A fresh start
April has come around once more, in the same way it does every twelve months. The final Saturday of the month marking the start of a brand new Scottish cricket season - normally the current season resembling a brisk autumnal day rather than a more traditional cricketing climate.
The goats started on the road in Edinburgh at Boroughmuir, one of the numerous fixtures within the bypass this season. Familiar faces arriving as and when expected to, as long as that expectation is based on their character rather than a set start time. Stalwart Cruickshank (the third generation one) the captain this season, following in the long tradition of HCC captains in losing the toss. The Goats put into bat on what looked a green surface, with some tricky bounce to contend with.
Cruickshank and Logan strode out together with vastly different lengths of stride, and of innings too, Logan sent back after scoring seven. The long levers of the Flymo/Sean Dyche lookalike/soon to be father of two Blades out to the middle next. Another short innings but all that comes with supporting a young family, a lack of availability to train, and an expectant wife all familiar foes to ESCA Division 3 optimal performance. I’ve heard that there are certain pubs that help improve performance….
Hiley and new dad Arbuthnott added to Cruickshank’s contributions with 33 runs each - identical scores for differing styles of play. One, a classical modern Yorkshireman, the other a man of great chest and pipes, fond of hitting the ball hard in whatever direction he deems fit to send it.
Gali joined the fray after a substantial partnership, only to unfortunately be caught lingering outside his crease by the keeper. This brought together MacDonald and Bell, both adding double digits to keep the score ticking over late in the innings and bringing up a competitive 148, an abnormally high score this early in the season. Was it all the pink ball or the new coloured kit? Much debate was had over those points at tea.
A slightly slimmer Syme was given the new ball to start the season, with the promise of rotation to keep him fresh, the batters unsettled, and an equitable distribution of bowling throughout the squad. He proceeded to bowl six overs, garnering 3-28 with two maidens, which included two impressively large sixes that he took with a smile, more impressed than dismayed at the deliveries being dispatched to different locales, as well as being “good off his own”.
MacDonald opened from the other end, as seen traditionally the last few seasons, the hope of confusing opposition by not opting for the cliché approach of two seamers. He ably removed the number two batter LBW, left arm orthodox proving an effective weapon time and again.
The eighth over saw the introduction of debutant Gali to the attack, a flurry of variations and multiple chances created which all unfortunately fell into gaps in the field. A solid effort, that could, and on other days would have yielded better returns unfortunately resulted in a wicketless spell for the new man.
The often accurate and wily Hiley was handed the ball in the 13th, collecting the wicket of in form batter Singh, forcing him to return to the (tractor) sheds for 41. Arbuthnott soon joined in the fun from the other end, his usual left arm loose much tighter than normal, cradling a newborn perhaps tightening up the shoulder for him to throw down some inswinging darts. Hiley finished his five overs with a commendable 3-18 off 5, with Buff’s tight lines and even tighter economy leading to a two wicket spell for a baby three runs.
Kumar, late as always to the party, not wanting to miss out on the wickets managed to take the last of the match, bowling the number eleven, conceding two runs off his solitary over.
After an ambitious and faster than expected chase from the home side, the goats managed to clean up the wickets for 101 runs. A near 50 run win a good start to the season, a good omen for the season? Only time will tell.
POTM: Hiley for his bowling, batting, and the fines committee being unable to find fault with the day he had
Fines were discussed, as per tradition, in an establishment that served pizza and beer, but was unfortunately not the Tyneside Tavern
