THE spirit that has given Carlton an early lead in the Lloyds TSB Scottish cricket premiership ahead of a home clash with similarly unbeaten Heriot's shone through as skipper Cedric English jokingly questioned whether the club openers might carry their respective bats tomorrow.
After listing Fraser Watts and Peter Wooden to open the Carlton innings, English linked their potential with a reference to his own position going in at No.3, saying: "Hopefully I'll get a (chance to) bat!"
If that was throwing down a gauntlet by
a tongue-in-cheek captain who, doubtless, would be pleased to sit things out if it meant a derby win, then Heriot's skipper Gavin McIntyre was not to be drawn, remarking, wryly: "We'll be trying our very best to accommodate Cedric!"
McIntyre was also careful not to read too much into the last league encounter between the sides at Grange Loan in 2006 which Heriot's won by six wickets.
He said: "Too much has changed, personnel-wise, on either side to read too much into previous results."
McIntyre has hailed the youthfulness of his squad, who saw off Watsonians comfortably in a delayed start to the campaign after their opener at Clydesdale had been cancelled.
McIntyre said: "Our pro Cameron Farrell is looking good while Wasim Abass has joined while studying at Napier University and his left-arm deliveries will prove useful.
"Also, Ali Farooq has been around so long yet is still just 22 with plenty of good years ahead.
"To get 180 last week on our home debut after the amount of rain that fell to make the wicket soft was pretty good.
"If conditions remain settled then 220-230 might be a winning total this week and we'll be gearing up accordingly with a side along similar lines."
In fact, while Farooq was part of the Heriot's side that did damage on that last league trip to Grange Loan, more than half the Carlton team from 2006 has altered.
However, English, in revealing two changes from the side which won at Greaves Clydesdale with returning Saltire Watts replacing Peter Swan and Mo Afzal taking over from Omar Hussein, could not be more upbeat.
"Something will have to give tomorrow with both ourselves and Heriot's unbeaten so far.
"It's very early days but key to a top-four finish last year was making limited changes and the side seems even more settled now.
"Included in that are Scotland cap Darren Spink, who has come down from Arbroath to open a fish restaurant in Leith Walk while 19-year-old overseas amateur Michael Radnidge can move the ball, although I won't say in which direction."
It will be the second successive season in which Carlton have had to wait until the third week to play at home and English is determined to make up for lost time in front of their supporters.
Elsewhere, Grange head for champions Greenock while Watsonians host Greaves Clydesdale without both Gordon Drummond and the promising Ross Paxton.
The full article contains 508 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
