Bid to safeguard 170-year history of cricket in the Highlands as Nairn County’s Mike Davies takes over as president of regional association
Nairn County Cricket Club’s Mike Davies says he wants to try and preserve the future of the sport after taking over as the North of Scotland association’s president.
Davies replaced Ross County’s Chris Blake in the role earlier this year, with the 2025 season due to begin this weekend.
There will be a number of changes coming into effect this year. Davies’ own Nairn club will be taking a step back in 2025, only competing in the Development League as they look to rebuild for a hoped 2026 return to the top division.
However, Buckie have returned to the Senior League to ensure it remains a seven-team division, with an agreement being reached that top flight matches can be played on Sundays for the first time.
Some teams will also forego the traditional all-white kits, also in turn leading to the use of a pink ball, in the hope that coloured kits will be more accessible for female players and attractive to youngsters who may pick up the sport.
That idea of getting more young players involved in the sport is something that is crucial for the future of its very existence in the Highlands, and something that is close to the heart of Davies, a retired teacher.
“When I first moved to Nairn in 2019, I was stunned by the club’s ground from the outset,” Davies recalled.
“It was then the enthusiasm that stood out to me – albeit amongst a relatively small number of players. They wanted to maintain the game in what many down south would see as a tricky climate, and there were a number of good players who had been around the block, albeit ageing.
“I guess in some ways, the lack of younger players coming through at many clubs was a feature that hit me as well.
“The picture across Nosca varies quite considerably. It’s very notable that we haven’t got a large number of juniors coming down to the Links in Nairn, but that’s in quite a contract to Dornoch who have got a really flourishing junior section. In Elgin and Forres, there is much more junior cricket going on too.
“One of the things I mentioned at a Nosca committee meeting recently was how we can provide a stage for younger talent coming through, and taking a good look at under-15 and under-18 players to see how we can give them an opportunity to perform against each other.
“The perception is that there’s not a lot of junior, age-group cricket going on at those age groups, and getting clubs to put out a full 11 would be over-ambitious at this stage.
“One thing I would love to achieve with Nosca this year is an East v West game at under-15 and under-18 level so that we can heighten aspirations for younger players in that way.”
Another thing on Davies’ agenda as the new North of Scotland Cricket Association president is to empower captains, as the most visible representatives of their clubs on a matchday, to give appropriate feedback and advice on how the sport should be managed in the Highlands.
Together, Davies hopes that these steps can at least begin to safeguard the Highland future of a sport that dates back 170 years in the region.
“Without youth coming through, as the cricketing population ages it becomes more difficult to see a bright future,” Davies reasoned.
“If we can take the Senior League up to eight sides, and create an environment in development cricket that encourages people to come through and play, then it’s definitely got a future.
“Elgin have put in a new artificial pitch, so there is no doubting the enthusiasm within clubs to develop their futures and find the right answers. Within Nosca, I need to listen to those voices and support those clubs to find the right answers to encourage more cricket to be played.
“Against that, there is the background of a changed family life. Post-Covid, I think we’ve all seen that people have different concerns that affect how much time they can give to the game, so it’s about keeping a constant watch on how the game needs to adapt.
“The days of players playing twice in a weekend, and clubs having the resources to put out a side on a Saturday and Sunday, is one we need to follow closely.
“I’ve got a guarded enthusiasm for the future. As we get this season started, I think we need to become more focused on exactly how we’re going to develop the game, and in that respect the opinions coming back from club captains are going to be really important.”