CARLTON centurion Peter Wooden has praised the "all-round team effort" the side put in as they knocked up their third SNCL Premier Division win on the trot against Heriot's on Saturday.
The 20-run win, secured at around 8.20pm via the Duckworth/Lewis method after bad light brought an end to proceedings, leaves the Grange Loan side top of the league after a perfect start to the season.
The home side batted first and managed to sco
re 244-3 from their 50 overs, Australian pro Wooden hitting a superb 130 not out off 140 balls, but it looked as if the match may end as a no result.
That was due to the heavy rain and thunder which set in just after Carlton's innings, but the home team – no doubt remembering how rained off home matches derailed their title bid 12 months ago – were keen to get back out and play if they could.
After a 90 minute delay and a mopping up effort by Carlton players and members to make the pitch playable the Heriot's reply started at 6.15pm. They managed to reach 87-2 from 28 overs before the bad light forced them off.
After much consultation with the scorers it was confirmed that this left the visitors 20 runs short on the Duckworth/Lewis method and Carlton had secured all ten points after a long day.
Wooden, who also took 1-7 with the ball, said: "We really had to grind out this win as Heriot's started well, but it shows the determination and team spirit that we have in the camp this year that we managed to do so."
There is no doubt that Wooden's partnership with skipper Cedric English, who made 70 from 125 balls, was the key to the victory. The classy duo put on 159 runs for the second wicket.
"We have talked a lot about the importance of partnerships and building a platform when we are batting and we did that. It meant we could score heavily in the last ten overs," Wooden added.
Indeed they scored 100 runs in those last 60 balls to take the game away from the Goldenacre side in a display of powerful hitting and clever running between the wickets.
The day's first wicket had fallen with Carlton on 22, Scotland opener Fraser Watts being bowled by in-form Anthony Edington. That brought Wooden to the crease to join English and saw off the threat of Edington (1-24), but the young scoreboard operators were not exactly working overtime as they reached 71-1 off 25 overs.
However, the run rate began to slowly creep up as the likes of Chris Goddard, Ali Farooq and Wasim Abbas came into the attack for Heriot's. The 100 came up in the 33rd over with Wooden, a calm left-hander who places the ball well into the gaps, getting his 50 two overs later.
English too then made his half-century as Carlton reached 144-1 off 40 overs. The rain then came with nine overs remaining, but after an early tea the players were back on and Wooden launched an assault on the visiting bowlers.
He hit two nice fours off Goddard before English pulled Heriot's young Australian pro Cameron Farrell for six in the 44th over. The next ball he top edged one and was out caught, but Wooden carried on.
He guided his side past the 200 mark and brought up his century with a three off Farooq, the 28-year-old's second 50 coming up in just 42 balls. Helped by good running from Bryn Lockie and Steve Gilmour the innings ended on 244-3.
After the delay Heriot's reply started well, Farrell signalling his intent by hitting a six off young Ally Evans in the second over. However, the Loughborough University student fought back well and got his man when the Australian top edged to wicketkeeper Jamie Kerr.
Steve Knox (23) and overseas amateur Jack Ritchie (36 not out) then put on a 58-run partnership to frustrate Carlton, but tight bowling meant that Heriot's were always behind their Duckworth/Lewis target.
And, so it proved when play was stopped by umpires Brian Anderson and Lindsey Horne.
Carlton are now preparing for a double-header this weekend away at Poloc on Saturday and at home to Scotland under-19s on Sunday.
The full article contains 733 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
