Top clubs lose appetite for today's Twenty20 tournament

Three of Scotland's top clubs will supply just three or four players each to today's Murgitroyd Twenty20 Festival and two SNCL Championship clubs have pulled out altogether as the gloss threatens to be taken off the new event before it has even begun.

The Festival - seeing groups of three or four SNCL clubs based near each other playing T20 throughout the day - was launched this season to give clubs more of an opportunity to compete in the shortened form of the game. However, as the day has approached, a number of the 31 clubs have lost their appetite for the concept that sees the league campaign - the clubs' bread and butter - halt for one week.

As a result, a Carlton/Grange/Watsonians XI will now take on Heriot's in a one-off match at Goldenacre. West Lothian and RH Corstorphine have dropped out, leaving Dunfermline Knights and Stirling County as the only two clubs left in the group to be held at McKane Park.

Explaining his club's stance, RH Corstorphine president Arnie Sathiy said: "We have five first-team players on holiday and others have made family plans as they saw a free Saturday in the league card and took advantage of it.

"Our twos and threes have important East League matches to play in and I am not keen on taking players away from those teams to play in what are really just friendly Twenty20 matches. I have to look after my club."

Watsonians president Ross Brooks stated: "Watsonians closely considered the value and timing of this tournament and also discussed this at length with all the other participant clubs involved.

"The shared view was that with the tournament being sandwiched between I-Cup, ODIs and regional T20 games, in addition to the fact that the four clubs have reached the semi-finals of the T20 Masterton Trophy, it was agreed between three of the four clubs that we did not want to play a full part in this event.

"We have recognised that Heriot's as the host have a greater appetite for the event and fully respect their decision to want to play and as such we have combined with Carlton and Grange to produce a combined XI of which Tony McKenna, Chetan Dhingra, Fraser Boyd and Stuart Chalmers will represent us."

Joining the four Watsonians players in the composite side are Carlton's Jason Trembath, Omar Ahmad and Jamie Davies and Grange's Gregor Maiden, Drew Weir and Andrew Brock.

Today may not mean much to some other players, but for Carlton's Davies it signals a return to action after a bad knee injury. Carlton's Steve Gilmour said: "It will be good for Jamie to get back to action, but as a club we felt we had too many other commitments to send a full team to this event."

Heriot's are likely to rest a couple of players, too, giving an opportunity to some recent school leavers from George Heriot's to get a taste of top-team action.

Meanwhile, Ayr host Dumfries and Greenock at New Cambusdoon with their players still on a high from last Sunday's thrilling win over Carlton in the Scottish Cup.

Ayr's Andi McElnea said: "Ideally we would have a league match this weekend as we want to take the form from the Carlton win into the SNCL, but will give it our all to beat Dumfries and Greenock in Twenty20 matches.

"We play in the West League Cup in this format, as well as the Rowan Cup, and always take it seriously."

At Lochlands, Arbroath host Aberdeenshire and Stoneywood-Dyce in what could be a close group, while Weirs host fellow Championship side Poloc and top-flight teams Clydesdale and West of Scotland.

Four Championship sides are pitted together at Kirkhill with Penicuik hosting Edinburgh Accies, SMRH and Stenhousemuir. Kelburne host Ferguslie and Renfrew, with Falkland hosting Forfarshire and Freuchie. And at Langloan, Drumpellier will host East Kilbride and Uddingston. The days have varying starting times depending on how many teams are involved.

Murgitroyd Twenty20 Festival revised groups: Aberdeenshire, Arbroath United (host) and Stoneywood Dyce; Ayr (host), Dumfries and Greenock; Heriot's (host) v Carlton/Grange/Watsonians XI; Clydesdale, Poloc, Weirs (host) and West of Scotland; Drumpellier (host), East Kilbride and Uddingston; Edinburgh Accies, Penicuik (host), SMRH and Stenhousemuir; Ferguslie, Kelburne (host) and Renfrew; Falkland (host), Forfarshire and Freuchie; Dunfermline Knights (host) v Stirling County.