Stoneywood-Dyce player-coach Jan Stander hopes to have some fresh bowling options available as his side go in search of back-to-back Eastern Premier League wins tomorrow.
With his side at home again this weekend for the visit of RH Corstorphine, Stander, who played with fractured thumb last week, is hoping some of those who have been in isolation will be clear to return.
He said: “Captain Jamie King and David Kidd were two of the players who missed the game as they had to self-isolate and we’ll have to wait to see who will be able to return.
“Circumstances last weekend meant we had two seamers in the team to bowl. We played on a used wicket and Stewart’s Melville, who won the toss, put us into bat first. Had they realised we only had seamers then perhaps they would have approached the game differently.
“I still can’t bowl due to my thumb, but hopefully we’ll have some good news in terms of having some bowlers available for the game.”
Stoneywood-Dyce’s late reshuffle meant the squad was pushed to its limit for the game, but Stander was thrilled with the efforts of the team in difficult circumstances.
He said: “George Ninan has done it before for me at Aberdeenshire back in the day so I knew he could handle the bowling duties, while Jon Grant has been so consistent all season.
“Ewan Davidson, who hasn’t played much this season, did really well and Jack Lambley, who is under-18, batted fifth for us, while Leonard Bester showed again he is a really good player.
“Ailsa Lister, too, came in and kept wicket brilliantly.
“It’s one thing to be wicketkeeper, but it’s another matter entirely to keep wick for 32 overs of spin bowling on a wicket which was really turning. She has good experience from the Scottish women’s team, but it is easy to forget she is still at school.
“It was a great effort from everyone.”
Last weekend’s win means Stoneywood-Dyce are in eighth place in the division, but Stander is far from concerned about his club being caught up in a relegation dogfight as the season progresses.
He said: “I’ve always said home games are key. We know how difficult it is making the two-and-a-half hour trip to Edinburgh to play, but teams from there only come up here once a season to play us.
“That means the squads which come up tend to be a bit lighter, which is why home matches are critical for us.
“But the events of last week showed there are bigger things out there to worry about than cricket. I’d much rather play and lose than have to sit at home for 10 days.
“We’ve been in the lower leagues before and if we did drop down a level it wouldn’t faze us. We would just work our way back up.”
