Issue 4

Martin Firth remembers an introduction to Kwik Cricket This is the Carlton Under-8 team from June 2013 about to play their first tournament. It was the first time any of these boys had played in a competitive kwik cricket game. They did well, they ran Watsonians close, beat Carlton girls, and lost only to a very strong Hawick team. What I particularly like about this photo is that 5 of the 9 are still playing regularly for Carlton, and one of the others is playing regularly elsewhere. Many will recognise those five. They have been stalwarts of the U12 and U14 teams, and would normally now be starting a season at U16, Two are also Eastern Knights, and at least four are frequent members of our senior sides. The final player moved to a club across town, and I've therefore had the great pleasure of watching him play excellent cricket both for and against Carlton. Ten days later, we went to a 3-way event at Boroughmuir. The U8s came mighty close to beating their own U9 team, and were ahead of the run rate in the chase until the very last over. Both the U8s & the U9s won their other match too. Less than a year later, seven of this team appeared in the first U10 team I managed, in an early-season Kwik Cricket festival at RHC. And I've been enthusiastically watching them play cricket ever since. Who? v Forfarshire in July 2016

MEET HANNAH RAINEY - CARLTON AND SCOTLAND When did you first come to Carlton? What was it like? How does it compare now? I first joined Carlton in 2008 after moving to Edinburgh from Kent. My best friend introduced me to the girls' Kwik Cricket sessions on Wednesday evenings, and I never looked back. I remember it being a lot of fun, we didn’t take it too seriously and I was always getting in trouble for messing around with my friends. One thing I think has changed, is the integration of junior girls. Now I see young girls playing in the junior age-group teams along with boys and I think that is great! Who particularly helped you at Carlton? It is very hard to name just one person. Leigh Kasperek helping to run the Kwik Cricket sessions at the start definitely inspired my love for the game. My teammates (Helen Blair, Lily Cartwright, Ruth Willis and Katie McGill to name a few) made me feel very welcome when I joined the women’s section. Since joining the Carlton Performance Academy last winter, both Fraggle and Gilly have really helped me to develop my technique and skills. Favourite Carlton match? It has to be the T20 Scottish Cup Final last year. It was a beautiful day in Stirling and such an enjoyable match and of course, we came home with the trophy. How has lockdown affected you? It has been quite an adjustment going from training 3/4 times a week, going to the gym 3/4 times a week and being in uni full-time to being home all the time. I am lucky to have been given a thorough training programme to help maintain and hopefully keep improving my fitness and strength. I have also been trying to do some skill and tactical work. Aside from cricket, I was due to start my final year of veterinary medicine on 1st June, which has now been postponed to late August. My placements over Easter were cancelled and all our teaching has moved online. However, everyone is in the same boat and the university are doing everything they can. There are so many resources online which I am trying to make the most of!