Charlie Peet (S4) has been looking back on a very successful summer of cricket! The 15-year-old played for Scotland at both U15 and U17 levels, as well as featuring for a Marylebone Cricket Club Schools' team at the 'home of cricket’: Lord’s Cricket Ground. Charlie also played his part for Edinburgh's Grange Cricket Club's Senior First XI as they won an amazing treble this season.
Charlie’s brother Freddie (S5), also pictured in the photo above, and recent FP Patrick Ritchie made appearances with The Grange's First team as well during 2018. There was a particulary proud moment for the Peet family in June, when Charlie and Freddie played in the same First XI team for Grange in the Masterton Trophy.
“We have been around the Grange club for many years because of our dad Nick, he used to play there and then he started to coach the juniors so we got involved then and have not really looked back,” left arm spin bowler Charlie explained.
“I was lucky enough to be involved in a number of CSL Eastern Premier Division matches this summer and it is quite an easy team to come into with so many good players around you. When I played a couple of games for the team in the first half of the summer I got a taste for it, but I could not have expected just how many games I would end up going on to play for the First XI."
The team came through to win their Cricket Scotland League Grand Final against the West Champions, Ferguslie, which paved their way to the Scottish Cup final!
In between the CSL Grand Final on 1 September and their Cup final match with Heriot’s though, Charlie had the small matter of a trip down South to play at Lord’s in London...
Being every cricket-lover's dream to visit (let alone play) at Lord's, Charlie said: “It was really cool just being at such a famous ground and thinking of all the brilliant players who have played there in the past. Although we [the MCC Schools] lost that game, it is a day I will remember for a long time. Then, coming back up the road and finding out I had made it into the Grange First XI for the Scottish Cup final was excellent news!"
With a lot of competition for places in the Cup final, Charlie said "...it felt good getting to play in the team on our home ground. I managed to take three wickets and, in the end, we went on to win the game by eight wickets! That really was the end of a surreal summer and I’d just like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way including Grange spinner Andrew Brock who has helped me out a lot.”
Preston Mommsen, the former Scotland captain who now leads Grange, said of Charlie’s season: “We have a great Academy in place at Grange headed up by John Blain and we are always keen to bring through young players into senior cricket when we can and we feel the time is right. This year we thought a number of teenagers would get regular game time with the Second XI, but as things transpired quite a crop actually ended up playing First XI cricket with Charlie being involved regularly. He has contributed a lot when required and has shown maturity beyond his years, so when I reminisce about this league triumph in years to come the part he and the other newcomers played will be at the front of my mind.”
Charlie’s focus has now returned to his studies and playing football for Spartans. Well done, Charlie!
Article by Gary Heatly
@G_HMedia
