The issuing of the draws for the national cups is a pretty good sign that competitive cricket is back for 2021. The view is that Covid-19 related guidance will allow travelling and the Scottish Cup draw will see Aberdeenshire on the road for over 6 hours on Sunday May 23rd as they make the trip to play Gala. Gala won the East Of Scotland Cricket Association 1st Division in 2019 and would have been looking forward to playing in the ESCA Championship had the 2020 season been possible. Should Aberdeenshire win this fixture they will have a home tie against either Edinburgh Accies or Drumpellier, both of whom would be stronger on paper than Gala, that is if they can persuade their strongest team to travel to Mannofield.
Stoneywood Dyce will have been delighted to have drawn SPCU side Falkland at home. Falkland cantered to the SPCU title in 2018, were distinctly less convincing in 2019, but they will be hoping to pull off a surprise as they celebrate their 160th anniversary. The winners will have a trip to Glasgow to play one of the big guns from the West as Poloc or Clydesdale await the outcome from Peoples Park.
The Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup has plenty of local interest when it kicks off on the 30th May. Huntly are away to Leith FAB who finished the 2019 season in 2nd place in ESCA Division 3. This will be an early season test for the ambitious Castle Park club and the winners will be away to our own Grade 1 champions Bon Accord in the next round. The winners of that tie may well be staying local with Countesswells a quarter final possibility, although Gordonians have a very tough opening round draw at home to Morton from the ESCA Championship, potentially followed by a monster trip to Galloway. Plenty of scope for an early exit for the 2015 and 2016 Challenge Cup winners!
AGSFPs are in the other half of the draw and have a very tricky away trip to Stenhousemuir from the WDCU 1st Division. The winners are at home to Northern Counties from Inverness but booking Rubislaw for that game will need an element of heroics from the Grammar boys in round 1.
Good luck to all our local sides on 23rd and 30th May.
