Cricket: Grange star Taylor hears the Saltires whispers . .

Published on Friday 22 May 2009 09:58

IN-FORM Grange batsman Simon Taylor could find himself the centre of cricketing attention this weekend as a string of Saltires stars return to domestic action in a Premiership card highlighted by his title-winning side entertaining Carlton at Raeburn Place.

Kiwi Taylor can claim a top sporting pedigree with cousin Ross a mainstay of the New Zealand side who just happen to be Scotland's next competitive opponents when the Twenty20 World Cup gets underway at the Oval in a fortnight's time.

With any extra insight vital to the Saltires, it could be that Taylor will come under pressure to reveal family secrets although Carlton would undoubtedly do well to put the emphasis on curtailing an opponent who last weekend responded to being moved up to open with a sparking 78 in a win at Greenock.

"I reckon the Saltires will know all they need to already about my cousin's abilities," insisted Taylor, who has representative honours himself from age-grade days in Central Districts and which he is hoping to continue drawing upon for Grange.

"It's been a good start to the season (three wins) and hopefully the best is still to come from our side," said the 27-year-old from Hawkes Bay, who arrived in the Capital three seasons ago during a stint of travelling and settled so well he has no immediate plans to move on.

"Opening on the smaller Greenock ground was skipper Sanjay Patel's idea and I was delighted to be able to deliver some runs especially as competition is really intense especially with Stuart Chalmers joining and making his mark in a way that suggests he could soon be moving up to a higher level.

"(Australian) pro Alan Wise is also going to get increasingly better as he becomes more familiar with bowling conditions but we will need to be at our best tomorrow since, although these are early days, it's to be expected both ourselves and Carlton will be thereabouts at season's end.

"With Fraser Watts and Cedric English up front for Carlton it really is important we bowl tightly."

Watts will be familiar with Raeburn Place conditions having appeared in four Saltires matches there over the past week while Gordon Drummond has also been on duty against county opposition.

As Taylor begins to emerge as a rock on which Grange can build a successful defence of the Lloyd's TSB sponsored Premiership, extra backing will come from international pair Neil McCallum and Simon Smith, although all-rounder Stuart Davidson is a doubt.

Skipper Patel says: "Stuart will have a late fitness test and we have still to settle on a batting order.

"Simon was due some runs and we spotted a bit of potential in him when playing for our second eleven last season so as to pull him up to bat lower down.

"This year we hope his development can continue because he has plenty of years ahead of him and opening the batting was one way of bringing him on."

In fact, something will have to give with both teams unbeaten but another whom Patel has high hopes for is Aussie professional Alan Wise.

"A lot of club batsmen are at their best getting on the front foot but at 6ft 7in Allan can cause them difficulties especially when he begins to adapt to our conditions."

Elsewhere, Watsonians head for Uddingston with Euan Stubbs available again after missing the narrow defeat at City rivals Carlton.

Skipper Steve Paige says: "Andy Delmont backed up a 90 in our first match with 102 at Carlton but we dropped seven catches which was our undoing.

"However, a bit of fine tuning might only be required for us to get back to winning ways and a midweek Murgitroyd Masterton Trophy win (over Holy Cross) has helped sharpen us up."

For Heriot's, a trip to Clydesdale offers the chance to steady the ship after consecutive defeats and victory would see them leapfrog the Glaswegians into a mid-table spot.