We are at the business end of the Scottish domestic cricket season now and on Sunday at Strathmore’s Lochside Park either Morton or Edinburgh South will be crowned men’s Challenge Cup champions.
East League Championship outfit Morton have had recent success in the event having been crowned champions last year after a nail-biting final against Hillhead.
And East League Division One side Edinburgh South are a club on the up having already won the Parks Trophy T20 event this summer and reached the last two of the Challenge Cup after entering it for the first time.
Both clubs are going well in their respective leagues – ahead of Saturday’s action Morton are second in theirs and Edinburgh South lead the way in theirs – so we should see two confident XIs taking to the field.
Morton’s second XI are second in their league – East League Division Five – ahead of the weekend with Edinburgh South II top of East League Division Six, Edinburgh South III top of East League Division Seven and their fourth XI are also in that league.
And they met earlier this summer in the Parks Trophy quarter-final when Edinburgh South came out on top by 16 runs as 114 all out played 98 all out.
All of that points to two thriving clubs that are helping to grow the game for all in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas – so many people are looking forward to this final.
Morton have seen off Glasgow Accies, Renfrew, Hillhead and Kelso to get this far and their bowling attack has been in fine form in the competition to date to bowl teams out cheaply.
Captain Senthil Nathan said: “A lot of us in the team won the Challenge Cup last year and that was very special for us, so we were determined to reach the final again and have fielded strong XIs in each round this year.
“In general things at the club have been going well in 2022 and in terms of the first XI we have managed to keep ourselves up near the top end of the East League Championship table during a competitive summer in that division.
“The playing group we have at the club is fairly settled and that helps us to dig out results on tougher days. We’ve also had good support from our sponsors Khushi’s Dunfermline and Andrew Allan Architecture Limited this season which has helped the club massively.
“Looking ahead to Sunday, having been beaten by Edinburgh South in the Parks Trophy and seen how well they have been doing to compete for promotion from East League Division One, we know they will be a tough side to beat.
“We just have to play as a team and stick to our processes and hopefully we can retain the Challenge Cup.”
Edinburgh South have beaten East Kilbride, Strathmore, Gordonians and Dunnikier to get this far and their vice-captain Nab Pani said: “It has been a really good season for the club.
“On the pitch we have had some excellent results with the Parks Trophy win a highlight while getting four teams out each weekend and having a player base of over 50 is something that is really pleasing and shows the hard work that’s been put in.
“What is also pleasing is that we are a very diverse club and we have players with roots in Scotland, Pakistan, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
“We aim to be a very inclusive place to play cricket and I think things will only grow from here.
“In terms of the first XI, we wanted to test ourselves after promotion from East League Division Two last season, so we entered the Challenge Cup and to win our last two rounds on the road at Gordonians and Dunnikier shows what type of team spirit we have.
“We have also all benefitted from learning from player/coach Qasim Sheikh and he has been an excellent addition to the club.
“Morton are a very good side who are playing in a league above us, so we are expecting a tough match, but we are confident in our abilities and it should be a great final.”
Thanks to both clubs for the photos
