Now we are into the second half of the local season, a quick glance at the league tables would suggest it is the men of Mannofield who have the most to smile about, and a shot in the arm for those at the club who put their faith in youth.
In the North East Championship, Aberdeenshire are back at the head of affairs, led by Lewis Munro, a young all rounder who leads from the front with bowling and batting performances to inspire his young team mates who weekly are rising to his prompting.
Add the mature backing of Kenny Reid who seems to have been around forever, and as the last active member of the Shire double winning team of 2009, will be in a position to assure his young friends in the team they are well up to the challenge of promotion.
What young Munro now needs to do is instil some consistency in the ranks in the crucial run in to the end of the season.
The first team might well take a leaf from their Grade 1 team who look to be on course to win their league. Under the leadership of Rizwan Tahir they seem to have the confidence to achieve, allied to ability which can see them fighting for places in the top Mannofield side.
To date my trips to games have been confined to Gordon Park where my local team, even without the indisposed Jon Barrett, have been massacring the opposition offered in Grade 3. Again leadership is a key factor. In this case it is the experienced Ally Addy who is showing his worth for one of the oldest sides in the North East.
All this considered, I will in fact be going to Hazlehead on Saturday – it fairly beats a trip to ARI – when I will take in the vital Knight Riders clash with the aforementioned Mannofield, where a win for the visitors could surely end the home side’s title pretensions, while confirming their own aspirations.
Depending on how the Groats Road trip goes, I may well get more adventurous and find my way back to Mannofield, or take myself out to the People’s Park, if only to ask what on earth has happened to their form.