Aberdeenshire U15s, having comfortably beaten both Dundee High and Arbroath United in the qualifying rounds, found themselves in the semi-finals against a very strong Perth Doocot side.

Semi-Final: Shire vs Perth Doocot

Shire were missing their opening batsman and wicketkeeper Joseph Scotting, which made the challenge even tougher. But up stepped Riyansh Kirodian, fresh off two consecutive fifties for the Shire 2nd XI.

On a gloriously warm and sunny day, Shire won the toss and chose to bat. Marcus Vila and Riyansh opened the innings - and they exploded out of the blocks, bringing up the first 50 in just six overs.

Perth, boasting a top-quality bowling attack, managed to remove Vila for a well-fought 30, followed soon after by Kirodian for a valiant 24. At this point, with Scotting unavailable, it was up to the others to step up — and Shire's depth showed. Notable contributions from Ethan Shedbal and captain Aayush Sinha pushed the total to a commanding 158 off 20 overs.

But the job was far from over.

Perth’s lineup featured one of Scotland’s top U15 talents, Oban Owais, who had already amassed 820+ runs across formats this season, alongside the dangerous Freddy Hunt. True to form, Perth's openers came out firing, racing to 36 runs in just three overs - making the most of the flat wicket and lightning-quick outfield.

Recognising the surface was flat but slow, Captain Sinha brought off the pace and introduced spin - a game-changing move. The breakthrough came when Hunt was adjudged LBW to Vila, thanks to one of his many deceptive variations — Coach Wood’s favourite “fast ball.” Then came a crucial run-out of danger man Harris Harper.

The spin trio of Saravanan, Vila, and Sinha squeezed the life out of Perth’s chase. What started as a 12-run-per-over ask dropped dramatically. With 21 required off the final two overs, a superb final over from Shedbal ensured Perth fell 12 runs short.

Vikaash Saravanan was the chief destroyer, finishing with a phenomenal 2-17 off 4 overs.

Meanwhile, on the neighbouring field, a nail-biting clash saw Grange edge past Uddingston by just 1 run, setting up a blockbuster final - a clash between two of Scottish Cricket’s Scotlands two heavy weight teams.

The Final: Shire vs Grange
The final was played on the same pitch used for the semi-final - giving Shire a slight edge in understanding the conditions. Looking to emulate last year’s U14 success, Aberdeenshire elected to bowl first.

Grange, like Perth, featured several big names and got off to a flying start — reaching 80-1 after just 11 overs. Sensing the need for change, Shire again turned to their spin attack. And once again, it was Saravanan who rose to the moment.

He struck with his very first ball, removing Twaddle, thanks to a stunning catch by Mahad Furdous. Moments later, he trapped the dangerous Licher for just 5. From 8 runs per over at the halfway point, Grange were suddenly restricted to just a run a ball.

The spin trio of Saravanan, Vila, and Tata applied pressure relentlessly. Grange, once cruising, were eventually bowled out for 122.
Once again, Saravanan was the standout, finishing with a brilliant 4-17 from his 4 overs — a match-winning performance.

Despite what looked like a chaseable target, Shire knew that Grange’s bowling attack was filled with national-level talent. But Vila and Kirodian, ever composed, got off to a solid start.

Both batted fluently against a top-class attack until Vila with score on 93 , fell to a deceptive ball from Ranking , a valiant 45, Kirodian soon after reaching his half-century, retired - leaving Shire well in control at 110-2.

But cricket, as always, had drama in store.

A series of poor shot choices and questionable running saw a sudden collapse — from 110-2 to 119-6 with four overs remaining. The match, once in the bag, was now on a knife edge.

Enter the enigmatic Oscar Vila - the younger brother of Marcus, and the hero of last year’s U14 national final. Calm under pressure, Oscar pulled a short ball with class to the boundary - securing a dramatic win and back-to-back national league titles for the Shire youngsters!

A special thanks to SMRH and Cricket Scotland for facilitating an incredible day of youth cricket . It was a true credit to the level of cricket being developed in our magnificent country.

And of course, a shoutout to our forever-youthful Head Coach, Phil Wood - whose tireless dedication and belief in these youngsters has been the foundation of their success. Well done, Phil - long may it continue!

Aberdeenshire U15s now move on to the ECB play-offs, where they’ll face Ashington (Northumberland) on Sunday, July 20th — with a potential shot at the British National Finals at Lord’s.