Cricket: Ewan Chalmers ready to settle for a new score

Scotland cricket star Ewan Chalmers will return to the scene of his highest league score of the season tomorrow determined to help Watsonians inch their way closer to a first premiership title.

The 20-year-old is one of four players back from either A team duty or unavailability for the visit to Greaves Clydesdale where Chalmers began the season by hitting 91 for the National Academy in a 128-run win.

The Academy face all teams in the league once for double points and Chalmers certainly made the most of early insight so far as 'Dale and conditions at their Titwood ground are concerned.

"Clydesdale have some outstanding players including (fellow caps) Omer Hussain and Majid Haq," Chalmers said. "At full strength, they are always a force to be reckoned with and we'll be missing Paddy Saddler who is in Belfast with the Scotland under-19s at a World Cup qualifying tournament being coached by another of our players, Craig Wright.

"There's nothing that can be taken for granted but, on returning from representing Scotland A at the ICC division one championship in Jersey, I pitched up at net practice this week and found the spirit understandably good after last week's win at Grange.

"The same day that Watsonians were winning that match we had lost to Jersey which wasn't the best result. So, thanks to club president Ross Brooks posting regular updates, myself, Ryan Flannigan and Stuart Chalmers were cheered by following events at Raeburn Place on Twitter. Thanks, partly, to the work put in by Ross Brooks everyone is pretty enthusiastic and confident we can win every time."

'Sonian captain Steve Paige, who was an absentee last week, is delighted to have his Scotland A contingent back and in the case of Chalmers that means a thoroughly in-form batsman.

"I was pleased on a personal level to get three half-centuries in the Channel Islands but obviously disappointed for the team.

"Hopefully, I can bring that form back for what is a big weekend for the club," said the man who debuted for Scotland against Canada and Ireland late last summer and helped achieve a notable win over India A last month in Glasgow.

By a twist of fate, Watsonians entertain the National Academy on Sunday in an outstanding fixture and eligible players always give priority to their clubs meaning Chalmers will be looking to plot the downfall of a side he has previously represented in the league this season.

"There is so much talent around the academy set-up it's fortunate that the likes of Freddie Coleman and Aman Bailwal will be away with the under-19s to balance our losing Paddy and Craig.

"It's pretty much in our own hands, though, and if we continue to win and pick up some bonus points then we'll put ourselves in a good position," said St Andrews University maths student Chalmers, who acknowledges that, with Scotland having three Clydesdale Bank pro-40 matches over the next two weekends, there is an extra incentive to succeed on the domestic front.

According to the man who will lead Scotland in these fixtures, Gordon Drummond, there could be as many as give teams in title contention as a consequence of 'Sonians derailing Grange.

Less than 15 per cent separates the top six in the league table with just six weeks to go and Drummond, who lines up for a Carlton side hoping to complete a league double over FS McRae West said: "Grange, Watsonians, ourselves, Forfarshire, National Academy and Dunfermline are still in with a shout." Much could depend tomorrow at Grange Loan on an intriguing shoot out between Drummond and his Scotland strike bowling partner, Gordon Goudie, of West.

Returning for Carlton is Saltire Ally Evans; Oli Tame drops out and the same squad plus Tame and Habib go to Poloc on Sunday for the national twenty:20 finals.

Even with a string of regulars missing, Grange should have too much firepower for bottom placed-Greenock at Raeburn Place while in Division One Heriot's will be seeking revenge for a rare defeat at Stoneywood Dyce when they play host to Stenhousemuir.

In Division Two, RH Corstorphine await Freuchie while Imans Edinburgh and SMRH are away to, respectively, APD Dumfries and West Lothian.

"Everyone is pretty enthusiastic and confident we can win every time"

ewan chalmers