A sun-drenched weekend of action lies ahead in the men’s and women’s domestic competitions, with the WDCU Premiership leaders expecting a stern test of their credentials.
Ayr boast a 100% record in the league to date, but travel on Saturday to face Tunnock’s Uddingston who are fresh from league and Scottish Cup wins last weekend.
The visitors have the two highest runs scorers in their ranks, with captain Michael English and Neil Flack having already notched up 361 and 217 league runs in 2023 respectively.
Stenhousemuir sit second in the table behind Ayr with a tough assignment this week at home to fourth placed McCrea FS West of Scotland.
Danie Rossouw has scored 150 league runs for Stenhousemuir to date while John Oliver has been West’s best bowler with 11 wickets, so the match up if those two meet could be fascinating.
Third placed M8 Driving Ferguslie lost to Stenhousemuir last week, and will be keen to get back to winning ways at home to eighth placed SM Cricket Stirling County.
After being bowled out for just 57 last week by Uddingston, fifth placed Your Move Dumfries will seek a reaction when they head to Titwood to play ninth placed Clydesdale, while tenth face sixth when Greenock and Prestwick meet.
In the Eastern Premier League, Gen!us Grange have made an excellent start to the season and they will look to make it five wins from five when they travel to Falkland on Saturday.
Falkland lost at Heriot’s last time out, but won their last home league match a fortnight ago and Grange will certainly not take the hosts lightly.
Grange spinner Chris Greaves, a Cricket Scotland contracted player, has already taken 11 league wickets in 2023 and showed some decent form for a Scotland XI this week in practice matches against the Chennai Braves.
On Sunday, Grange will be back at home to play their rearranged second round Cup match with Aberdeenshire.
Second placed Forfarshire and third placed Heriot’s will be looking to keep the pressure up on Grange. Forfarshire host Meigle at Forthill having beaten them on the road in the T20 Scottish Cup Caledonia event on Tuesday evening, with contracted player Michael Leask scoring a century.
The Forfs have plenty of firepower, but will have to watch out for Meigle’s Tiaan Brits after he scored 171 not out in the Cup at Clydesdale last Sunday and then 87 on Tuesday.
Heriot’s are on the road to fourth placed RH Corstorphine in what should be a cracking game. If he plays, Heriot’s Ryan Brown will certainly be on a high after smashing 174 off 70 balls versus Edinburgh Accies in the Masterton T20 Cup on Thursday evening.
There is another Edinburgh derby when fifth placed Carlton takes on sixth placed Stewart’s Melville, while there is a bottom of the table showdown at Myreside as Watsonians host Stoneywood Dyce.
The top two in the SPCU North East Championship, Arbroath United and Huntly, both have home matches on Saturday.
Arbroath will be looking for a fourth league win out of four when they welcome eighth placed Strathmore to Lochlands.
In their last home match in the league in week three Arbroath bowled out Aberdeenshire for 54, so the Strathmore batters will need to dig in.
Huntly are also looking for win number four with fourth placed Forfarshire II the visitors.
Captain Jack Mitchell and Jordan Squire are two and three in the bowling rankings for this league so far with 10 and eight scalps respectively.
The only man above them is contracted player Safyaan Sharif with 13 wickets and he will hope to inspire Perth Doo’cott to a home victory over ninth placed Gordonians.
Perth Doo’cot’s Joel Rush is the league’s top run scorer with 255, while Freuchie skipper Ian Stonebridge is second on 155.
This week sixth placed Freuchie are at home to fifth placed Aberdeenshire while bottom side Falkland II are on the road to Kinloch.
On Sunday there is a full card in the Women’s Premier League.
After two rounds of fixtures the leaders are Carlton and their next assignment is against Dumfries/Galloway who are still looking for their first win.
Contracted player Priyanaz Chatterji scored 92 for Carlton last week in their win at Grange and this is their first home outing of the season at Grange Loan.
RH Corstorphine, like Carlton, have won two from two to date and sit second in the table.
They will be hosting third placed Northern Lights who won at Watsonians in week two, so it should be an intriguing contest.
The RH Corstorphine bowlers did a grand job to restrict Stewart’s Melville to 117 all out last week and they will have to be on the money again this time at Barnton with the Northern Lights led by contracted player Megan McColl.
Grange and Watsonians are winless and something will have to give at Portgower Place while, after a win versus Dumfries/Galloway in week two, West of Scotland host Stewart’s Melville.
Tunnock’s Uddingston versus Stewart’s Melville is featured from the Scottish Cup last Sunday, picture by David Potter
