GRANGE enter unchartered territory this afternoon when they tackle GHK at Anniesland. They will find a side at ease with itself and altogether unfazed by the reputation of their opponents.
There are several factors which contribute to this air of quiet confidence.
First of all, there was GHK's outstanding run in the Scottish Cup last season which almost took them to the final where they would have confronted today's opponents.
Unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot at the penultimate stage with a performance against Royal High Stewart's Melville which fell dismally short of the standard they had sustained through previous rounds.
Then there is the continuity which is brought to the club with the engagement for the thirteenth consecutive season of professional Zahid Ahmed, whose left arm spin is likely to pose searching questions for the powerful
Conference A
Edinburgh line-up. With former Clydesdale stalwart Richard Young operating similarly at the other end, they will find that runs will have to be worked for, so miserly is the customary yield.
Skipper Charlie Dunlop leads a talented all round side, with the dash supplied by young Australian batsman Peter Brown.
However, the strong-going Grange, with a 100% record, are not top of the league because they baulk at unknown territory. It should be quite a clash.
There is continuity, too, at Goldenacre where Shahid Aslam - whose recruitment a few seasons ago was somewhat fortuitous - has been a welcome recruit since. He had a superb weekend, featuring an eight-wicket haul at Dunfermline. West Lothian are the visitors to Heriot's - also with an unblemished record - today in what promises to be an attractive match.
Dunfermline have an immediate opportunity to get last week's disaster out of their system when bottom dogs Hillhead come to call. It seems barely credible that a side boasting the talents of skipper Ross Mitchinson, pro Manzoor Elahi and Charlie Singh could have found themselves back in the pavilion for just 31 runs.
Watsonians undertake the perilous journey to Whitehaugh where Kelburne await them for another match which is difficult to call.
But probably the most enigmatic fixture on the card is that at the Tryst, where Stenhousemuir, past masters in the art of inconsistency, take on a Forfarshire team who appear to be engaged in an attempt to wrest this title from their hosts.
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