3 weeks into the Grade 1 season and Master Blasters are the only unbeaten team in the division. Mannofield could well be their next victims as they meet at Allan Park. Mannofield skipper Rahul Chandu will be putting himself under pressure to make a mark on the game.
AberGreen host Gordonians at Harlaw. Gordos have Chamila Perera back to add to an impressive bowling attack, plus 3 of their top juniors will be keen to show what they can do at Grade 1 level.
Cults are at Links to play Crescent on Saturday and Sunday, an Aberdeenshire Cup tie following on from a league encounter on Saturday.
Sivaganesan Palaniappan makes his first appearance of the season as Knight Riders play Inverurie at Groats Road. Inverurie have Mark Strachan and Stuart Murrison back to add experience to experience.
The big game in Grade 2 is at Ellon as AGSFPs hit the dual carriageway. Both sides are unbeaten and AGSFPs look the stronger on paper, and not just because Ellon haven’t posted their team sheet yet! Messrs Webb and Greenfield ran through the Fraserburgh batting last Saturday, but with Alex Keith on form and Rob Swiergon due a score, 5 wicket hauls may be harder to pick up.
Fraserburgh need to show some bouncebackability as 2nd Knight Riders are also on the dual carriageway north. Alan Rennie makes the Fraserburgh 12 and could do some damage with the ball. Bino Zachariah has been the stand out for 2nd Knight Riders so far, but they could do with showing improvements with bat and ball.
Methlick are at Duthie Park to take on Portcullis. The Excise men could do with the exercise after missing out on any action last Saturday. The good news for Portcullis is that Tim Duffy of Methlick didn’t have his best bowling day at the venue in Grade 3 last season.
Banchory are not at full strength as they go to Huntly, the latter missing Emily Henderson, and Banchory without Mark Herbert and Carl Counsell, but it would be a surprise if the likes of Sam Rotheram and Will George didn’t add to their impressive run tallies.
Unless they can magic up a tie, one of 2nd AberGreen or 2nd Grampian will pick up their first win of the season at Rubislaw as the bottom 2 sides meet.
Lairds is still not fit for cricket, but Crathie have stepped up to get the game on and 2nd Methlick head to Balmoral for their ‘home’ tie. Fraser Grant and Lewis Crutchfield will need to get amongst the wickets if 2nd Methlick are to prosper.
2nd Master Blasters take a very strong team to Countesswells as 3rd Gordonians at last get some pitch time. Gordos have 6 very promising juniors in their side, but conditions may well be set up for a Master Blasters centurion.
Having knocked 2nd Mannofield out of the Reid Cup on Thursday evening, Stoneywood Dyce are at Mineralwell Park to play Stonehaven. Michael Hood drops down from SPCU Division 1 duties and Martin Reid would hope to fill up the scorebook with some runs.
Dunecht will be looking to get back to winning ways after their narrow defeat last Saturday. 2nd Mannofield are the visitors who might find it challenging against the Balaji/Baldry bowling attack.
Even without Kenny Reid and Lewis Munro, Aberdeenshire managed to come out top in a low scoring CS T20 Cup tie against Stoneywood Dyce on Thursday. Luke Bain and Josh Goodwin picked up 3 wickets each and Munro is back to enhance the team, but Kenny Reid is missing as Kinloch visit for this SPCU North East Championship clash.
Huntly didn’t have a great time at Links on Thursday in the T20 Cup as Bon Accord beat them by 8 wickets, but they will be a different entity on the grass at Forfar against Strathmore. Jordan Squire comes in for Huntly and it would be a surprise, or an outstanding performance from Lance Trueman, that would see anything other than a Huntly win.
Gordonians have struggled against Freuchie at Countesswells and they are without Abrar Ahmed for Saturday. Dean Stonebridge is a hit or miss type of batter and he smacked the Gordonians attack around last season. If he can get going then it could be a 3rd defeat for Gordos.
2nd Forfarshire play Perth Doocot who have won 3 out of 3 thanks to the runs of Joel Rush and the all round influence of Safyaan Sharif. Forthill should suit the Perth team.
2nd Falkland could well be on the wrong end of a difficult result as Arbroath go to Scroggie Park.
In the Eastern Premier League Stoneywood Dyce are at home to Carlton. No Jon Grant for Stoneywood Dyce but Shaun Coetzer plays, and Lennard Bester, with 3 ducks in his last 4 innings, is surely due an upturn in form.
Caleb Whitefoord and Brandon McMullen will pose questions for the Meigle batters as RH Corstorphine travel up from Edinburgh.
A very strong Heriot’s team should have Falkland in lots of trouble as they meet in Edinburgh. Forfarshire are also in Edinburgh and they are pretty much at full strength as they face Stewart’s Melville. Watsonian are pointless so far, and a win looks improbable as they take on Grange.
Other than the Aberdeenshire Cup tie between Crescent and Cults at Links on Sunday, 2nd Knight Riders are at Huntly for a Bon Accord Cup match and Banchory go to Fraserburgh as they try again in the same competition. In the Scottish Cup it’s a tough ask for Aberdeenshire at home to Grange, but even though the latter aren’t at full strength they do include 3 Scotland internationals in their line up.
The Northern Lights head to Edinburgh to play Watsonians women.