Gary Heatly looks ahead to Saturday’s matches in the Eastern Premier Division…
Lloyd Brown has enjoyed the start to his first season with Heriot’s and the big games just keep coming thick and fast for the Goldenacre men.
And they do not get much bigger than a derby encounter with silverware up for grabs, Mark Watt’s men getting set to travel across Edinburgh to Myreside to take on old rivals Watsonians on Saturday in what looks likely to be a cracking Eastern Premier Division clash.
The Heriot’s-Watsonians matches have now been going for 125 years and there have been some great tussles – and great players involved – during that period.
Both clubs have decided to mark the landmark by introducing the 1896 Cup into the mix from this term onwards.
Heriot’s have won their last four matches in all competitions since losing to ‘Sonians in the Masterton T20 Trophy group stage on June 15.
That victory was part of nine wins in a row for Watsonians in all competitions, the latest coming on Tuesday evening when Andrew Chalmers hit an unbeaten century in the Masterton group stage to see off Edinburgh Accies.
Both sides have Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, but all they will be thinking about right now is the league match when fourth in the table takes on first.
“I am really looking forward to the game,” Brown, the 26-year-old who works for Deloitte, said.
“We have been playing some good cricket in the last few weeks and so have Watsonian and these are the kinds of matches that you want to be involved in, you want to test yourself.
“When I moved over here from South Africa at the beginning of March with my fiancée [Lauren] I was keen to play some cricket.
“I had played against [Heriot’s player] Hayes van der Berg back home when I was younger, so I got in touch with him and things went from there.
“Whenever you join a new club or a new team it can be a bit nerve wracking, but I needn’t have worried because there is a great bunch of guys at Heriot’s and they helped myself fit in straight away.
“There is so much talent in the squad with the bat and ball and in the field and playing alongside Scottish internationalists like Matthew Cross, Mark Watt, Adrian Neill and Gavin Main has been great for me.
“Last Saturday the way that Crossy and Hayes batted [in a 262-run partnership in the league win at Arbroath] was brilliant to watch and they set the standards.
“You know that you have to perform in every game to stay in the side and I am just trying to do my bit for the team.
“We have a big weekend coming up with the league game followed up with a Cup quarter-final [against McCrea FS West of Scotland], we are focused ahead of them both.”
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s victory over Gen!us Grange in the Masterton T20 Trophy group stage was the 200th time that Charlie ‘Chaz’ Clark had scored for Heriot’s and that is quite a milestone to reach.
Scorers really are the unsung heroes of Scottish cricket and Heriot’s director of cricket Peter Ross took to social media to say: “Heriot’s are privileged to have a man of Chaz’s quality and character involved.
“He is such an important part of the club and we’re so fortunate to have him on board. Congratulations Chaz!”
Elsewhere in the Eastern Premier Division on Saturday, second placed Grange are on the road to seventh placed Arbroath with fifth placed Carlton hosting eighth placed Meigle.
Sixth placed RH Corstorphine and ninth placed Stewart’s Melville welcome third placed ion8 Forfarshire and bottom side Stoneywood Dyce to Barnton and Inverleith respectively.
Lloyd Brown of Heriot’s is pictured at Goldenacre
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