Weather permitting, it will be a busy penultimate weekend of the regular season for the Grades cricketers, with no fewer than three cup finals to be decided, as well as important league games at the top and bottom of each of the four Grades.

In Grade 4, 2^nd Stonehaven have already secured the league table; and will be hoping to make it a league-cup double when they take on Portcullis in the final of the Johnston Cup at the Duthie Park on Saturday.  The two sides dominated Grade 4 for much of the earlier part of the season; but Portcullis’s form has declined over the past month; and on recent form Stonehaven will start the clear favourites.

At the top of Grade 1 meanwhile Bon Accord have two home games over the next fortnight, against Cults and Kintore, which will determine which of the three clubs takes this season’s title.  Bon Accord have already beaten the Allan Park side twice this season in cup fixtures as well as in the reverse league fixture at the end of May; and with home advantage at the Links will be looking to make it a clean sweep of victories for the season over their traditional rivals.  Should they achieve this, then next Saturday’s game between the Bons and Kintore could well become a title decider.  However, if Cults win they will remain favourites to retain their title for another year.  At the foot of the table meanwhile, victory for Mannofield over Caledonian would push 2^nd Cults closer to the Grade 1 trap door, with only the one game remaining.

At the top of Grade 2 last week’s postponements, combined with those earlier in the season, mean that St Ronald, Grammar FPs and Gordonians all face two games this weekend in the race to determine which two sides go up for next season, while Artisans, Academy and Kemnay battle to avoid relegation.

The race to replace them at the top of Grade 3 has also resolved itself to a three-way contest, with Saturday’s game between 2^nd Kintore and 2^nd Banchory probably holding the key, while Dunecht take on Stoneywood-Dyce in a key game at the foot of the table.

2^nd Dunecht’s scratching of more than one-third of their games means that 2^nd Gordonians will now go up to Grade 3 along with Stonehaven, if they beat Mannofield in Saturday’s re-scheduled game, edging out 2^nd Queens Cross, whose game against Portcullis takes place in a week’s time.

Sunday’s fixture list meanwhile also sees Methlick and Queens Cross contesting the Bon Accord Cup Final at the Allan Park, while the Grade Select will be in action in the latest round of Malik Cup Twenty20 games venue rescheduled to Mannofield.