Ardencaple 126 all out
Inverclyde 130 for 3
INVERCLYDE completed the double over Helensburgh 2nd XI side Ardencaple after this comfortable seven-wicket victory at Gourock Park on Saturday.
After three opening maiden overs from Inverclyde captain Gareth James and Paul Singh, the visitors’ openers attempted a risky second run in the fourth over and Cammy Gunn’s accurate return from the backward square-leg boundary ran out Singh.
Isiaq hit a boundary with his first ball and continued to attack the bowling in an aggressive innings. Several chances were missed in the bright sunshine and it looked as though he could win the game for the visitors, as the total raced to 75 in 10 overs. However Inverclyde’s players took advantage of the first of several drinks breaks to assess their collective disappointing fielding efforts. This paid off immediately when, in the first over after the break, Gordon Lappin’s off-spin had Isiaq well caught by Gunn on the square leg boundary.
Chris Dick held a fine one-handed catch low down at short extra cover off James’s bowling to dismiss Barrie, and, next ball, Deane was bowled at 110 for 4. Lappin had Ardencaple captain Chambers stumped for 23 by Pilkington after a patient captain’s innings, and this proved to be the end of the visitors’ resistance as Lappin and James cleaned up the tail, helped by catches from Scott Campbell and Dave Cooke at mid-wicket and cover as the innings closed at 126 in the 37th over. Lappin finished with 4 for 23 and James 3 for 17 in his impressive 10-over spell.
Inverclyde’s opening batters started the reply carefully against the accurate bowling attack, and had progressed to 26 in the 13th over. After seeing off the opening bowlers, Cooke mistimed his pull shot to be caught at mid-wicket. Gunn and Campbell were able to increase the run rate against the change bowlers but Campbell was caught by bowler Chambers for 21 runs at 71 for 2 in the 19th over.
Lappin continued the attack with a speedy 22 runs, including two sixes, until he was well caught at mid-wicket, but the score had progressed quickly to 105 for 3, with the victory in sight. David Tolan finished the game, the win coming in the 27th over, with four boundaries in his not-out 22 runs, and Gunn was undefeated on a chance-free 42 after a fine knock in his first game of the season.
Inverclyde have a free weekend this week but look to continue their improvement in their next match, away to bottom club Cavaliers the following weekend.
