Greenock 110 all out after 30.3 overs (1 point)
Helensburgh 153 all out after 39.5 overs (25 points)
GREENOCK’S match against Helensburgh at Glenpark on Saturday failed to work out as hoped for the local team and its supporters.
Instead, another disappointing performance ended with Greenock losing by 43 runs. The side is now stuck in a relegation battle at the lower end of the Western Premiership Two table.
Prolonged heavy rain on Friday across the west of Scotland caused numerous matches to be cancelled, but at Glenpark, after much work and a delayed start, a reduced-overs match of 40 overs per side enabled the game to go ahead.
Greenock captain Aryan Sanghera won the toss and elected to field first and gained an early breakthrough when Duncan Stephens was caught behind the wicket at the start of the fourth over.
Off-spinner Toby Matthews then gained two leg-before-wicket (LBW) decisions in the 10th and 12th overs to dismiss Hasan Ahmad (22) and Thomas Burford (1) to leave Helensburgh on 39 for 3.
Helensburgh captain Caelan Lang and former Greenock player Gregor Chambers, then had the team’s biggest partnership of 29 runs before Lang (10) was removed LBW by Chirag Pandher.
Wickets fell regularly after the partnership was broken with Chambers (32) and Edward Williamson (30) the main run scorers as Helensburgh moved to 111 for 7 at the start of the 30th over.
Greenock might have hoped to tidy up the remaining three wickets quickly, but the tail-end batters had other ideas and added 42 runs before the last wicket fell at 153 with just one ball of the 40 overs still to be bowled.
Greenock used seven bowlers, with Sean Fischer-Keogh, Chirag Pandher, Toby Matthews and Nikhil Kadyan each capturing two wickets.
The target set by Helensburgh seemed manageable and,m when the opening partnership of Usman Mansoor and Shailesh Prabhu put on 40 runs from the first 12 overs, Greenock were looking comfortable.
But the Glenparkers’ downfall began in the 13th over. With the second ball bowled by David Wynne, Usman Mansoor (15) was judged LBW. And with the last ball, new batsman Aryan Sanghera suffered the same fate to put Greenock on 43 for the loss of two wickets.
By the end of the 18th over Helensburgh had picked up a further three wickets to leave Greenock reeling on 53 for 5 and still needing 101 runs to win.
Adam McGuirk and Nikhil Kadyan looked to be in control and taking Greenock toward their target as they built a good partnership without any alarms. But midway through the 25th over, McGuirk lofted a ball from Rajitha Arachchi and was caught by Caelan Lang having scored 17 runs. The Greenock score was then 84 for six.
Helensburgh then picked up another wicket almost immediately. Kadyan was bowled at the start of the 26th over for 15 and Greenock had collapsed to 84 for 7. The last three wickets were duly captured by the Helensburgh bowlers by midway through the 31stt over when Greenock were all out for 110.
Freddie Parffrey with three wickets for 29 runs from eight overs bowled was Helensburgh’s most successful bowler with David Wynne, Thomas Burford and Corey Baker each taking two wickets.
Greenock’s Glenpark XI were also soundly beaten, by Glasgow Accies 2nd XI at New Anniesland.
A win of sorts was secured by the club when Greenock’s Hillend XI gained a walkover from their Sunday League match against Drumpellier as the Lanarkshire side conceded as they were unable to field a team.
On Tuesday evening this week, Greenock’s Hillend XI travel to Paisley to play Ferguslie 3rd XI in the Midweek League and on Thursday evening the Glenpark XI are at home to Hillhead 2nd XI in the Greenwood Trophy.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by The Ethos Group
