Out-of-the-box thinking ensures a happy ending

They say more folk per head of population are involved in cricket in Aberdeenshire via the extended grades leagues than in Kent, Somerset and even Yorkshire.

They even play in Scotland’s north-east when others can’t. Or won’t. Take last week in this wettest of springs when Aberdeen Grammar School FPs 2nd XI were scheduled to play last season’s Grade 3 champions, Knightriders. The weather was sunny but the Rubislaw groundsman decreed that one of the bowler’s run-ups was too wet to permit play.

But Knightriders captain Mohal came up with a novel idea: bowl all the overs from the same playable end. Game on! For the record, FPs held out for a 14-point draw at 86 for 6 in reply to KR’s 199 for 8. But the real winner was cricket.