded us that class, if not his hamstring, is permanent with 52 while Alex Fedenczuk hit a quick 26 not out as the Fours made 180 for 8.  Pete Gill and Callum Sibley then shared four wickets to decimate the top order before Hari Thaivalappil picked up 5 wickets for just 4 runs as SMRH were all out for 34.

On Saturday morning there was a first for the Primary School squad when they fielded two hardball sides on the same day. The seniors earned an impressive win against George Watson's P7s, while the P6s came out on top in a pairs game against their Watson's counterparts.

On Sunday, the Carlton 3rd XI made it a clean sweep after winning a tight encounter against RH Corstorphine 2s at Grange Loan. Left armers Nick Thomson and Alan MacLeod  shared 5 wickets between them to restrict the visitors to a nevertheless challenging 174 for 8 in their 45 overs. However, skipper Kevin Whitaker‘s 69 and 42 from Craig Everett provided the backbone of the Threes’ reply as they chased down the target with three wickets and five balls to spare.

Carlton made the long trip north on Saturday to take on Stoneywood-Dyce and a disciplined bowling display, which saw 15 year old Calum Everett make his debut and skipper Gordon Drummond take 4 for 39, restricted the hosts to just 153 for 8 in their 50 overs. Rory McCann, promoted to open with Hamish Gardiner, then hit 86*, as Carlton eased to a nine wicket win with more than 20 overs to spare.

At Grange Loan, a determined 2nd XI notched their most impressive win in a long time with a thumping 114 run victory over SMRH in the ESCA Championship. Opener Steven Allen (below) played the anchor role with 60, while Mike Raikes (38) and skipper Rob Thornton (46) made sure the run rate kept ticking over, as the Twos posted 233 for 7.

SMRH, who were unbeaten before Saturday, were then set back on their heels when Ahmad Shah struck with the second ball of the innings. Wickets tumbled regularly with the big breakthrough coming when Rory Allardice took a good catch off Mike’s bowling to dismiss visiting pro Brad Moses. The skipper then struck before Ahmad (below) proved too good for the tail, finishing with 5 for 21 as SMRH were all out for 119 in the 35th over.

The Fours called The Meadows home for the day and had to work hard to post 135 for 5 off their 40 overs against Glenrothes 3s with Alan Murray leading the way with an unbeaten 40. Bob Irvine’s men (and boys) were looking good when Glenrothes  lost four early wickets but a rapid, unbeaten 77 from the visitors’ no. 6 took the game away from the Fours.

On Sunday, the Threes made full use of a fine batting wicket and a lightning outfield to post a healthy 234 for 6 against Haddington. Rob Atkin (below) showed his full range of strokes, plus a sharp turn of speed between the wickets, with 69, and Nick Thomson stroked a classy 63, before skipper for the day Paul Kentish added a rapid 52.

Young Olly Brown was making his first appearance of the season and he was on target (below) in each of his first two overs to set the visitors on the back foot. Haddington’s Rob Hiley was batting well and he kept his side in contention although wickets fell regularly at the other end, with Ruari Macpherson, on his return from injury, taking four wickets. Hiley was eventually last man out, run out for 95, as Haddington were all out for 202.

Also on Sunday, the Carlton Women were in league action for the first time this season, Home side George Watson’s posted 143 in their 30 overs, with Christina Evans getting 3 wickets. Despite being without their entire Scotland contingent on international duty down south, Carlton put up a good fight but had to settle for second best on the day.

It was a successful weekend all round at Carlton as the weather and all opposition were seen off across league and cup.

First winners of the weekend were the Primary School team, who defeated their counterparts at George Watson's by 5 wickets.

As that game was finishing, Carlton were getting underway in the Eastern Premier League clash with Forfarshire. After an aggressive start from the visitors' in-form skipper Craig Wallace, some disciplined bowling from Tom Freshwater and Omar Ahmad soon had the strong Forfarshire line-up struggling at 70 for 4. Left arm spinner Chayank Gosain (below), bowling his first spell of the season, then picked up 5 wickets for just 16 runs as the visitors were dismissed for 160.

A fine second wicket partnership between Fraser Watts (below, 59) and Preston Mommsen (48*) ensured there was to be no slip up and Carlton eased home by 8 wickets in the 29th over.

At Roseburn, the Twos overcame the absence of regular skipper Rob Thornton to beat Murrayfield DAFS by 40 runs. Openers Kyle Macpherson (43) and Tom Simpson (23) got the Carlton innings off to a fine start with a partnership of 70, before a middle order collapse was propped up by the Everett brothers - Craig hitting 35 and younger brother Calum scoring 22. Tail enders Ahmad Shah (19*) and Brad McKay (15) then took their side to 174 all out off their full 50 overs. The Murrayfield reply ultimately fell short with Ahmad and Calum both taking 3 wickets and Tom adding another couple of stumpings to his season's tally.

The Threes picked up their first win of the season at Peffermill when they beat Leith FAB by 8 wickets. Alan MacLeod, making a welcome comeback after a nasty injury on the opening day of the season, took 3 for 26. Under 15s Ruairidh Main and Angus Beattie then picked up a couple of wickets apiece as the home side were all out for 149. In reply, openers Chris Patterson and Olivia Rae both hit 50s to take their side to a comfortable win.

The clean sweep was sealed by the Fours when they eased to a 6 wicket win at Broomhall 2s. Tight bowling early on was capped by another mature performance from young Harry Simpson who took 3 for 29 in his 8 overs as the home side made 147 for 6 in their 40 overs. The batting star was the returning Zaki Yusaf who hit a fine unbeaten 66, well supported by Alan Murray, to see his side home with over 12 overs to spare.

On Sunday, Clydesdale were the visitors to Grange Loan. Despite winning the toss and asking Carlton to bat, the score had reached 97 before they picked up their first wicket with Fraser Watts lbw for 47. Fellow opener Hamish Gardiner (below) made 77 and Rory McCann 47 before they both fell to Dale skipper Con de Lange. Some late order hitting from Tom Freshwater meant Carlton ended on 265 for 8.

Most pundits reckoned Clydesdale's biggest batting threat would come from skipper de Lange and Scottish international Richie Berrington and that's how it worked out. Coming together with the score on 39 for 2, they both hit half centuries before falling to catches off the bowling of Chayank Gosain, who ended with 4 for 54. The lower order hit out until the end but Clydesdale were eventually all out for 218. Carlton will now travel to West of Scotland or Aberdeenshire in the next round on June 7th.

Exciting news reached Grange Loan this week when we learned that ex-Carlton junior Leigh Kasperek, 23, has been picked for the New Zealand women’s squad to tour India in June.  Leigh already held more than 50 Scotland caps before she headed to the Southern Hemisphere to develop her cricket – first in Australia and then, for the last three years, in New Zealand.

Now qualifying for the White Ferns after spending the last three Antipodean summers there, the call-up caught Leigh by surprise though she’s looking forward to five weeks of intensive training before the tour begins. Leigh’s selection will be a proud moment not only for her parents Suzan and Charlie but also for ex-Carlton Junior Convener Gavin Scott who first persuaded his 11 year old tennis-playing neighbour to try her hand at cricket.

It wasn’t long before the young Leigh caught the eye of the Scotland setup, smashing six after six for a Carlton side at a kwik cricket event at Arbroath. She also starred for the Carlton Under 13s, outshining many of her male team-mates before earning an invite to the City of Edinburgh Cricket Academy as part of coach Gordon Drummond’s first intake.

Since then Leigh’s career has gone from strength to strength, with not even an enforced switch from seam bowling to spin halting her career. We very much hope that next month sees Leigh become Carlton’s first ever dual internationalist and we wish her the best of luck for the tour.

     Leigh (second left, back row) with the Carlton Under 13 side of 2005

Carlton had a frustrating day at Goldenacre after overnight rain from the covers left part of the square wet. The afternoon was spent waiting to see if the wet area would dry naturally and, when that didn’t happen, the match against Heriot’s was abandoned.

By contrast, Grange Loan saw two matches played on Saturday. In the morning the Primary School team beat Cargilfield in an entertaining encounter and in the afternoon, despite a lengthy rain delay in the second innings, the Twos did what the 1st XI failed to do in the Masterton Trophy in midweek and saw off the challenge of Edinburgh CC. Full marks to groundsman Russell and the army of parents (morning) and players (afternoon) who made sure cricket was played.

The Twos showed the benefits of sticking to their game plan, when they picked up regular wickets despite the Edinburgh CC top order swinging hard whenever they had the chance. Despite two early wickets for Brad McKay the visitors were on 100 for 2 in the 19th over before a fine yorker from Ahmad Shah was immediately followed by a remarkable one handed return catch by skipper Rob Thornton to dismiss opener Hussain on 47. Gavin Rittoo and Steven Elder then shared 5 wickets as Edinburgh collapsed to 129 all out.

When the rain returned Carlton were 23 for 2. After a 135 minute delay, two more wickets fell quickly as the visitors had their tails up.  However, Ali Shah (below), well supported by Fin Clarkson, seized the initiative for the home side, smashing an unbeaten 84 off just 40 balls to see the Twos to a 5 wicket win.

Down at Selkirk the Threes earned their first win of the season, chasing down the home side’s 115 with 5 wickets to spare. Youngsters Callum Sibley and Angus Beattie each picked up two wickets in a tight bowling spell on a slow pitch before 31 from Rob Atkin and 27 from Arsal Sohail saw the Threes home.

Unfortunately Sunday's rain put paid to the Carlton Women's friendly at St Andrews University, while the Fours match at Grange Loan was also called off, although this didn't deter the skipper from submitting a match report.

Carlton made it 2 from 2 in the Eastern Premier League with a clinical win over newly promoted RH Corstorphine. After being put into bat the visitors had reached 28 without loss before Ryan McCloy made the first breakthrough. The remaining 9 wickets then fell for just 21 runs, with Ryan (below) ending with 3 for 16 and Omar Ahmad returning figures of 5.3 overs, 4 maidens, 5 wickets for 4 runs.

Carlton then had the game wrapped up by 2.20 pm as they knocked off the runs in under 12 overs with Hamish Gardiner ending on 41*.

Ali Shah (left) was at the heart of an impressive 2nd XI batting performance at Holy Cross, hitting an unbeaten 114 as his side scored 273 for 8. Skipper Rob Thornton (34), Fin Clarkson (33) and Ben Thurman (31) were also in the runs.

Holy Cross posted a 200 plus score themselves but were dismissed 44 runs short, with skipper Rob picking up 3 for 43.

The Threes had Boroughmuir in trouble early on in their Division 3 clash, with Calum Sibley claiming 3 early wickets as the home side slumped to 56 for 5. A fine recovery took the opposition to 207 all out, which proved to be just enough despite an unbeaten 67 from Steven Elder and a fine 34 from young Murray Whitaker, as Carlton fell just short.

Eric Edwards and Bob Irvine were well supported by young Harry Simpson as the Fours totalled 181 for 8 against Dunnikier 2s in their Division 7 match. There were two wickets for Bob Irvine, Harry Simpson and Hari Thaivalappil, but the Fifers had just enough in the tank to edge home by 1 wicket in the final over.

The women's match and Under 15 cup tie scheduled for Sunday were both called off as the rain returned to Edinburgh.

After hitting two centuries in a match in midweek, Hamish Gardiner might have been forgiven for resting on his laurels on Saturday. Happily he was as hungry for runs as ever and anchored Carlton to a fine opening day league win at Arbroath, hitting a match-wining 98 not out to take his tally for his three innings in the week to over 350 runs.

The home side had elected to bat first, perhaps believing that the visitors might not fancy a chase. However, they soon found themselves reduced to 55 for 5, thanks to a three wicket burst from Tom Freshwater. A second half recovery, led by Marc Petrie, was ended when young Rory Allardice took a stunning catch to dismiss the Arbroath skipper and the home side finished on 214 for 9. Hamish was well supported by fellow internationalists Preston Mommsen (44) and Ali Evans (38) as Carlton won by 7 wickets with a full 4 overs to spare.

At Grange Loan on Saturday (below) it was a local derby between the second elevens of Carlton and Grange. Despite three early wickets for Brad McKay, and a fine spell of bowling from young Calum Everett, a Grange recovery led by Carlton’s nemesis Stuart Davidson helped the visitors post 220 for 5 in their 40 overs. The in-form Ben Thurman hit 45 for the Twos but wickets tumbled too regularly and Rob Thornton’s side were dismissed for 167.

Sunday saw the Threes host Kirk Brae at Grange Loan, and a fine partnership between Olivia Rae (33) and captain Kevin Whitaker (72, below)) formed the basis of a total of 183 for 8. Young spinners Ruairidh Main and Murray Whitaker then picked up two wickets apiece but the strength of the Kirk Brae batting saw them to a 5 wicket win. The match saw the reuniting of the Alan McLeod & Kevin Whitaker partnership, which served Carlton so well in years gone by. Sadly, it wasn’t the best of days for Alan who was adjudged lbw first ball before suffering a painful face injury during his first over with the ball and ending up in A&E. On the plus side, he saved a certain four. We hope Alan bounces back soon and everybody at the club wishes him a speedy recovery.

Also on Sunday, the Fours visited West Lothian and came close to a fine win before having to settle for second best. Young Harry Simpson was in the wickets as the home side posted 153 for 5 in their 40 overs. Teenager Tom Kujawa got the Fours’ innings off to a good start hitting 31. Unfortunately, despite contributions from the experienced Eric Edwards and Martin Robertson, their side fell just short.

A particularly busy last Saturday of pre-season saw another two friendly wins for the club, followed by a highly successful evening Social to launch the season.

At Grange Loan, new second XI skipper Rob Thornton led his side in a friendly against Meigle. Forties from Arsal Sohail, Ben Thurman and the skipper himself (below) helped the Twos post 199 for 7 after their 40 overs.

The Meigle reply was strangled early on by a miserly, Carteresque bowling stint from club Treasurer Brad McKay (below). His spell of 8 overs, 4 maidens, 2 for 12 (it would have been worth 62 Fantasy Points if it was a league game!) made sure the Carlton total was never under threat, and with Dilip Punna also taking two wickets, the Meigle reply ended on 140 for 6.

Photos

Scorecard (courtesy of Meigle CC)

Over at a chilly Myreside, the 1st XI also earned their second pre-season win on the trot with a victory over Watsonians. New overseas amateur Ryan 'Roy' McCloy made an immediate impact by picking up a wicket with his first ball for Carlton - and getting  his second later in the same over. The new recruit from Queensland eventually finished with figures of 4 for 36 as the home side was bowled out for 208. Carlton, in reply, always appeared to have the chase under control with Steve Allen and Preston Mommsen both retiring undefeated after hitting fifties as they earned a morale boosting win ahead of their first league match at Arbroath next week.

In the evening, the Grange Loan pavilion was packed for a social evening to launch the season and welcome Ryan McCloy and new scorer Ken Nisbet to the club. Food was provided (thanks Karen and Alison!) and the draws were made for the monthly Centurion club (winner Shaun Barrett) and the Sky Sports ODI raffle (winner Ruth Norman).

The club also marked the achievement of our three players, Preston Mommsen, Ali Evans and Hamish Gardiner, in appearing in the 2015 ICC World Cup by hanging a special photo of the trio in the clubhouse. Preston was also honoured with a framed picture to commemorate his achievement in being named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year. Club captain Fraser Watts presented the "elegantly attired"* Scotland skipper with a replica of the picture that will adorn the Grange Loan wall.

* Quote from our fashion correspondent

And on Sunday our youngsters had their own pre-season warm-up when two squads of our kwik cricketers face up on a chilly morning. Martin's match report is well up to his usual high standard!

It might have been cold, blustery and (occasionally) wet, but cricket was back as two Carlton sides got their pre-season activity underway with a win.

At Grange Loan, Carlton batted first against visitors Benwell Hill from Newcastle and found the going tough in tricky conditions against an accurate bowling attack . Opener Steven Allen showed real application to build a foundation for his side, making 39. A partnership between Harris Aslam and Fraser Boyd then gave the innings some momentum, with Boyd (below) playing aggressively on his way to 49. A late tumble of wickets saw Carlton all out for 148, a total that the coach felt was defendable.

An early wicket from Tom Freshwater broke one of the shiny blue Carlton stumps, and a couple of wickets from debutant Mike Raikes during a good spell kept the home side in the game. In the second half of the innings it was the teenage Carlton spinners who turned the match in their favour, with Harris Aslam collecting four wickets, while the Allardice brothers shared the other three as Carlton won by 39 runs. (Match photos)

At the nearby Inch, a Carlton 2nd XI were left to chase more than 200 when Edinburgh South posted an impressive total of 201 for 4 in 35 overs. However, a great batting effort, with Ben Thurman and Paul Kentish both hitting 50s, saw the Twos home with 5 wickets and 1 over to spare. Unfortunately, the match also saw an injury to young all-rounder Gregor McIntyre, which has left him with an arm in plaster. Gregor is as tough as they come though so we know he'll be back soon. Get well soon Gregor from everybody at Carlton.

There's a busy pre-season ahead at Grange Loan, both on and off the field.

The cricket gets underway on Saturday 11th April, with regular visitors Benwell Hill, from Newcastle, facing up to Carlton at Grange Loan, while the Carlton 2s make the short trip to Inch Park to play Edinburgh South.

Saturday 18th April sees the 2s host Meigle at Grange Loan, while the 1st XI are at Myreside to play Watsonians. And in the evening, there's a big social with everybody coming together to launch the season. Food will be available and everyone is welcome,

Sky Sports Raffle

During the evening the draw will be made for the members' Sky Sports Raffle, which is not surprisingly proving very popular with adults and juniors alike. The lucky winner will receive 2 tickets to an England ODI (either England v New Zealand at Durham on Saturday 20th June or England v Australia at Headingley on Friday 11th September). As part of the prize Sky Sports will arrange a tour of their broadcast facilities and a visit to the commentary box. The commentary box visit will last approximately 15 minutes & there will be opportunities to take photographs. Tickets will be on sale to members at both home pre-season matches and at junior registration days ahead of the draw on the 18th. For more information or to buy tickets directly email us at raffle@carltoncc.co.uk.

Fantasy Cricket

The evening will also see the launch of the 2015 Carlton Fantasy Cricket League. Last year's most successful manager was Chris Patterson and he'll be keen to see off all-comers this year. On Saturday the 18th we'll be doing the big unveil of the prices for all Carlton players for the season (if you're a player you don't want to miss it!). We'll also be outlining a slight change in the scoring system to give more of a chance to our hard-pressed bowlers. And by way of an aid to selection, we'll give everyone attending a rundown of last year's MVPs!

Entry forms will be handed out during the evening so pop in and pick one up.

Centurion Draw

We'll also be making the Centurion Draw for April so there's plenty to get involved in. Everybody's welcome and we look forward to seeing you all in our newly refurbished pavilion from 7pm.

The first major fundraising event of the year takes place on Saturday March 14th when the new social team will be running a Carlton Race Night.

That Saturday is also the date of the England v Scotland rugby match from Twickenham and we will be showing the game on the big screen. The club will be open from 4pm with kick off at 5pm. For those who can't make it for the rugby, the race night part of the evening will start at 7:30pm.

Race night entry is just £5 (£3 students / juniors) and a family ticket of £10 for 2 adults & 2 children is available. Food will be available from 7pm.

Anyone and everyone is welcome!  Players, family, friends, wives, husband, boyfriends, girlfriends. The more the merrier, please bring along anyone you want. 

We hope to see you all on the 14th in our newly refurbished pavilion!

How it works:

One ticket for a horse to win costs £1 and you can buy as many tickets as you want per race. The prize fund is then divided by the number of winning tickets purchased.

There will be a minimum of 6 races on the night and many of the racecards will have a familiar Carlton look to them.

Be sure to bring plenty of pound coins and we'll see you on Saturday!

Carlton will kick off the 2015 Cricket Scotland Eastern Premier League with a trip north to Arbroath on Saturday 25th April. The following week they will host newly promoted RH Corstorphine at Grange Loan. The senior side will also be at home in the first round of the Scottish Cup, entertaining Glasgow rivals Clydesdale on Sunday 17th May. The winners of that tie will then be away to either West of Scotland or Aberdeenshire in the next round.

Carlton Twos will be hoping to put up a stronger showing in the ESCA Championship this year following their last gasp escape from relegation in 2014. They begin the league season with a home match against old foes Grange 2s on 25th April before heading across town to Holy Cross the following week.

The Threes also narrowly escaped relegation last season and they will be looking forward to a strong start in Division Three, although they face a tough home game against neighbours Kirk Brae on the first weekend of the season. The Fours will compete in Division Seven again and they start their campaign with a trip to Linlithgow to face West Lothian 3s.

Fixtures for the Carlton Women’s XI and the junior teams will be published nearer to the start of the season.

Carlton fixtures for 2015