With several grounds in the east still suffering the ravages of this wettest of summers, suggestions of a venue switch were made too late for an alternative ground to be prepared. That is in contrast to the previous all-Edinburgh final in 2000 which was moved from Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, to Boghall in Linlithgow and which also featured Heriot's, who were the eventual winners.
On that occasion the Goldenacre club overcame Grange on the reserve day after the first match had been washed out with Grange firmly in control. That was the second time Heriot's had won the domestic showpiece tournament, having beaten today's opponents in the 1978 final.
Indeed, Heriot's remain the last side from the capital to lift the country's premier knockout tournament which has since been dominated by clubs from the west with Greenock claiming five wins, Uddingston three and Ferguslie two, with a single victory for Aberdeenshire.
The Myreside club, on the other hand, have never lifted the cup. However, boosted by becoming Eastern League champions yesterday, it is a statistic Chalmers is desperate to change.
"It should be a fantastic match and hopefully we'll get a decent wicket despite all the rain," said the twice-capped Watsonians skipper. "Obviously it would have been easier for our fans if the game had been in Edinburgh but we've known since the start of the season that Titwood was the venue for the final. I don't have a problem with that because I've always enjoyed playing there.
"It would have been nice if it had been dry all week and we got a wicket that would produce a lot of runs but we'll just have to adjust to whatever conditions we face. We've been doing that all season. The lads are desperate to get their hands on the cup for the first time."
Knox, meanwhile, has suffered the disappointment of cup-final defeat when he played in the Grange team beaten by Greenock in 2004. However, his team-mates, Kevin McLaren and Sean Weeraratna, are the proud owners of winners' medals from their days with Greenock.
"I know what it's like to lose a final and it's not something I want to go through again," Knox said. "It will be a great occasion, though both sides would obviously have enjoyed bigger support if the game could have been moved.
"However, we'll just get on with it and hopefully play some good cricket. Our two games with Watsonians in the league this season were crackers. They chased 285 off the last ball on a great wicket at Myreside and in completely different conditions at our place I dropped a catch that probably cost us the match. They will probably feel they hold the edge but I don't think there are any big favourites. It will be who performs on the day."
Watsonians are without their professional Jean Symes, who has returned to South Africa, but are boosted by the return of Craig Wright – another cup winner with Greenock – and Paddy Sadler, the Scotland U19 captain. Weeraratna and McLaren missed Heriot's trip to Arbroath yesterday but will take part today.
