Arrowdawn Gordonians Cricket Club

Arrowdawn Gordonians Cricket club completed their successful return to the Strathmore & Perthshire Cricket Union (SPCU) after an 8 year absence by winning the Second Division title at Arbroath on Sunday.

Gordonians have had a 100% record all season and went into the final match knowing that 4 points would secure them the Championship.

Gordonians Captain Blair Thomson lost the toss and Arbroath elected to bat. It was Thomson who made the early breakthrough removing Calvin Burnett caught and bowled for 4. It was young Scotland International Ross McLean who led the batting attack to the team from Aberdeen with 71 although was dropped several times before expertly Stumped by Tariq Butt off Kyle Humphrys.

The Arbroath batting then struggled to make any impact against the Gordonian bowlers it was only Cameron that offered any resistance. Arbroath finally dismissed for 140 with Captain Blair Thomson picking up three of the top five.

In reply Kyle Humphrys in his final game went early to a ball around his legs and it was the partnership of Kapil Laghate and Gordonians Overseas Amateur Chandra Mouli that took the game away from the useful Arbroath attack.

Chandra Mouli showed the class he has all season with yet another match winning innings. His 62 not out included eleven boundaries and one maximum.  He was ably supported by Kapil Laghate who scored 61 in a great partnership to close the match out at 141 for 1.

This completed a fantastic season for the team based at Robert Gordon’s College Countesswells playing field in Aberdeen.  Top performances came from players such as Kyle Humphrys, Barry Watt and the hard-hitting Chandra Mouli, who produced a vital 105 vs Mayfield earlier in the season to secure a win over their main rivals and finished with 434 at an average of 72.3 .

The bowling this year led by Club Captain Blair Thomson has been tight and effective with Rahul Narula being the shining light with 24 wickets at a miserly average of 6

This is but step one of this ambitious club’s plans to reach the higher levels of SNCL and bring the standard of cricket deserved by such a fantastic cricket facility.

Club Captain Blair Thomson said, “We’ve gone from a one team club back in 2007, who narrowly avoided folding all together, to a four team club in 2010. It was natural that we looked to get back into regional cricket with our aims set further afield towards national cricket in the future. The addition of Chandra Mouli for the future is a major boost to the club. He has been awesome in most of our matches and we have every faith in him leading the club forward. We know it’s going to be hard work as we progress up the leagues again but believe we have the product to improve and progress Aberdeen cricket and establish Gordonians as a third power in the North East playing in the SNCL”.

Club President Andrew Lowden said, “This season has been quite an adventure. SPCU Division 2 posed the new challenges of organising our own fixtures and significant travel time and cost. Having said that we enjoyed visiting some interesting cricket venues around Dundee and Perth and the generally refreshing spirit in which our games were played. Our team morale has been a joy to witness and bodes well for further success in our overdue SPCU return. I would personally be very proud if one day our current crop of cricketers can recapture the Union title last won in 1994 by a Gordonian squad I was part of.”

GORDONIANS hope to challenge Aberdeenshire and Stoneywood-Dyce’s position as the two main teams in Aberdeen – if their ambitious plans reach fruition.

Gordonians return to the Strathmore Union following an eight-year absence when they face Rossie Priory XI next weekend and they are keen to make an immediate impression.

Club president Andy Lowden said: “We last played in the Premier Division of the Strathmore Union in 2002. We won the title in 1994. In the 1990s we had the help of professional Anju Mudkavi.

“Coming in to Division 2 of what is now the Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union, we have a significant challenge to get back to the Premier Division, which has been won by Aberdeenshire’s second string in four of the last six years. We believe we can secure promotion this year and re-establish ourselves as a third force in north-east cricket.

“We would also like to push ahead with plans to enhance our links with the community by starting a junior section at some point in the future.These are exciting times for the club.”

Captain Blair Thomson shares his president’s optimism about the future.

He said: “We are looking at a long-term aspiration for the club to play National League cricket. This would be in an attempt to get the cricket that our splendid facilities deserve. We have to work our way up the divisions ultimately to the Premier Division.

“We hope to form a long-term partnership with Arrowdawn, which has come on board as club sponsor, and we are now running four teams.”

 Gordonians plan to put some of the funds from the sponsorship deal towards supporting new professional and coach Kyle Humphrys, who will work closely with coaches Jamie Jones and Tariq Butt.

The 22-year-old Australian was head-hunted and he is relishing his first taste of Scottish cricket.

Humphrys said: “I wanted to take the opportunity to play better cricket and it's a chance to travel and see more of the world.

“The season starts in May and runs until September. I'm hoping I'll be able to go back and play in a higher division in Melbourne next season."

Now three months into its creation the partnership is going well with in excess of 30 new players being generated for the club.

Players of all levels have attended the net sessions on a weekly basis at RGU Sport and there has been a great improvement in most of the players techniques already.

Training restarts later this month on Sunday the 31st of January 1700 - 1900.

Any new players are welcome along... We welcome all abilities and also have some female members too.