Howzat! Cricket coach Rennie bowled over with High Life award
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Cricket coach Douglas Rennie's efforts went beyond the boundary as he received recognition for his service to the sport in Caithness.
Rennie received a High Life Highland volunteering award for his work with local schools and in introducing youngsters to cricket.
While cricket in Scotland is viewed as a minority sport, it is in fact the second-most played sport in the nation after football.
Caithness had a number of clubs many years ago but all have now gone, with local cricketers having to travel down the A9 to find a team to play for.
Rennie is hoping to make the sport more accessible to school kids and hopefully generate more interest in the game to one day restore competitive club cricket back to the county.
He said: "First of all, I'm delighted and honoured to receive this staff and volunteer award from High Life Highland.
"I had no idea I had even been nominated until three weeks before the awards ceremony was to take place.
"Sadly I wasn't able to collect it in person but Garance Warburton, who herself had won a public customer services award, went down to the event in Strathpeffer to collect it on my behalf.
"My love of cricket came from my stepdad, Cathol McGill, who played for a club called Wick Oliphants.
"He taught me how to play the sport and took me to games where sometimes I was the scorer.
"Caithness used to have a few clubs in the 1990s but sadly they've all drifted away. I myself travel down to play for Ross County.
"I hope to get a Caithness juniors league set up. Teams of 11 might be difficult, but five-a-side 'kwik-cricket' games like we play in the schools that I visit."
For more information on how to get involved in junior cricket, call 07484 796855 or see the Caithness Cricket Juniors Facebook page.
