Saltires need to regroup after missed opportunities

By Colin Smith

Published:

IT IS quite amazing the difference a victory can make to confidence. Unfortunately, it does not always result in the transfer of performance on to the pitch but, after turning over Lancashire, there was a real belief in the team going into Sunday’s game against the 2007 FP champions Durham.

However, it was a match I was to leave with a feeling of utter disappointment. As a sportsman, and especially a Scottish cricketer, I can handle getting beaten. I don’t enjoy it but when you play against good players sometimes you just have to put up your hand and say to the opponent ‘You were better than us today’.

You take the lesson, make no excuses and move on.

What I cannot bear is when the opposition do not play better than you but, for whatever reason, you let yourself down and miss an opportunity.

Sunday was one of those days. Captain Ryan Watson won a toss for the first time this season and our bowling attack, weakened by the enforced absence of Gordon Drummond and Craig Wright due to injury, had the chance to have a go at the Durham batsmen on a wicket giving all the bowlers assistance.

Although they were missing Paul Collingwood and Dale Benkenstein, Durham still have an impressive line-up who all struggled against some very lively bowling.

John Blain was exceptional again, but he was pretty much matched by former Stoneywood-Dyce player Gordon Goudie who silenced any doubters with a hugely important spell in the middle overs where his luckless eight overs conceded only 19 runs.

He finished his spell bowling at the death and ultimately conceded 30 runs to be the most economical of all our bowlers.

The other seasonal debutant Sean Weeraratna also bowled very well and it is great to see young players coming through and perform at this level immediately.

It augurs well for the future.

To keep Durham to 181 for nine from their 50 overs was a great all round effort and although I knew the wicket was helpful to the seam bowlers, and the chase would not be easy, I also knew we would not get a better opportunity to get another win under our belt.

Seventeen overs and some bad light later, which brought a premature end to the game, and the wind had been taken from our sails at 52 for five.

The feeling of disappointment was exacerbated by the knowledge their most effective bowler Neil Killeen had gone off injured and would not have completed his overs.

I myself did not trouble the scorers for the second time in four innings and am desperate to put that right. I am not panicking in any sort of way, but am working hard on ironing out some early-season glitches which have scuppered me so far.

Games come thick and fast as we entertain Yorkshire this Sunday at the Grange which will give us a golden opportunity to put things right looking forward to the international fixtures starting in July. The only addition to the squad is Navdeep Poonia, who makes a welcome return after being released by Warwickshire to play for us.

If he plays another innings like he did at Derby a fortnight ago then the Edinburgh crowd will be in for a treat.