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Performance Pathway: Week Five

Gary Heatly reviews the past week of performance cricket in Scotland, which saw U14 Eastern Knights face U14 Western Warriors and the Men's Performance Academy face Durham Academy at Uddingston.

Cricket Scotland @CricketScotland
May 28, 2019 5 years

The Eastern Knights under-14 boys team backed up the previous week’s win against the Caledonian Highlanders with another against the Western Warriors at Titwood on Sunday.

After overnight and early morning rain the match was reduced to 27 overs per side and the Knights batted first after the Warriors had won the toss.

Openers Gavin Murray (Carlton) and Harry Armstrong (Stewart’s Melville) put on 30 for the opening wicket before the former was out for 14.

Armstrong went on to top score with 35 while he was well supported by club mate Dan Burgess who made 24 off 25 balls and Euan Keatinge of Carlton with 18.

The Warriors did not help themselves by giving away 34 extras, meaning that the Knights posted 147-7.

Ferguslie spinner Uzair Ahmad was the pick of the Warriors bowlers with 3-22 from six overs.

In reply, Owen Gould, the Clydesdale wicketkeeper/batsman, opened for the Warriors on his home patch and hit a well worked 43 off 60 balls before he fell to Carlton’s Charlie Kentish.

The home side really needed a couple of other batsmen to go on and make 30 plus apiece if they were to chase down their target, but Bahadar Esakhiel (Clydesdale) with 22 was the next highest scorer.

In the end they finished on 116 all out as the Knights won by 31 runs.

Kentish took 3-21 to lead the way for the Knights.

Eastern Knights under-14 head coach Neil Yelland said: “It was the best win during my time in charge of the team.

“We had three players withdraw through illness and injury between Friday and the game meaning that some inexperienced players had to step up.

“With the bat the guys applied themselves well and we were pretty pleased with 147.

“With the ball we kept things pretty tight in the face of some good batting by their openers.

“Charlie Kentish came back for a second spell and in one over he took two wickets and there were two run outs and that turned the game.

“All of the bowlers did a good job while the catching and the work to get some run outs by the fielders was excellent.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the week the men’s Performance Academy took on the Durham Academy at Uddingston in a 50 overs per side clash.

On Wednesday, the Scots bowled first and restricted the visitors to 191 all out.

Mazars Grange teenager Jamie Cairns led the way with a superb spell of spin bowling.

He finished with 3-12 off his 10 overs while he was backed up well by the rest of the attack, ion8 Forfarshire’s Jack Hogarth and Stirling County’s Tom Bradburn both taking two scalps.

Chris McBride, originally from Dumfries, made 50 for Durham with opening partner Ross Greenwell made 71.

Their side slumped from 83-0 to 191 all out in the face of good bowling and fielding though.

Highfield’s Owais Shah and Forfarshire’s Rory Johnston got the home side’s reply off to a flyer, putting on 80 for the first wicket before the chase started to wobble.

With Shah out for 31, Johnston went on to score 62, but when he was out they were 115-4.

Grange’s James Dickinson did his best to see the team home and was not out at the end, but wickets kept falling around him.

In the end the Performance Academy were 168 all out to lose by 23 runs.

National Performance Coach Toby Bailey said: “With the ball I was really pleased with how the guys did after a good opening stand from Durham.

“We had quite a lot of options in the bowling attack and used them pretty well, young Jamie Cairns showing his continuing progress with great figures.

“With the bat at this level we want guys to go out there and play positively and with intent and the openers certainly did that.

“However, in a 50 over match you have to pick the right times to attack and as wickets started to fall guys perhaps panicked a bit rather than reassessing the situation and going on from there.

“The defeat was a learning curve for those involved and that is what we want this level of cricket to be about, you have to be constantly learning.

“We want these guys to go on and play for Scotland one day and they will take a lot from experiences like this as the summer progresses.”

This week’s pathways cricket:

Sunday, June 2: Boys regional under-14 competition, Eastern Knights v Caledonian Highlanders at Livingston (40 overs, 11am start)

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