As the new cricket season gets underway, ITWZ finds opportunity knocks for Scotland's aspiring stars.
 
Despite light rain cancelling some matches, last weekend saw players digging out their set of whites and trusty bat as Scotland's domestic competitive cricket season got underway.
 
From Aberdeenshire to Prestwick wickets tumbled and boundaries were called as seasoned bowlers and batsmen focused on the serious business of notching up precious league points for their respective clubs.
 
Only, any passer-by who happened to peek over the boundary fence at Poloc Cricket Club in Glasgow, may have noted the opposition's particularly youthful appearance.
 
For the Poloc v's Scotland U-19's fixture marked the debut appearance of the representative squad in the hard-hitting, Premier Division of the Scottish National Cricket League (SNCL). 
 
And according to Craig Wright, Cricket Scotland's Performance Development Manager, the temptation to focus solely on the result – the teenagers lost by nine wickets - would be to miss the point.
 
For as Scotland's most capped player explains, achieving league success in the domestic top flight isn't the top priority for his rising young stars.
 
"Cricket is a very mentally challenging game. And until recently a big part of a player's development that was missing was exposing the player and his skills to an appropriate level of competition," explains Wright.
 
"Hence, with the fundamental aim of producing more experienced and skilful players from the ranks of our youth programme, we've put together plans like the (U-19) fixtures (in the Premier Division), the (Scotland) U-17's six, 2-day games in the (English) ECB competition and the recent U-19 tour of South Africa."
 
"With these things in place, we would hope that the players coming through the system are better able to make the transition to play for Scotland at a senior level and so help improve the performances of the national team in the years to come," continues the 34 year-old former captain of the Scottish Saltires.
 
And among those coming through the system that includes three Regional Cricket Academy's; Western (Glasgow), Eastern (Edinburgh) and Caledonian (Huntly, Dundee and Dollar) is 17 year-old Willie Rowan. 
 
A prodigious bowling talent from Ayrshire, the aspiring cricketing professional made his debut in the Scotland U-19 squad last week.
 
Though on the losing side to Poloc, the straight-talking Ayrshire lad hasn't been slow to make his mark in a sport he discovered only 4 years ago.
 
For in 2007 the opening bowler won the European Championship title with the Scotland U-17 squad and in his first season for second division Prestwick CC claimed an impressive 28 wickets.
 
"It's a fantastic feeling to be playing for Scotland," says the teenager who maintains his fitness by lifting weights twice a week, running and undertaking two practice sessions with his club.
 
Certainly, the currently jobless teenager, whom recently returned from a 3-month training stint at the ACE Cricket Academy in Perth, Australia knows where his ambitions lie.
 
"I would love to be paid for playing cricket … I mean to play first class Test cricket is the ultimate goal, isn't it!"
 
Yet whilst he and Ryan Flannigan, the Scotland U-20 and top order batsman with Watsonians have set their sights on competing at the highest levels of the sport, Wright points out that Cricket Scotland isn't only focusing on nurturing and honing the skills of the country's most promising youngsters. 
 
For as a sport that since 2003 has enjoyed the support of big-hitting corporate giant, Lloyds TSB Scotland, development staff also work with schools and clubs to nurture enjoyment of the game at grassroots level. 
 
"From batting strokes and bowling actions to catching and fielding, there are many skills and aspects to the sport of cricket that all young players must master," explains Wright.
 
And referring to Long Term Player Development (LTPD) studies that have highlighted the need among the youngest age groups to place a greater emphasis on skill attainment rather than exposure to competition, Wright points out that Cricket Scotland recently decided to scrap its representative Scotland U-13 squad.
 
"It's the first year we've not had an U-13 team," reveals Wright whom himself started playing aged 13. According to Wright, for the youngest participants "the emphasis is more about teaching technique and enjoyment of the sport … rather than setting the challenge of having to go out and win games for Scotland," 
 
Consequently, under the sport's performance pathway, the three regional academies are involved in helping nurture talent at U-14 level whilst the most promising and determined youngsters could find themselves invited to join the Scotland U-15's, the first rung of the ladder of the national representative squads.
 
And as the likes of Rowan and Flannigan have discovered, talent, ambition and a commitment to work on the likes of technique and fitness is ensuring there are further opportunities to progress still further in the sport.
 
Indeed Flannigan, whom notched up over 300 runs for the Scotland U-20's on a pre-season, unbeaten tour of South Africa, was recently selected to be 12th man for a Scottish Saltires friendly against Durham,
 
As for Rowan, he may be coy about stating the total number of wickets he aims to take for the Scotland U-19's in the Premier Division but the confident bowler has no qualms about stating his target number of 35 whilst playing for his club this season. 
 
And however many wickets Rowan takes as part of the Scotland U-19 squad, Wright will continue to remind his players that their exposure to the competitive cauldron of the Premier Division is all part of their steep learning curve. 
 
Still, if Rowan's talent and hunger for success is anything to go, Scotland clearly already has at least one young, aspiring Saltire with that all important commitment to keep learning … and a burning desire to win. 
 
CH
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