Watsonian cricket club will be staging a double celebration in Edinburgh on Saturday evening.
The Myreside club are now 150 years old and a dinner has been arranged at the Royal Scots Club to mark the occasion.
It comes at the end of a season when ‘Sonians reclaimed their place in the Eastern Premiership – and in considerable style.
By winning the East Championship every game was won but that still wasn’t enough to secure promotion as a play off was necessary against Strathmore and Perthshire league champions Freuchie at neutral Scroggie Park in Falkland, Fife, to determine who went up.
Although forced to defend a modest total of 165, Freuchie relying entirely on their spin bowlers, ‘Sonians prevailed by dismissing their opponents for 115.
The 22 victories recorded in 2025 is the most achieved in Watsonian cricket history and the three defeats, all suffered in cup competitions, is the lowest since 1959, club historian and scorer Stewart Oliver has revealed on the club website.
Other landmarks unveiled by Stewart Oliver:
- * Mike Carson became only the eighth Watsonian batsman to notched 1000 runs for the season and only the third non professional to do so.
- * Skipper Gareth Weatherall’s four Freuchie wickets took his total to 45 – the most by anyone in the 1st X1 since pro John Pollard in 1995.
- * Saturday’s dinner will feature a speech by renowned raconteur Willie Hunter with another Watsonian stalwart. Tim Bunker, conducting a Q and A session with players from various cricketing eras.
- Pictured after defeating Freuchie are: back row. l to r – Dan Kirk, Michael Carson, Donovan Du Randt, Gareth Weatherall, captain, Kenneth Rae, Oscar Kirkwood. Front – Tom Wylie, Evan Howe, Gregour Carr, Callum Martin, Oli Hairs.
