The final of the Aberdeenshire Cup is for many in the game, one of the red letter days of the season.
Sunday will be no exception when at 1pm, two of the most aspiring teams in the recent history of the Grades will lock horns on one of the best grounds in Scottish cricket, each with a claim to land the most prestigious award going in the region.
Bon Accord who are serial winners of Grade 1 may fancy their chances on the wide open spaces of Mannofield, will point to a 211 run win over their opponents in the league in July as a good indicator, but might just have to play second fiddle to Knight Riders who are looking to make the cup their own property, having won the last three finals on the famous ground, graced by no less a person than Sir Donald Bradman in 1948.
Among those looking to add to his own prolific runs tally is Bon Accord’s opening batsman Fazal Awan who will surely relish the perfect track waiting to greet the two teams. The Groat’s Road side also have their own run machine in Somu Kumarasamy, and a regular winner of player of the match awards in the final of this competition.
There again, the two captains could hold sway with shrewd use of their first class bowling attacks. Tauqeer Malik, Bon Accord’s veteran of many a campaign, and his opposite number Kannan Palaniyandi, will be well aware that both teams could plunder runs on the high scoring batting friendly surface if they don’t get the right bowlers on at the right time. Bon Accord may well have a slight advantage as they are at Mannofield on Saturday against the Grade 1 leaders and could get a good look at the ground conditions for Sunday. Knight Riders are at Inverurie on Saturday on another of our finest local grass pitches with a good opportunity to get their batters in form. No matter how their Saturday results go, both teams should provide a fine afternoon’s entertainment in front of hopefully what will be a bumper crowd, of which I will be one, seeking to renew friendships with my many contacts in the game.