Scorecard Scottish Students v Scotland Under 18

Boghall in Linlithgow played host to Scottish Students versus a Scotland U18 side with an eye on the future. With the current Under 19 squad having qualified for the World Cup in Australia later this summer, Cricket Scotland's Performance Development Manager Craig Wright, was looking ahead with some of his selections. The students were on a high after there win on Bank Holiday Monday over the MCC in the annual time game at Peffermill, although it was a different format for the clash against the national age group side. Coloured clothing and pink balls were the order of the day and a healthy crowd was in attendance at the West Lothian ground.

It was the Scottish Students who won the toss and elected to bat. Both sides used the game to use 12 players, with one player designated a non batter and one player off the field at all times. Tom McBride, a regular in the national U19s opened the batting with Keith Allen of Edinburgh University, for the third game in succession. The openers put on 20 before a combination of Edwards and Baum led to Allen being run out, the Ulsterman looking for a second run that was always going to be tight to make.

Baum was 'keeping for the Students in that MCC victory but was selected for the U18s for this match and uni team mate Fraser Boyd came in to take the gloves for his second appearance for the Scottish Students after he played in the match against the East League select in May. Ryan West bowled tightly and got McBride caught behind by Baum for 32 from 62 balls. The Students middle order all got starts, Aman Bailwal (26), Fraser Burnett (32), Cameron Farrell (23), with Chris Burns 21 not out at the end. The Students ended on 217 for 8 in their 50 overs, but had one batsman 'gone on' for a bigger score it could have been more. Highlights for the national age group lads were George Buchannan Smith taking 2/44 in 10 overs and Ryan West's fielding was excellent throughout, exemplified by the two steepling catches at long on he took to dismiss Edwards and Boyd.

After a sumptuous tea, laid on by West Lothian County Cricket Association, the young Scots set about chasing down the 217 set by the Scottish Students. The warm sun that was shining over Linlithgow n the morning was fading fast as it got gradually chillier. Scotland U18 opened with Andrew Umeed and Craig Young. Young fell LBW to the tall paceman Ed Abel Smith for 0. It was Josh Stinson at the other end who was posing a lot of difficulties with his skiddier trajectory, and had the young Scots playing and missing. Stinson finally got a reward for his endeavours in his 6th over as he got Umeed caught at mid wicket by Abertay University's Fraser Burnett.

Left hander Nick Farrar looked dangerous at the crease, but Abel Smith was testing him with some short balls. Over age player for the U18s, the hard hitting Anjan Luthra, fell LBW to Abel Smith as he slipped in a fuller delivery, leaving Farrar to build a partnership with Michael English of Ferguslie. English batted watchfully for 18 against some fine bowling and some exceptional fielding, starving him of the opportunity to rotate the strike and get the senior partner on strike. Skipper Andrew Brock then tore through the lower middle order returning figures off 10-1-38-4. Alex Baum looked like the last batsman who could get the age group side out of trouble and potential win the game, but when he was stumped by Boyd of Brock the score was 134 for 8. The game was over shortly after, and just before the rain set in, as the Scotland U18s amassed 146 in reply to the Students 217 in 43 overs.

The young Scots will have taken a lot of positives from the game and the students have a final t20 warm up against Carlton next week, before the Celtic Student Challenge Series in Dublin sees them take on their Irish counterparts for silverware, in a one day and t20 series.