Cricket: Watsonians give fringe men chance to impress

Watsonians captain Stuart Chalmers is delighted with the way fringe players have stepped up to the mark this season – and he is giving two more an opportunity to impress this afternoon as the capital side head to Arbroath.

They have won their first three completed matches in the Cricket Scotland Eastern Premier Division to sit second behind Grange and all-rounder Chalmers has had a few good selection headaches.

Players like Ally Fleming, Mike Legget and Mark Yellowlees have been called into the first XI in recent weeks and today young seamer Alec Sim is included and batsman Gus Fraser-Harris is handed a top team debut.

When first choice players are unavailable it certainly helps any club if the second XI are going well and Watsonians twos have won three matches in a row in East One. The third XI have also won five from five in East Five with a number of teenagers featuring.

Chalmers said: “There is good strength in depth at the club this season and I have been impressed by guys going out and performing well for the twos and then coming in and contributing well in the first team.

“In terms of our form I have been pleased with the victories we have had, but we are not getting carried away and will just keep focusing on one match at a time.”

With Fraser Boyd unavailable Chalmers will need to decide who will open the batting with him this afternoon, with James Easton still out injured.

Arbroath head into today’s encounter with four defeats from four completed matches, but are always dangerous at home.

Leaders Grange make the short trip to Goldenacre to face Heriot’s and skipper Neil McCallum said: “We have been pleased to put a good run together in recent weeks and we have good depth in our batting now with a number of guys starting to contribute runs.”

Heriot’s won at Forfarshire last week and Sean Weeraratna continues as captain with Steve Knox still injured.

Third placed Stoneywood-Dyce travel to Mannofield to take on Aberdeenshire in the North East derby. The visitors will want to make amends for last season’s performance at the same ground when they lost by 146 runs. Then they were bowled out for just 89 and Aberdeenshire bowler Chris West took five wickets.

Seventh placed Forfarshire host Carlton, with the visitors buoyed by a fightback victory over Aberdeenshire seven days ago.

However, both sides have had stuttering starts to the season by the respective standards they set in 2011 and will be itching to win this one.