Carlton aiming for sporting history this weekend

Carlton cricket club under-15s aim to make sporting history on Saturday when they take on Banstead CC (Surrey) in the final of a UK-wide twenty:20 competition.

Cricket Scotland (CS) believe it will be the first time a Scottish under-15 team will have played at the famous Lord’s ground.

Speaking ahead of the trip coach Charles Stronach told the CS website: “It’s been amazing. We had two games in Scotland before the Scottish final.  Then we got through against Gordonians. To get to  the regional final in York was good and two years ago this group as under-13s did the same. But this team has kept going (through a further round to Lord’s).”

Club coach Steve Gilmour added: “This is huge for the club. The club takes a lot of pride in the junior section. A lot of hard work goes in from a huge number of volunteers. They are a great wee team and everyone in the club is already very proud of their achievements but if they can go one more if will be even more exciting.”

Cricket Scotland historian Neil Leitch put the achievement into perspective: “I’m not aware of any Scottish junior sides previously reaching Lord’s. Grange have had two sides reaching UK National finals, but on neither occasion were they played at Lord’s.

“The Grange senior side have, however, played ten times at Lord’s. In addition, Freuchie memorably won the Village Cup at Lord’s in 1985. The Scottish men’s national side have played 33 times at Lord’s, with their first visit being way back in 1865.”

Neil also recalled that his club, Grange, made 10 visits to Lord’s between 1892 and 1908.

“The most noted visit to Lord’s was in 1901 when Grange beat an MCC team which included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” said Neil before adding with no doubt a wry smile: “In the first innings Conan Doyle suffered a fate never experienced by Sherlock Holmes (the detective character he created in his novels) – he was out stumped.”

Support for the Carlton youngsters has been building including this social media post from their rivals, Grange.

“We want to wish our friends over at @Carltoncricket the best of luck when they embark on a historic trip to Lord’s.”

* Pictured are the Carlton under-15s after one of their victories on the way to Lord’s.