Not for the first time Huntly Cricket Club has surprised the North East cricket fraternity with an innovation, designed to get the Castle Park side into the higher reaches of Scottish club cricket.
The signing of Jamie King, originally from Huntly, being nothing less than inspired, sending a clear message to other clubs in the ”Strathie” of their intentions to reach the Eastern Premier League, in which King performed with some distinction as a player and captain of Stoneywood-Dyce.
The charismatic Jamie first came to my attention in dramatic style when in an EPL game between Aberdeenshire and Stoneywood-Dyce, some 10 years ago at Mannofield, the young, fast bowler came back on for his second spell with the scores tied up at 125 apiece, and the homesters with one wicket in hand. The fiery, red haired held his nerve in the white hot tension of an August afternoon, removing the last Shire batsman, caught behind to record a rare tie in the top Scottish club league.
His credentials thus proved, Jamie went on to become captain of the People’s Park side in what proved to be a difficult year for the club, but undaunted, the youngster gave it his best shot, cheerfully insisting his team could turn it around.
Some might say, he was too young for the post, while I would claim, his enthusiasm and vigour were just what was needed.
When he went off on a sabbatical and a world tour, I thought he was lost to the local game but no, back he bounced, responding to the call of Jack Mitchell, a former team mate at the People’s Park, now the driving force at Huntly.
His presence in the Castle Park dressing will be quickly felt, leading to who knows what for an ambitious club, and while I making no predictions, I can only wonder what is in the water at Huntly which has led to so many quality players emerging from that outpost of North East cricket. They include Scotland players Willie Donald and Kirstie Gordon, the latter now back in the Scots fold after a spell in the England team, while Ailsa Lister, another who crossed the divide from the People’s Park, is living the dream in the Scotland team who played so well in the recent World Cup in England.