Scottish Cricket: Purdie seeks return at scene of triumph (5 Jun 1998)

5 June 1998

Scottish Cricket: Purdie seeks return at scene of triumph

By Keith Graham

A YEAR ago, a young Glasgow-born cricketer on holiday from New Zealand turned out for Drumpellier in their Western Union fixture at Shawholm against Poloc - his one and only game - and made such an impact by taking six Poloc wickets that he agreed to return this year as the club's professional.

So far Scott Purdie has not exactly set the heather on fire, having taken just a handful of wickets. His lack of success is largely due to a painful shoulder injury, which for the past two weeks has prevented him from bowling at all.

Last week however, he showed that he is also an accomplished batsman by scoring 38 not out in steering his team to a second victory and fourth place in the Conference B table.

Intensive treatment to the injury has given him the hope that when he returns to Shawholm tomorrow, he will again be able to display the pace and hostility which shot him into the headlines.

Shawholm certainly seems to be the ideal kind of wicket on which to make his bowling return. Last Saturday Ronnie MacGregor's six-wicket haul demolished RHSM for a paltry 62, but the home team had the greatest difficulty themselves, losing nine wickets as they struggled past the winning post.

Should Purdie be fit, his contest with the Pakistani Test player, Mohammed Ramzan, who has two centuries to his name from five games, promises to be the highlight of a game between two otherwise evenly matched teams whose rivalry goes back to the last century. Meanwhile the leaders, West of Scotland, will expect to strengthen their position at Hamilton Crescent against third-placed Carlton.

Paisley hosts two intriguing fixtures with Kelburne, who have perhaps exceeded expectations so far by claiming third place in the Conference A table, facing a second-placed Grange side eager to maintain the pressure on the leaders, Heriot's. The Raeburn Place side will start as favourites, on paper at least, but they will have to beware the explosive powers of Saleem Sajjad, proving to be an excellent acquisition by the Whitehaugh club.

Across the town at Meikleriggs, Ferguslie, smarting from their last-ball defeat at Ayr last week, take on familiar rivals Clydesdale, just ahead of them in the competitive Conference C. Amir Hanif's excellent form has brought him centuries in successive weeks and he will thoroughly test the strength of the home team's bowling. The Meikleriggs side will soon be looking for a new professional now that Mike Hussey, who has yet to make an impact in Scotland, has been selected for the Australia A tour of England, Ireland and Scotland later this summer.

The other top game in Conference C sees Arbroath, in third place, take on the leaders, their neighbours Aberdeenshire. The visitors have done better than might have been expected so far but the home team must be strong favourites to maintain their 100 per cent record.

Heriot's, with the only other perfect record in all three conferences, travel to Forthill where the home team have so far disappointed, having lost three of their four games. With Shahid Aslam in devastating form with both bat and ball, Forfarshire's hopes of a revival look slim.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)