Why Grange spinner Jamie Cairns is building solid foundations

He broke into the first team last year when, along with fellow teenagers Charlie Peet and Tom Mackintosh, they played their part as Grange lifted three trophies.

They were in the team on merit and will have a big role to play in the XI over the next few months with a home CSL Eastern Premier Division clash with Watsonians tomorrow the first thing on their minds.

Left-armer Cairns caught the cricketing bug as a youngster at Linlithgow Cricket Club.

“I then moved to Dollar Academy in P6 and, with my love of cricket continuing, I decided to join Grange to to help me with my progress,” Cairns, who is just finishing S4, said. “I love playing cricket and I think I have been lucky to have had some great people around me to learn from.

“At school Jamie Frost and Peter Ross [the current Heriot’s player] have been very supportive and at Grange John Blain and the Grange Academy team have really helped me as I have moved through the different levels. And a lot of support comes from being involved in development squads.

“To come into the first XI at Grange last year was brilliant. It could have been a fairly daunting experience, but the senior players helped me to get used to that level of cricket.

“Having Charlie and Tom there with me too really helped because we are similar ages and could talk things over and learn together.”

Having started life as a left arm seam bowler, things could have been different for Cairns, but he loves being a spinner now and the challenge of taking on different types of batsmen.

“As a spinner you have to accept that you will get hit out of the park some days. Other days you won’t. You cannot get too high or too low about it and working out plans for different batsmen and teams is exciting,” Cairns, who has already represented the Scotland Performance Academy, this term added. “I have lots to learn, so it is excellent to have Andrew Brock at Grange as a spinning mentor.

“With school exams and cricket for various teams the last couple of months have been busy, but now I am looking forward to a summer focusing on my cricket and continuing to improve.”

Grange head into the derby with Watsonians in fine fettle having managed to defeat Greenock in the Citylets Scottish Cup last Sunday and then Edinburgh Accies in the Murgitroyd Masterton Trophy on Tuesday evening.

Watsonians lost out to Heriot’s in the Cup five days ago.

Third plays first at Grange Loan tomorrow when Carlton take on ion8 Forfarshire.

Heriot’s are at Arbroath while RH Corstorphine and Stewart’s Melville meet at Barnton in a rematch of last weekend’s Cup clash.