CSL Eastern Premiership 2017 week 11 preview

This article appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday, July 8 2017

Edinburgh derby matches between Mazars Grange and Carlton are always intriguing affairs and this afternoon’s meeting in the CSL Eastern Premiership should be no different.

Grange are sitting in second place behind Arbroath and having already been knocked out of the Citylets Scottish Cup and the Murgitroyd Masterton Trophy they will be focusing on the league for the rest of the summer.

Reigning champions Carlton are seventh, but have a big Cup semi-final with Drumpellier tomorrow to build up for.

Last Saturday Grange skipper Preston Mommsen had to retire hurt while batting in the victory over Heriot’s, but he has recovered and will play along with Avinash Yadav and Ryan Flannigan who return to the XI.

Carlton have key batsman Fraser Watts missing, but Rory McCann is back.

Last weekend Michael Herdman of Carlton became the first batsman to reach 500 runs in the top flight this season and he said:  “To be aged 25 and one of the senior players in the side is a bit scary, but that is the way cricket is going these days.

“The young guy are learning all of the time and although the league hasn’t gone as we might have hoped we still know that on our day we can compete with anyone.”

Top of the table Arbroath have won seven from eight completed matches in the league so far.

Today they are away to ninth placed SMRH.

Skipper Marc Petrie is still missing from the visiting ranks due to work commitments.

Calvin Burnett, Craig Ramsay and Greig Peal are also unavailable, Jack Waller, Euan Small and Euan Christie coming into the side.

Heriot’s and Watsonians have big weekends.

Today the Goldenacre men host Tayside Group Forfarshire in the league with Watsonians welcoming Aberdeenshire to Myreside.

The two side then meet in the Cup semi-final at Goldenacre on Sunday.

For their league match Heriot’s have Bilal Ashraf and Jed Case coming into the side with the latter set to keep wicket.

Forfarshire have Scotland under-19 hopeful Callum Garden and Rory Johnston back.

Watsonians have George Munsey available again while their Scotland age-grade bowler Olly Brown is also back, but in-form Mike Carson is missing for the league match.

Tom Diamond is back in the Aberdeenshire side.

At Gilvenbank, Glenrothes will be keen to get back to winning ways against bottom side Falkland after their tie at Carlton.

Harsha Cooray again skippers the visitors in Stuart Campbell’s absence.

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