Cricket: Saltires looking to tap into Grange star's experience

NEIL McCALLUM starts his second decade for Scotland's cricketers at Leicestershire tomorrow insisting that a new era for the Saltires could be about to begin.

The Grange batsman, first capped in 2000, welcomes the launch of the Clydesdale Bank 40 by noting that in addition to having six fully-contracted players training daily, the Scots are also giving youth its head in the form of four players with a combined age of around the 80 mark in a squad of 14!

"There's no doubt that the selectors are keeping people on their toes with a couple of players possibly making debuts this weekend.

"Neil Laidlaw has come up from York (on the recommendation of ex-national coach Jim Love) and 18-year-old schoolboy Freddie Coleman (Penicuik) is a tremendous prospect.

"I coached Freddie when he was in the Scotland under-12 squad and it was obvious from way back that he could go a long way in cricket.

"It could be a bit strange for him facing county bowling attacks and returning to school (at Strathallan) the following day!"

Another for whom McCallum has high hopes is Greenock all rounder Richie Berrington, who is among the full-time contractees.

"Richie got runs (80) when Scotland won an Inter-Continental Cup tie out in Kenya last January and is a player who can be expected to kick on this year."

At the age of 32 and with 134 appearances for Scotland up until the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers in the Emirates last February it is Watson's PE teacher McCallum, though, who clearly stands out as one of the senior figures in the ranks, around whom coach Pete Steindl is building a side.

The hunger certainly remains and McCallum requires only one more century – he currently has six – to join Rev Jim Aitchison as the second most prolific century maker for Scotland after Iain Philip (12).

"There's no doubt my six 100s for Scotland have been a highlight so far, along with playing in world cups.

"But the immediate task is to get the season off to a solid start albeit against very difficult opposition in Leicestershire," says McCallum.

The Foxes are captained by 2005 England Ashes hero Matthew Hoggard following a move from Yorkshire and McCallum is wary, not just of him.

"Hoggard's record obviously speaks for itself but I also have a lot of respect for Claude Henderson.

"A left-arm spinner with South African Test experience, I got to know Claude's brother, James, when he had a lengthy spell as Watsonians pro.

"Claude's from a good cricketing family and we will have to watch him closely along with one or two seamers who are breaking through into the Leicestershire ranks."

McCallum, who debuted against an England amateur XI, has good cause to look back fondly on matches against Leicestershire.

If ever there was an example of never-say-die spirit it is McCallum whose first 11 innings for Scotland amassed just 38 runs.

Undeterred he persevered and it was against Leicestershire at Raeburn Place in 2006 that he finally came good with a half-century on a day when, inevitably, his thunder was stolen by Gavin Hamilton's 131 at the other end.

Another half century followed in the subsequent match against Pakistan and McCallum was on his way in a career that saw him nominated late last year for the ICC's Associate Nations cricketer of the year award.

This will be McCallum's first outing for the Saltires on UK soil since that nomination and he is determined to carry on in the style that brought those centuries against Ireland (twice), Holland, Namibia, UAE and Uganda.

"Pete Steindl has pencilled me in at No.6 with the brief to seal our innings or add some late runs which suits me fine," he says.

Steindl, who has brought in Aussie George Bailey, the one-time Grange professional, as his overseas player, says: "It is an exciting time when the first game of the season arrives.

"Our first squad rewards the progression shown by a number of our younger players and gives us an excellent balance between youth and experience. We are developing a larger squad than ever before and this has led to some difficult but positive selection issues."

Saltires squad: Gavin Hamilton (captain), Ryan Watson, George Bailey, Freddie Coleman, Neil McCallum, Richie Berrington, Omer Hussain, Marc Petrie, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Neil Laidlaw, Matthew Parker, Gordon Goudie.

SALTIRES' CLYDESDALE BANK 40 FIXTURES

Tomorrow: Leicestershire (Grace Road)

Saturday, 22 May: Kent (The Grange)

Sunday, 23 May: Nottinghamshire (The Grange)

Sunday, 30 May: Hampshire (Rose Bowl)

Monday, 31 May: Kent (Canterbury)

Saturday 31, July: Durham (Titwood)

Sunday, 1 August: Warwickshire (Titwood)

Sunday, 8 August: Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge)

Saturday, 21 August: Hampshire (Mannofield)

Sunday, 22 August: Leicestershire (Mannofield)

Sunday, 29 August: Durham (Riverside)

Monday, 30 August: Warwickshire (Edgbaston)

THE ENGLISH COUNTY BIG GUNS LINED UP AGAINST THE SALTIRES

LEICESTERSHIRE

CAPTAINED by former England Ashes hero Matthew Hoggard, they also include Australian Test batsman Brad Hodge and South African all-rounder Claude Henderson. England's Paul Nixon is an experienced figure behind the stumps.

KENT

EX-WATSONIANS and Heriot's seamer Dewald Nel could make a quick return north after joining a side which features South African stars Makhaya Ntini and Martin van Jaarsveld, who posted seven centuries last year.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

CURRENTLY leading division one of the LV county championship after inflicting a first defeat for 21 months on champs Durham. Soon to be reinforced by the return of England stars Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann.

WARWICKSHIRE

UNBEATEN in 40-over cricket during the whole of 2009, the Bears have added to that run in the first three matches of this year. Newcomers to the side this season include the 6ft 8in Ireland seamer, Boyd Rankin.

HAMPSHIRE

BOWLED all ten outfielders against Somerset this week in an unsuccessful bid to break their county championship duck so far. Dimi Mascarenhas, Kevin Pietersen, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq are just some of their stars.

DURHAM

INCLUDE Paul Collingwood who has just captained England to the world twenty:20 final and Kyle Coetzer, a young Scottish prospect but the real up and coming is Ben Stokes who, at 18, hit a double century against Notts this week.