Cricket: Carlton on cloud nine after Premiership title success

The Grange Loan men were presented the trophy on Saturday evening when Forfarshire’s loss to Arbroath coupled with the washout of their match with Aberdeenshire meant that they could not be caught at the top.

Carter said: “The team have worked really hard from day one this season and everyone at the club is delighted because this is the first time we have ever won the national title.

“It has not been the best of summers weather wise, but the players have kept going and some of the cricket they have played has been superb. This has been a long time coming for some of the players, while it is great to see youngsters continuing to come through and get their chance.”

Captain Fraser Watts added: “The title win is not just for the first XI players, but for the whole club and all the people who put in hours of work behind the scenes. To lift the trophy means a lot to us.”

Yesterday, Carlton lost their final match of the season at Arbroath, being bowled out for just 119 after a late night on Saturday, but it should not take away from their achievement.

From day one when they defeated Stoneywood-Dyce at Grange Loan by 136 runs to last weekend when they went to rivals Forfarshire and won by five wickets, they have been the team to beat in 2011.

Former Scotland player Cedric English finished as the club’s top run scorer this term and the platform he, Watts, Preston Mommsen and others gave them each week was invaluable.

With the ball, seamer Omar Ahmad and spinner Jason Trembath, the overseas amateur, were regularly in the wickets with Ali Evans’ early-season form seeing him get a chance with Derbyshire for the second part of the summer.

And, in the likes of Steve Gilmour, Gordon Drummond, Jamie Kerr and English, skipper Watts had experienced men around him who helped him make decisions when required and pulled them through tight matches.

Before they can relax for the winter, the players will want to retain the Murgitroyd Twenty20 trophy on national finals day at Poloc this coming Sunday.

Elsewhere over the weekend in the top flight, Heriot’s were the only Capital club who managed to complete a match.

On Saturday at Goldenacre, they took on Clydesdale in a match reduced to 20-overs-a-side and batting first made 120-7, pro Adam Lockhart-Krause top scoring with 36.

In reply, Clydesdale fell eight runs short and Heriot’s finished in sixth as a result with Grange fifth and Watsonians in seventh.