The weekend saw all 5 Carlton sides fail to register a win despite two last over finishes in two days

Carlton batted first at Arbroath hoping to earn their first away league win of the season. Unfortunately the early wickets of Watts and Herdman had the middle order under pressure early on.  Carlton were indebted to wicket-keeper Tom Simpson, with a gritty 32, and Cameron Shoebridge, who smashed a late 20, for their eventual total of 144.

The home side were pegged back by a good opening spell from Evans and Herdman to give Carlton some hope at 40 for 3. However, the experienced duo of Willemse and skipper Petrie put on 79 for the fourth wicket before both departed in quick succession. Greg Peal, however, held firm with an unbeaten 18 to see Arbroath to a three wicket win.

At Grange Loan, three wickets for Mikey Brown and another three from Ruari Macpherson, bowling uphill into a fierce wind, helped the 2nd XI restrict the big hitters of Edinburgh CC to 217 for 9. The Carlton reply was given a good start by skipper Andrew Meyer before he was caught behind for 38. The Twos looked in command of the chase while Crag Marshall and Ruari Macpherson were together but the run out of the latter for 35 with the score on 130 put the game back in the balance. Three quick wickets put Edinburgh in charge but the lower order supported Craig well until he was caught and bowled for 71 with 41 runs needed off 7 overs. The match went down to the last over with the final pair of Mikey Brown and Rory Allardice at the wicket but Mikey was run out with 5 needed from 3 balls to earn Edinburgh the win. [Photos]

The 4th XI posted a competitive 163 for 5 at Melrose, with Kevin Whitaker leading the way with 57, supported by Alan Murray with 48. However, the total wasn’t quite enough as the home side got over the line with three wickets to spare.

The Famous Fives were defending small boundaries at Campbell Park against Leith FAB 2s but the young bowling attack stuck to their task well, restricting the visitors to 229 for 5 in their 40 overs.  The youthful Carlton batting line-up was anchored by the slightly more experienced Paul Bailey, who carried his bat for 90 while his (mainly) junior partners came and went. In the end, Carlton earned 8 points by finishing on 159 for 8. [Photos]

On Sunday, the Threes also took their game at Grange Loan against Fauldhouse to the final over.  Nick Thomson (below) hit a well crafted 96 and was well supported by Alex Fedenczuk (53*) and Ruairidh Main (22).

The game swung back and forth with Fauldhouse getting off to a good start with a fine partnership for the first wicket before Threes skipper Paul Kentish (below) took three quick wickets and, fellow leggie Ruairidh Main followed up with another. The visitors needed 5 off the final over with six wickets in hand and although two wickets went down, Fauldhouse took a single off the last ball to win the game. [Photos]

Carlton’s Scottish Cup tie at Poloc was postponed as the date clashed with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. The match will now be played next Sunday (2nd July).

The weekend saw another hard fought home league win for Carlton, while an under strength and short-handed women’s team earned a great victory against the combined west of Scotland side. There were also wins for the Fours and for the friendly XI at Manderston.

If ever there was a lesson in the benefits of perseverance, then it came in Carlton’s innings at Grange Loan on Saturday. Pinned down by Watsonians’ accurate bowling and tight fields, the scoreboard moved slowly and wickets fell regularly. Batting at 3, Michael Herdman struggled visibly with frustration as he couldn’t find his timing and things didn’t look too hot at 126 for 7. However, cometh the hour cometh the skipper and Chayank Gosain arrived to play one of his most valuable innings for Carlton. The pair put on 75 crucial runs and Herdy (below), despite giving two tough chances, was still there as the final over arrived. By now his timing was back and he smashed 22 runs off the final six balls to finish on 108* and take Carlton to 229 for 8.

The Watsonians reply was based around a typically aggressive half century from Brendan O’Connell and once he was run out the visitors’ hopes centred on the Chalmers’ brothers. Once again, skipper Cheeky played the pivotal role, dismissing both brothers in the space of two overs to guide Carlton to an ultimately comfortable 37 run victory. [Photos]

At Gala the Twos finished just short in a high scoring encounter. Chasing 258 to win, a great partnership between Andrew Meyer  (101) and Parker Neame (89) kept Carlton in the hunt but eventually the scoreboard pressure proved too much as the Twos subsided from 194 for 1 to 237 all out.

The Threes also lost out in a tight encounter as they fell to SMRH 2s at Inverleith.  A fine unbroken partnership for the 5th wicket between Nick Thomson (66) and the in-form Pete Gill (44) helped the Threes to 203 for 4 off their 40 overs. However, it was the SMRH 5th wicket partnership that was to ultimately prove decisive as the Threes lost out by 3 wickets despite a flurry of late dismissals and three scalps for teenager Harry Simpson.

The Fours meanwhile picked up full points with a solid win over Old Contemptibles. New recruit Rob Grisenthwaite helped his side to 133 for 7, which was a good score given the less than lightning outfield conditions. That proved to be more than enough as the Fours ran out winners by 46 runs. Mohammad Nouman returned the best figures with 3 for 22.

No such luck for the Fives however. Despite an unbeaten 49 from Martin Robertson the Carlton total of 99 was never enough to threaten a talented Falkland 3s side, who secured a comfortable 9 wicket win.

On Sunday, the Carlton women’s side played their second home league game of the season against their nearest challengers, West, in the teeth of a major selection crisis. With a large Carlton contingent on Scotland T20 duty down south and other unavailability, the home side did well to dismiss the visitors for 124 with Ikra Farooq (3/22) and Heather Tait (2/40) sharing 5 wickets between them.

The Carlton reply relied heavily on a fine innings from Heather, who held her nerve admirably as the game went down to the wire ending unbeaten on 76 to steer her side to a great win.

Also on Sunday, a Carlton XI travelled south to play old foes Manderston on what is always one of the favourite dates in the calendar. Carlton batted first with Alex Fedenczuk (31) and Andrew Meyer (77*) contributing to a total of 152. The young Carlton bowling attack then excelled themselves as the home side were dismissed for just 94.

Following another highly successful junior BBQ and social on Friday evening (good weather guaranteed, naturally), and a hard fought local derby between the Lions and Tigers, it was a weekend of mixed weather and mixed fortunes for the five Carlton senior sides on duty.

After last week’s impressive win against Heriot’s, Carlton came down to earth with a crash as they slipped to a comprehensive defeat at Forfarshire (below). Despite three wickets for Cameron Shoebridge, the home side were able to post 179 for 6 in their 39 overs following a delayed start. The reply never really got out of the starting blocks and a young Carlton side was dismissed for 126 despite an unbeaten 40 from Arun Pillai.

The Threes were at Grange Loan but they suffered at the hands of Falkland 2s’ experienced overseas all-rounder Ben Strachan. Strachan hit 116 in a total of 201 for 3 then took 3 for 10 in 10 overs as the home side were all out for just 103, although opener Eric Edwards scored 39.

The Fours were involved in a high scoring encounter down at Peebles. Two early wickets for Ruth Willis pinned the home side back early on, but they recovered to post 247 for 7 in their 40 overs, with Alan Murray picking up three late wickets to slow the onslaught. The Fours’ batsmen weren’t daunted by the size of the task and Under 15 opener Pete Gill scored 78 to keep his side in the hunt.  Alex Fedenczuk hit 44 but the Fours eventually finished 22 runs short.

Meanwhile at Cavalry Park, the very young Fives bowling attack dismissed Marchmont 3s for 146. Gavin Murray topped the wicket taking stats with 3 for 29. The Carlton reply was based around a priceless 62 from the evergreen Paul Bailey as they eventually sneaked home with just one wicket and three balls to spare.

Carlton continued their recent good form at Grange Loan on Saturday with a 116 run win over Heriot’s. At 103 for 4 in the 32nd over, with Herdman and McCann gone cheaply and Watts having run himself out for 57, there was plenty for the home side to do. However, a spectacular 83 off just 55 balls from left-hander Ali Shah (below), who was well supported by Arun Pillai and Fraser Boyd in stands of 51 and 73, took Carlton to a final total of 231 for 6.

Superb opening spells from Ali Evans (7-3-13-1) and Michael Herdman (6-1-14-2) had Heriot’s reeling early on. And there was to be no respite for the visitors as Cameron Shoebridge (7-2-15-2) bowled an impressively hostile spell to remove Watt and Ross, who had been attempting to rebuild the Heriots’ innings. Spinners Pillai and Gosain then combined to hoover up the tail as Heriot’s were dismissed for 115 in the 38th over. [Photos]

While the wet weather stayed away at Grange Loan, the 2nd XI once again found they had their own personal rain cloud following them. After setting Freuchie a target of 196, with Angus Beattie, Andrew Meyer, Ben Thurman and Ross Armour all in the runs, the Fife rain set in for the day leading to the match being abandoned at the halfway stage.

The Threes travelled the short distance to the Meadows to play hosts Morton and they bowled out the opposition for 171, with youngsters Murray Johnson, Harry Simpson and Gregor McIntrye all taking two wickets, as did the more experienced Nick Thomson. However, 170 is a good total on the Meadows and it proved too much for the Threes’ batting lineup, as Ruairidh Main top scored with 28 in a total of 110 all out.

Down at Dunbar, the Fours pushed the Division Five leaders all the way, dismissing the home side for 161, with Douglas Tidy taking three wickets. Euan Burgess (21) and Douglas (43) kept the Fours in touch with a fine third wicket partnership, but their dismissals in quick succession signalled a Carlton collapse and an unbeaten 33 from World Cup bound Leigh Kasperek wasn’t enough to save her side as they finished 12 runs short.

Things weren’t any brighter for the Fives at Peffermill as Shaun Barrett’s side struggled to 99 all out against Clackmannan 2s, with young Charlie Kentish top scoring with 17. Charlie then picked up two early wickets but the Fives slipped to a 6 wicket defeat.

On Sunday, the Carlton Women played their first home fixture in the Cricket Deal Direct Premier League as they hosted George Watson’s College at Grange Loan. Opener Ollie Rae (below) continued her rich vein of form, hitting an unbeaten 150 in an imposing total of 250 for 3. All-rounder Lily Steindl provided excellent support with 58. GWC replied with 120 for 5, with Nina Whitaker hitting a fine unbeaten 36.

On Friday evening, the Carlton under 15s welcomed Falkland to Grange Loan for a Scottish Cup 1st round tie. Carlton made 158 for 5, with Pete Gill hitting an unbeaten 50, before the Fifers replied with 107 for 8. Carlton will now play Livingston in the next round.

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Friday 9th June will see the first Carlton BBQ and social evening of the summer, from 6pm. As well as the BBQ, the bar will be open and the ever popular pop-up Paolozzi and Prosecco stand will be there too. Entertainment will be provided by the much anticipated local derby between our two Under 11 sides, the Lions and the Tigers.

To make sure your name is on our guest list please email BBQ HQ on  liz@littlejohns.ltd.uk to advise the number of guests that you will be bringing (and if any are vegetarians). Family & friends all welcome, although we do ask that your 4 legged friends stay at home. And if you'd like to offer to help for a short shift please let Liz know.

Another successful weekend saw Carlton earn success in league and cup, with four wins and a tie across the club in the five games played.

At Grange Loan on Saturday, Carlton were happy to win the toss and bat against Aberdeenshire. Despite the loss of openers Kyle Macpherson and Fraser Watts while in the teens, Michael Herdman batted calmly and went on to hit his maiden Carlton century before his side was dismissed in the final over for 245.

With heavy rain forecast, Duckworth Lewis was bound to come into play and with the visitors three wickets down , behind on DL and with the rain starting to fall in the 20th over, pro Ngoepe gambled by trying to hit the ball out of the ground only to be bowled by Arun Pillai. The players did reappear later once the weather had cleared but the revised target proved too much for the Dons, with Herdy (below) completing a fine all round afternoon with 3 for 26 as Carlton won by 29 runs.

The Twos were down at Kelso, where the sides got under way after a delayed start to the ESCA Championship match following the non-appearance of any umpires. Good batting from Angus Beattie (53) and Tom Simpson (37) got Carlton off to a good start, which was continued by Craig Marshall (26) and Parker Neame, who hit his first 50 for the club. The eventual total of 209 for 9 looked like a reasonable 50 overs' work. Kelso had made their way to 87 for 3 in the 26th over when the torrential rain arrived. In the absence of umpires, the game ended there with Carlton winning by just 5 runs on the ELC rain calculator.

The Threes were involved in a thriller at Arboretum against old rivals Holy Cross. Under 15s Murray Johnston, Harry Simpson and Gregor McIntyre each picked up two wickets as Holy Cross made 195 for 9 in their 40 overs. The Carlton reply started well with skipper Paul Kentish (56) and Ollie Rae (32) providing a solid base before Ruairidh Main and Gregor McIntyre contributed twenties. A nail-biting finish went down to the last over where, despite a ‘one short’ off the penultimate ball, a single off the last made sure the match was tied.

The Fives returned to the home of cricket at the Meadows to take on Morton but were left to chase a formidable 190 in 40 overs. It would be wrong to say the rain ‘saved’ the Fives as they were in more than a little bit of trouble at 77 for 7 when the heavens opened, handing Morton a comfortable win on ELC.

On Sunday, Carlton headed to Glasgow to take on holders Clydesdale in the second round of the Citylets Scottish Cup. What was a formidable task was made a little less daunting when openers Fraser Watts and Kyle Macpherson put on a century partnership. Although Kyle eventually perished for 53, Fraser received invaluable support from Rory McCann (40), and passed the 100 mark for the second time this season, and the 15th time for Carlton, with 113 as Carlton finished on 278 for 7.

An early breakthrough from Michael Herdman got things off to a good start but it was teenager Calum Everett who turned the game in Carlton’s favour, first having opener Scobie caught behind, then picking up the wicket of home skipper Con de Lange, who chipped to Herdy at midwicket. With pressure mounting on the hosts, key man Berrington was next to go, courtesy of a fine catch by Rory McCann off Arun Pillai to leave the score at 79 for 5. Although the contest was over Clydesdale battled on, eventually being dismissed for 207 in 44 overs.

Carlton will head back to Glasgow for the quarter final on 25th June to face the in-form Poloc.

On Sunday at Grange Loan, the Carlton 4th XI took on the recently merged Tranent & Preston Village 2nd XI in an ESCA Division 5 clash. Leigh Kasperek warmed up gently for the upcoming World Cup in England, taking 3 for 10 in her 8 overs, before offie Douglas Tidy completed an effective spell of hoovering, returning impressive figures of 4 for 8 from 6 overs as the visitors ended on 109 for 9 in their 40 overs. It was another Douglas – teenager Douglas Blood – who was the star of the Carlton reply, hitting an unbeaten 68 as the Fours romped home with over 26 overs to spare.

Also on Sunday, the Carlton kwik cricket department demonstrated its strength in depth by sending two teams to the u10 festival at Grange and a side to Gala to represent Carlton in the Rowan Boland Memorial Trophy. The youngsters who headed south did their club proud winning their three group games, before pipping the hosts in the final. Well done to all concerned and a big thanks to Gala for their hospitality.

Sadly for all concerned, the long overdue rain decided to arrive in the east of Scotland on Saturday, meaning the only cricket played over the weekend was by the Carlton women and the 3rd XI on Sunday ... and a Carlton friendly side in a special T20 match on Friday evening.

A grey but dry Friday evening saw a Heart of Midlothian side arrive at Grange Loan for a rematch of a game first played in 1936. A hugely enjoyable evening ensued, with both sides (and the umpires!) contributing to a tied match.  Match report, scorecard and photos here.

On Sunday, the Carlton women headed to Barnton to take on RH Corstorphine in their second match in this year’s Cricket Deal Direct Premier League. Once again the Carlton bowling attack was on top form as they dismissed the home side for just 67. A good opening partnership of 43 between Katie McGill and Christina Evans then set the foundations for a comfortable 7 wicket win.

At Grange Loan, the 3s hosted St Boswells in their ESCA Division 2 match (below) and had to battle hard to post a challenging total. Eric Edwards was the mainstay of the innings, hitting 61 as the 3s hit 153 for 9 in their 40 overs.  The visitors’ reply was slowed by two early wickets from Mikey Brown and Sam Haggo, before Charles Stronach struck twice in quick succession. The match-winning performance though came from teenage off spinner Harry Simpson who took 5 wickets to bundle out St Boswells for just 81.

It was also a great Sunday for Carlton 1st team skipper Ali Evans, who took 3 wickets as Scotland beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets.

After a distinct lack of wins over the first couple of weekends of the season, Week 3 saw a much healthier return with 5 out of 5 for our senior sides on Saturday and Sunday. The only side not to register a win was the 2s, whose match at Dunnikier was called off on Saturday morning.

Carlton entertained Falkland at Grange Loan on Saturday and with both sides looking for their first league win of the season it could have been a tight affair. However opener Fraser Watts, still smarting from nicking off early against Grange last week, looked in fine form from the outset and was well supported by Michael Herdman batting at 3. The pair put on 178 together before the latter was stumped in the 33rd over. Watts kept going and passed his 150 (in somewhat unorthodox fashion) before eventually being caught with 162 to his name. A great knock from the evergreen club captain as his side posted 309 for 7 in their 44 overs – 6 overs having been lost to rain earlier in proceedings.

The Falkland reply never rally sparked, with Ali Evans taking the first wicket with a caught and bowled in the 5th over (below), before left-armers Herdman and Keddle dismissed pro Cooray and amateur Paul respectively. The final wicket fell with the score on 83, to give Carlton a 227 run victory on DLS.

The Threes enjoyed their second victory of the season at Inverleith as they bowled out home side Drummond Trinity for just 88, with Duncan Sutherland earning top fantasy points with 5 for 23. The reply was far from straightforward, but vital runs down the order from Calum Sibley and Duncan Sutherland saw their side home with two wickets to spare.

The Fives started their season at their home from home at Peffermill against the combined second side of Gala and Hawick. Young Charlie Kentish and debutante Hannah Rainey opened the bowling and the visitors were soon in deep trouble at 9 for 4. Despite a recovery, the innings ended with Gala/Hawick all out for 103; Charlie returning the mighty impressive figures of 5 for 13. The Fives’ reply was anchored by the one and only Keith Murray (61*) and there was another fine contribution from Charlie who hit 25 as the Fives eased home with almost 10 overs to spare.

Sunday saw Carlton head across town for a potentially tricky Scottish Cup first round tie against Premier League neighbours SMRH (below). Carlton couldn’t have got off to a better start, with skipper Ali Evans inducing the SMRH pro to hit the first ball of the match to Kyle Macpherson at point, before bowling the home side’s overseas amateur with the second. Another for Ali in his second over was quickly followed by two quick wickets at the other end from Michael Herdman, which had SMRH toiling at 3 for 5 in the 4th over. Any thoughts of a middle order recovery were destroyed by a Herdman hat-trick as the home side were rolled over for just 22. Young openers Kyle Macpherson and Tom Simpson then knocked off the runs in just 2.2 overs to send Carlton into the next round, where they will meet Clydesdale at Titwood on Sunday 28th May.

The early finish at Inverleith meant the crowd at Grange Loan for the 4s match against Kirk Brae 2s was swelled by the 1st team squad and supporters. They were entertained to a cracking match in the sun as youngsters Harry Simpson, Rua McIntyre, Cameron Keatinge and Gavin Murray all impressed with the ball as Kirk Brae were restricted to 192 for 7 in their 40.

Veteran Eric Edwards (below) led the reply with a solid 61 but he received invaluable support from teenagers Ben d’Ulisse (28) and Euan Burgess (25) before the experienced Charles Stronach saw his side to a 4 wicket win with an unbeaten 29.

On Sunday morning the Kwik Cricket youngsters travelled to Hawick for the local festival and returned home unbeaten after a great day out.

Back in 1936, the biggest crowd of the season at Grange Loan was for a challenge match held on the evening of 20th May between Carlton Cricket Club and Heart of Midlothian Football Club. 

The Hearts goalkeeper at the time, Thomas Crosskey, also played cricket professionally for Carlton and he brought the two clubs together for a unique clash, encouraging team mates such as Andy Anderson, Andy Black and Tommy Walker to join him in the Hearts XI.

81 years later the two clubs have agreed to play a return match – an evening T20 at Grange Loan on Friday 19th May.

The Hearts team will include some legends of the past, such as John Robertson, Henry Smith and Jimmy Sandison, while Chief Operating Officer Scot Gardiner and assistant manager Austin McPhee will also represent the Jambos.

Carlton will be skippered by club captain Fraser Watts, and he’ll be joined by Sky Sports Scotland football reporter Charles Paterson who will be making a welcome comeback at Grange Loan.

The match starts at 6pm, the Carlton bar will be open and admission is free.

Scotland opener Ollie Rae (below) hit her second Carlton hundred on Sunday as her side got their national league campaign off to a winning start against the combined West side at Greenock.

Batting first, the women got off to a flyer, thanks to a fine opening stand between Ollie and Lily Steindl, which was broken just before the 100 mark when Lily was bowled. Skipper Ruth Willis then contributed a breezy 27 before Ollie brought up her 100 in the last over, having been well supported by Ikra Farooq (10*) as Carlton finished on a commanding 205 for 3 off their 30 overs. The strong bowling attack then made sure the West reply (below) was unable to gain momentum, taking regular wickets to dismiss the home side for 65 in 21 overs. Charis Scott was the pick of the bowlers taking 3 for 16 from her 4 overs, with Hannah Rainey contributing 2 for 19.

Elsewhere at the weekend, wins were hard to come by. At Grange Loan on Saturday, Carlton were undone by ex-captain Preston Mommsen who enjoyed his return to his old ground by hammering an impressive unbeaten 156 as visitors Grange rattled up an imposing 310 for 4. Despite a fine 96 from Michael Herdman (below) and 47 from Rory McCann the home side were never really in the hunt, eventually losing by 84 runs.

Over at Barnton the Twos were on the receiving end of a hundred from another ex-Scotland man as RH Corstorphine new boy Majid Haq hit 109 in his side’s total of 235 for 6. Skipper Andrew Meyer got the Carlton chase off to a good start before falling for 43 and it was left to teenager Tom Simpson to hold the innings together with a composed 78. However, a middle order collapse left the Twos with too much to do and they were bowled out for 189.

A strong looking Threes batting line-up struggled to get to grips with conditions at Livingston and soon found themselves in deep trouble at 22 for 5 off 14 overs. A battling partnership between teenagers Gregor McIntyre (28) and Mikey Brown (22) provided some balance, before the late order collapsed to leave the Threes looking to defend just 74. They made a good fist of it though, picking up 8 Livingston wickets before the home side got over the line in the 29th over.

On Sunday, the Fours took custody of a pitch where Messrs Mommsen and Herdman had hit 252 runs between them on the previous day. Sadly they mustered just 101 as they were bowled out by the Murrayfield DAFS 3rd XI. Only Alan Murray will be able to face the groundstaff without blushing, notching a respectable 33. Charlie Stronach then bowled an impressive spell on his comeback after a ten year break from cricket, picking up the first wicket, before that man Murray captured two and Eric Edwards earned fantasy points for a run out after a sharp one handed stop. However, that wasn’t enough to stop the visitors picking up full points with a six wicket win

Also on Sunday, the Carlton under 13s put up a good fight in their NatWest ECB Cup tie at Grange. Charlie Kentish took 4 wickets to restrict Grange to 107 for 7 in their 20 overs and a fighting Carlton reply took the team close although they ultimately fell short by just 8 runs.

Earlier on Sunday, Grange Loan was taken over by a sea of enthusiastic under 10s as the annual kwik cricket festival took place. Our own youngsters were on top form, with the two Carlton teams winning five of their six matches.

Carlton got their defence of the Eastern Premier League title underway at Glenrothes on Saturday, and they seemed to take 30 overs to shake the rustiness of the winter off their shoulders. Unfortunately, the home side were 153 for no wicket at that stage. A good last 20 overs, however, eventually restricted Glenrothes to 249 for 9 with youngsters Calum Everett and Angus Beattie picking up 5 wickets between them. Despite a good start, the Carlton reply suffered from a regular fall of wickets and they were eventually bowled out for 206, with Michael Herdman top scoring on 45.

Cheeky bowling at a chilly Gilvenbank Park, Glenrothres

Meanwhile at Grange Loan, new 2nd XI skipper Andrew Meyer (below) led from the front, hitting a controlled 67 as his side posted a healthy looking 259 for 7 against Grange 2s. Also in the runs were Craig Marshall (37), Ruairidh Main (37) and Adeel Raza (40).  Despite the early wickets, including a first ball success from young spinner Harry Simpson, wickets looked hard to come by and the experienced Grange batting line were clinical in their chase, eventually overhauling the Carlton total with 5 wickets to spare.

The Fours were also in Fife on Saturday as they played the Largo 2nd XI (below). Despite a solid start from the experienced opening pair of Eric Edwards and Keith Murray the Carlton visitors had to be content with a total of 112 for 9 in their 40 overs. Despite a spirited bowling performance, the Fifers won by 6 wickets in the 30th over.

There was better luck for the club on Sunday, however. The Carlton women won two of their three matches in the friendly tournament run by Watsonian CC and they'll be looking forward to their league campaign, which gets underway next Sunday.

Also on Sunday, the Carlton 3s hosted Largo in their first ever Division Two match. Alan Murray (below) first played for the Carlton 3rd XI when they were playing in the lower reaches of the ESCA league structure, but he showed no signs of being troubled by the heady heights of Division Two, taking 2 for 16 as Largo were dismissed for 144, before hitting an unbeaten 54 to lead his side to an 8 wicket win. Teenager Mikey Brown took 3 for 21 and Alan was well supported in the batting by Douglas Blood (29), Paul Kentish (26) and Nick Thomson (25*).

Carlton's 1st XI captain for the new season will be international fast bowler Ali Evans. Ali came through the Carlton age-group rankings, before going on to become a regular first team player as a teenager. He has had a two year spell in county cricket with Derbyshire and has earned 57 caps for Scotland.

Evo, who is currently on tour in Mexico with the MCC under the steady guidance of our very own Toby Bailey, will replace last season's championship winning skipper Stevie Gilmour.  Stevie will continue in his post as Carlton Head Coach, while Fraser Watts remains as Carlton club captain. Scotland A bowler Chayank Gosain takes over as vice captain

And there will be a familiar face joining Ali in the team for 2017, with the return of Aussie all-rounder Michael Herdman.

Herdy (below) last played for Carlton in 2012 when he was the club's top league wicket taker with 15 wickets. He also scored 221 league runs with a top score of 61*. He plays first grade cricket for the Redlands club in Queensland and will be rejoining us in April ahead of the new season.

Off the field, the club is readying itself for the new season. Sunday 26th March will see the annual ground preparation day between 10 am and 3pm. All volunteers to help out will be made very welcome.

2017 Carlton membership forms are also now available for download from the website.

Grange Loan has an unrivalled reputation as a true cricket surface, enjoyed by good batsmen but always offering reward to bowlers at the top of their game. Only last season the Carlton batsmen helped themselves to a mammoth 388 runs during an Eastern Premiership match.

A huge part of the credit for this state of affairs goes to our volunteer Head Groundsman, Alasdair McLeod, who will be taking a well-earned back seat from 2017.

Replacing Alasdair as Carlton Head Groundsman from February 2017 will be Colin Smith, formerly Head of Grounds at Edinburgh University’s Peffermill Playing Fields, where he has worked for the past 22 years. Colin is also a qualified umpire and has played cricket for Holy Cross for many years, while his three sons have all been members of Carlton Juniors at some point in the past.

Happily, Alasdair will not be lost to Grange Loan as he intends to continue to volunteer on the ground and we hope he will remain a familiar figure at Carlton for many years to come. Alasdair joined Carlton from West of Scotland in 1982, helping out on the ground immediately after his arrival from Glasgow before eventually taking over the reins as Head Groundsman. In recognition of his remarkable service, Alasdair was admitted as an Honorary Life Member of Carlton at this year’s AGM.

Alasdair                                                                                                                 Colin

Following on from our success in 2016, the club is launching a new Performance Squad to develop the next generation of First Team cricketers.

The aim of this squad is to provide cricketers aged 16-25 with additional opportunities to learn and improve, creating a culture of constant learning and self-development, and helping our young players 'think like bright cricketers'.

This is an exciting initiative, and key to our continued success as a club. The squad will be led by Fraser Watts and Stevie Gilmour, and will include contributions from some of the best coaches in Scottish cricket. 

Squad membership will be by invitation, and anyone who is interested in learning more is welcome to speak to Fraggle.

Photos from the first session

Fixtures for the 2017 league season have been announced and Carlton will start the defence of their CSL Eastern Premiership title with a trip to Glenrothes. The Fifers have already signalled their intent by signing Scotland all-rounder Safyaan Sharif from Falkland during the close season and social media has been abuzz with stories suggesting that ex Indian test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth could also join as their overseas professional. Regardless of the outcome of that story, Carlton know that they’ll face a challenging start to the season at Gilvenbank Park.

Week 2 will see Carlton play their opening fixture at Grange Loan with old rivals Grange the visitors. Grange have also strengthened their squad during the winter and they will be keen to get back to winning ways after Carlton completed the league double over them last season.

The 2s get their ESCA Championship title campaign underway with a home match against their Grange counterparts, while the 3s, who secured promotion last year, will host Largo in their Division 2 match.

League reconstruction has seen the 4th XI propelled into the heady heights of ESCA Division 5, and they also start with a match against Largo, travelling over the bridge to play the Fifers' 2nd XI. The 5th XI start their Division 8 campaign two weeks later when they host the combined Gala/Hawick 2nd XI.

Full fixtures