Ryan Watson blazes Highlanders to first Regional Series success

RYAN Watson turned back the clock yesterday as Caley Highlanders pipped Eastern Knights to lift Scottish cricket's inaugural Regional Series title.

Chasing 155 for victory, Watson led from the front with a hard-hitting 65 to put the underdogs in the driving seat at the Grange, Edinburgh. Former Saltires skipper Watson, out of favour with the national selectors, faced 71 balls, hitting seven boundaries and two sixes.

His effort might have been in vain when the Highlanders slumped to 90-6, but Watson's Forfarshire team-mate Umair Mohammed and Marc Petrie of Arbroath shared a 52-run stand as Caley upset the odds to win by three wickets.

Earlier, Ryan Flannigan top-scored for the Knights with 71 while Gordon Drummond made 56 in a total of 154.

However, none of their team-mates reached double figures as Aberdeenshire seamer Tyler Buchan stepped up his Saltires' claims with 4-25.

lEngland bowler Ryan Sidebottom has been released to play for Nottinghamshire in their title-deciding LV= County Championship Division One match against Lancashire, which starts at Old Trafford today.

Sidebottom will leave the England squad after being unused in the opening two matches of their NatWest ODI series against Pakistan.

The 32-year-old seamer's inclusion is set to be a boost for Nottinghamshire, who hold a slender two-point lead over Somerset heading into the final round of matches. The match is also set to be Sidebottom's last for the county after he last month failed to agree terms on a new contract.

Three counties head into the last week with hopes of claiming the title, with Yorkshire joining Nottinghamshire and Somerset in search of the season's honours. Yorkshire seemingly have the easiest task of the three as they host strugglers Kent at Headingley, although they must overcome a seven-point gap. Somerset, who have never won a Division One title, travel to champions Durham.