Cricket News  

Young guns almost cause upset

Cricket Scotland's three Regional Cricket Academies (Western, Eastern and Caledonian) have been operational for less than 12 months but it's formula for nurturing winners appears to be already producing results.
 
For earlier this week, exam and work commitments forced West of Scotland's u-18 Regional Academy, based at Hutcheson Academy in Glasgow, to field a team that included U-16 players for their debut appearance in the (club level) Western Cup.
 
And as 28 year-old joint head coach and Saltire player Simon Smith explained, the aspiring players almost pulled off an upset against Ferguslie CC.
 
"They (cricket administrators) kindly allowed us put a regional team into the Western Cup. In our first club match, playing Ferguslie, it was a tied game," said Smith who has made 8 appearances for the Scottish Saltires.
 
"It really was thrilling stuff, as we only managed 104 (runs) from 20 overs, but we defended that total really well and the fielders hussled a lot," continued Smith who has played on four occasions at Intercontinental Cup level.
 
"Maybe we lost our cool a little when the pressure was on towards the end but we still took two wickets off Fergsulie's last over and when they needed three to win we only let them get two," he pointed out.
 
"We very nearly turned them over," said Smith, adding:
 
"It really was a hell of a performance defending such a small total and it bodes well for the future."
 
Though it was Ferguslie that progressed (due to wickets taken) into the second round, Smith believes such a performance highlights the progress being made within a regional academy structure that with its U-14, U-16 and U-18 squads is designed to nurture talented youngsters from across the country and as he explained: "dovetail with the Scotland U-15, U-17 and U-19 squads."