There’s no better way to bring down the curtain on a successful five-year spell with a club than to seal a historic trio of trophies in your final season.
And Ferguslie Cricket Club captain Riyaad Henry managed just that after putting in a man-of-the-match display as the Paisley club were crowned national champions for the first time ever.
After a sensational season which saw them lift the Rowan Cup and be crowned Western Premier champions, Ferguslie took on Eastern league title-winners Herriots on Saturday in a bid to named Scotland’s best side this year.
After contributing a crucial 68 runs as the Paisley side batted first, setting a target of 178 in total, Henry then helped his club dish out a historic 103-run victory as his teammates bowled sublimely to topple the Edinburgh team.
Having accepted a new role as coach at Western Warriors, Henry admits the national final against Herriots could well be his last game for the club.
But the 30-year-old insists he couldn’t have asked for a better finale after making a life-changing move to the Paisley champions in 2017.
Speaking exclusively to Renfrewshire Live Sport, Henry said: “Herriots have a very strong team, but we knew if we played to our best we could win it.
“The game we won the league was the best we’d played all season. We just tried to replicate that performance and we executed our game perfectly.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever won it and only the second time a team from the west has won it, so it’s a massive achievement.
“We’ve gone from strength to strength over the last few years and there’s an unreal culture at this club.
“It’s looking very likely with my new job in Edinburgh that that will be my last competitive game for Ferguslie.
“Three weeks before the last league game, knowing I was potentially going to be leaving, I did think it would be the ideal way to go out if we won three trophies.
“To have achieved that is amazing. I couldn’t have written it any better.”
Having been born in Scotland but moved to South Africa at a young age, Henry moved up to Paisley in 2017 after spending a season playing cricket in England.
He insists the move has been one of the best decisions of his life, having helped Ferguslie become one of the dominant cricket teams in Scotland. Now he hopes the talented young side can push on even further as their promising players continue to develop in his absence.
Henry said: “The last five years have been absolutely incredible. I came here not knowing anyone and from day one everyone has been so welcoming.
“The club has become like a family. I met my girlfriend here as well. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I couldn’t have asked to find a better place and it will always be close to my heart. I think the future is exceptionally bright for Ferguslie. So many players have come through in recent years and in that national final only three of the players were above 30. The rest were 26 and under.
“There’s so much talent and so many good leaders in the club.
“In my opinion Ferguslie have the best home and away supporters in Scotland as well.
“My one wish now is that the club keep progressing forward and don’t get comfortable with where we’ve got to.
“It’s hard work to keep improving, but with the committee and the players at the club I know they can keep getting even better.”
