Northern Counties look to take second in season-closing Inverness derby against champions Highland

Northern Counties were just one of two teams to pick up any points at all in last weekend’s North of Scotland Cricket Association Senior League.

Bad weather meant that half of last Saturday’s scheduled fixture list was washed out, but Counties and Huntly picked up maximum points when their opponents – Forres St Lawrence and Fort William respectively – conceded in advance.

It means that the Northern Meeting Park side have closed the gap to Nairn County in second place going into the last game of the season, with 0.94 per cent separating the two sides.

Nairn County had been due to play newly-crowned champions Highland – and if Highland had won Nairn’s percentage would have dropped, so the call-off could actually have hit Northern Counties’ chances of leapfrogging County.

Going into the last game of 2019, it is a fairly simple equation for Counties to finish the campaign as runners-up.

All they need to do is score two more points than Nairn.

Points are scored for every 25 runs scored, starting at 75, and for every two wickets taken in a match.

With the league table so close, if Counties win and Nairn do not, then the Inverness side will end up in the top two, but if both teams lose then their performances will become crucial.

Both sides have tricky games though, as the current top four face off when Highland host Counties in an Inverness derby at Fraser Park and Nairn travel to Buckie.

Ross County had been in and around the race for second, but the Strathpeffer side have fallen away in recent weeks.

They are one spot behind Buckie in fifth, but have every chance of finishing the season back in the top four if Nairn get a result against Buckie.

County wrap up their season at Castle Leod against Elgin, who if not for Fort William’s five forfeits would likely be bottom of the table.

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