Scottish Cricket: Australians lead way in batting stakes (22 June 1999)

22 June 1999

Scottish Cricket: Australians lead way in batting stakes

Keith Graham

Another deluge all but destroyed the Scottish National Cricket League programme again on Saturday.

Only one game, the Premiership match between Aberdeenshire and West Lothian at Mannofield escaped the rain, enabling the home team to further strengthen their position at the top of the table with a convincing win, their fourth of the season.

Jason Arnberger once again led the way with a superb innings of 89 as the home team reached 223 for five in their 50 overs.

The Australian enjoyed excellent support from Colin Smith with 40, an innings which augers well for his Scottish debut tomorrow against Surrey in the NatWest Trophy.

Mike Smith, returning from a disappointing run in the World Cup, also weighed in with a useful unbeaten 34. Darren Cornforth was the visitors' best bowler, taking all five wickets to fall.

West Lothian were also indebted to their professional and captain Craig Light whose 58 provided the kind of determined resistance his team has failed to show this season.

Alec Davies, with 43, and Ayaz Gul, with 33, gave him excellent support but incisive spells from former Scotland paceman Kevin Thomson, which yielded figures of six for 43, ensured that Aberdeenshire were able to maintain their 100 per cent record, four wins out of four, by the margin of 50 runs.

Arnberger's innings took his aggregate to 344 at an average of well over 100 from just four innings, with a highest score of 108 not out. He is one of a quartet of Australians who, despite the weather, are the leading run scorers in Scotland.

He has the advantage of several years' experience of Scottish conditions but his successor at Hamilton Crescent, Corey Richards, although idle on Saturday, has already scored 479 runs, albeit from six outings.

The New South Wales batsman is Scotland's overseas player and turns out against Surrey tomorrow.

Tasmanian Dene Hills is also enjoying his stay in Scotland. He too has managed to get to the crease six times and so far has scored 397 runs. His contribution to Greenock's fortunes, however, goes beyond scoring runs.

According to his captain Kenny Godsman, Hills is the best professional he has seen at Glenpark, quite an accolade when it is recalled that a few years ago Gordon Greenidge was the club's professional. "Dene's influence on the team both on and off the field is tremendous," said Godsman.

The fourth Australian making an impact is Ayr's Graeme Rummans. Although not quite as prolific as his compatriots, he has nevertheless scored almost 200 runs and has also picked up 10 wickets with his left-arm spinners.

If these four Australians can perform with such distinction in a season which has seen 60 SNCL games fall victim to the weather - almost half the programme - when they do eventually get drier conditions, goodness knows how many runs they'll score!

Scotland's build-up to tomorrow's NatWest Trophy match Surrey has been hampered by a heel injury to all-rounder Greig Williamson, who will also miss next week's Triple Crown trip to Dublin.

With Aberdeenshire seamer Kevin Thomson - who took 12 wickets at the weekend - unavailable because of work reasons, coach Jim Love has recalled Freuchie's Scott Gourlay to face Surrey in Edinburgh.

The County Championship leaders will be without England quickie Alex Tudor, but his deputy is another bowler with Test experience, Joey Benjamin. Love said: "Tudor's pace would obviously have been a real threat to us, but I don't think Benjamin will be that much slower."

Surrey have also handed a late call-up to Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in the wake of his World Cup Final defeat at the hands of Australia at Lord's on Sunday.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph