Issue 1

Stevie’s Challenges

That Great Match All Carlton players carry memories of great matches - here is one. Not a cup final, or a thumping of Grange by the First XI, but a 4th XI match in which 2 youngsters made up for the inadequacies of their elders - as happens again and again in the club’s lower teams. We take you back to 5 May 2012 at Peffermill. Holy Cross 3 have scored 118-8. Carlton have stumbled to 98-8. The match reporter takes up the story: Sam1 (13 years old) and Ruairidh2 (11 years old) are now at the crease. This is the stuff that heroes are made of. 5 overs left, 2 wickets in hand, 21 to win. Or put another way 21 to win, 5 overs left, 2 wickets in hand. Either way you put it, it looks like an uphill climb. What do our young heroes do? Do they panic? No. Do they swing wildly? Certainly not. They get forward. They watch the ball. They play straight and hit the looser ball. They call clearly. They run hard. They are made for the moment. Run by run the scoreboard ticks on. 'We got the 4 we need in that over,' says Ruairidh to Sam at the end of the over. Ruairidh then eases the pressure by smashing a 4 off Nevin. Din bowls a tight over - only 1 run off it. 2 overs left, 6 to win. A single for Sam, then Ruairidh drives between mid-off and extra and they scamper 3 in the time it would have taken FB to get 1. Last over - 2 to win. Who is your money on? [] Who is your money on? 6 balls, 2 to win. The bowler is twice as old and more than the 2 batsmen. Din bowls. Dot. Din bowls. A forcing shot from Ruairidh but straight to the fielder. Dot. Din bowls. Ruairidh drives. A fumble. 'Yes, run'. Sam charges. The ball comes to the keeper who has the bails off. 'Howzat?'. FB at square leg can't pretend that he didn't see Sam fail to ground his bat. His finger goes up. A collective sigh on the boundary. In comes DC. his age is undisclosed and the subject of a super-injunction. Last man, 3 balls, 2 to win. Who is your money on now? Din bowls. DC swings leg side. Misses by a country mile. 2 balls. 2 to win. Din bowls. A flurry of everything and Ruairidh yells 'Yes'. DC is startled into moving faster than he has moved for 20 years. Home. Scores level. 1 ball one to win. Din bowls. Leg side. A pad? A bat? Who knows what it shaves, but it is enough for the keeper to lose sight of the ball. No one knows where it is. Tourists on the top of Arthurs Seat are mystified by the sudden below of 'Yes!' that comes to their ears from they know not where. DC is at full volume and full speed - he arrives at the crease before his call. Ruairidh sprints to the other end. A run! Carlton win. Carlton have squeezed home to win by 1 wicket off the last ball. 1 Sam Marchbank – no longer playing cricket 2 Ruairidh Main – making only his second appearance in senior cricket