Cricket: Fringe batsman Aaravind Srinivasan gets chance to stake Carlton claim

YET another of Carlton's fringe players will be given a chance to shine this afternoon as the Edinburgh club look to extend their unbeaten run in the SNCL Premiership.

The leaders are at home to Clydesdale today and give batsman Aravind Srinivasan an opportunity in the top flight on the back of a match-winning century for the second XI last weekend. He also made a cameo appearance for the top team on Tuesday night - hitting two fours - in a Twenty20 win over Watsonians.

Srinivasan replaces the unavailable Cedric English from the team that notched up their seventh league win of the summer away at Uddingston seven days ago. And he becomes the latest of the club's second XI men to be given the chance to make the step up in 2011, following the likes of Nik Hunt, Nathan Pietsch, Jimmy Guest, Rajan Bhopal, Matt Wells and Amit Bij.

Hunt and Bhopal also play this afternoon and Carlton skipper Fraser Watts said: "It is something we work very hard on at our club, making sure that when players are missing we have other guys of first XI quality ready to step up. I have been really pleased with the way the guys coming in have done this summer and we now have real competition for places and it is pleasing to have Aravind involved today."

A boost for Carlton comes with Scotland man Preston Mommsen returning following a broken finger. He proved his fitness by coming through the aforementioned midweek Twenty20 game unscathed and he will be keen to get a 50-over match under his belt ahead of Scotland's ODIs next week.

Clydesdale travel to the Capital on the back of a defeat to Dunfermline Knights, but they are always a dangerous outfit and Omar Hussain will be looking to build on his 86 not out last time out.

Second place Forfarshire will be without Matthew Parker and Graeme Black as they take on Uddingston at Forthill. Parker underwent an operation on a troublesome hip injury this week and Black is unavailable with Ryan Watson's men keen to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Stirling County.

Uddingston travel to Broughty Ferry with indifferent league form, but buoyed by a good win in the Scottish Cup last eight over Clydesdale.

Third place Arbroath had a brilliant weekend last time out and will be looking to keep that going when they travel to Ayr today.

Last Saturday they saw off Drumpellier and 24 hours later they travelled to Aberdeenshire and progressed to the Scottish Cup semis, skittling the hosts out for 110.In that match spinner Benny McGill opened the bowling and took three for 19 and they may keep him in that role today in a bid to secure the key wicket of Michael Papps.

As a result of that defeat and a controversial last ball loss to Watsonians in the league the day before Aberdeenshire will be on the ball from over one as they head on the road to Dunfermline Knights. The Fifers' batsmen are on form having hit 383 in last week's Scottish Cup win at Ferguslie.

Grange welcome Greenock to Stockbridge with the latter likely to have Chris Bellwood opening the batting again after he scored a fine half century in the win over Ayr seven days ago. The hosts will have Scotland man Neil McCallum back to bolster their batting line-up as well as teenager James Hearn.

Elsewhere this afternoon Watsonians welcome West of Scotland to Myreside, Heriot's go looking for their sixth win in a row at home to Drumpellier and Stirling County travel to Stoneywood-Dyce.