CRICKET — Disappointing Defeat For GreenockGreenock 59 all out (2 points)
Kelburne 63 for 6 (25 points)
GREENOCK suffered a very disappointing defeat on Saturday when they lost to bottom-of-the-table team Kelburne.
The loss throws the local side very firmly into a relegation battle with second-bottom side East Kilbride with just five matches remaining in this season’s Premier Division.
But it was not just the loss, but the manner of loss, which was particularly disappointing. Greenock were bowled out for a paltry 59 runs in just 31.5 overs. One of their lowest league scores in many years.
The toss was all important on a day when some late morning rain delayed the start of the match and when further rain was forecast. Kelburne called correctly and without hesitation inserted Greenock.
Just seven overs into the innings and Greenock were in significant early trouble with Neil Flack, Kyle Scrimegour and Harry Briggs all dismissed and only ten runs on the scoreboard. Worse was to follow as a further four wickets tumbled in the next seven overs leaving Greenock stunned on 26 for 7 wickets.
A partnership between Shailesh Prabhu and Jonathan Hempsey then began to develop and it looked as though it might save Greenock’s blushes but, with the total having moved along to 43, Hempsey was adjudged leg before wicket (LBW).
Shailesh Prabhu was the only Greenock batsman who seemed to be having little trouble with the visitors’ bowling and Greenock’s hopes of getting out of the mire lay with him. But on an afternoon when Greenock’s batting performance could only be described as calamitous, Prabhu’s wicket just continued the pattern already set. He was run out for 16 with the score on 56 when there appeared to be no danger as he took a single, but then failed to make his ground as a throw from Elliott Rousen hit the stumps direct.
Just three more runs were added before the Glenparkers last wicket fell and the innings ended on the meagre total of 59.
Kelburne’s opening two bowlers, Steven McLister and Jamie MacDonald were the main architects of Greenock’s downfall capturing seven wickets between them, with Dougie Wylie picking up two wickets at the end of the innings. McLister took 3 wickets for 24 runs from 10 overs and MacDonald 4 for 16 from 10 overs with Wylie taking 2 for 4 from 5.5 overs.
Needing just 60 runs to win, Kelburne looked to have a straightforward task. But that was not to be the case.
Greenock came out after the tea interval intent on getting back some credibility after their dismal batting performance. Nine runs off the first two overs suggested Kelburne were going to make short work of getting to their ‘easy ’target.
But South African professional Bradley Joynt edged a ball from Julien Hulbert in the third over and was caught by wicketkeeper Chris Hempsey. Then Elliot Roussen was LBW to Kyle Scrimegour to put Kelburne on 19 for the loss of two wickets.
Just two more runs were added when the game became very interesting, as firstly Jak McConnell was dismissed LBW to Scrimegour and then Ryan Morrow was caught by Hulbert off the bowling of Neil Flack, to make it 21 for 4.
When two further wickets were captured by Scrimegour with the Kelburne score having only moved along to 30, Greenock scented a possible ‘miracle’ victory. But it was not to be. Former Scotland cap Omar Hussain and former Greenock favourite Dougie Wylie used their experience to guide the visitors inexorably to the winning line and, after just 22 overs, it was indeed all over. Hussain was not out 22 and Wylie unbeaten on 8.
Kyle Scrimegour took 4 wickets for 14 runs from 10 overs.
A Glenpark supporter summed up Greenock’s afternoon: “It was a magnificent bowling effort after a poor batting performance”.
The match was sponsored by The Petshop Postie.
Western Union 40 Cup Quarter Final
Poloc 168 all out (36 0vers)
Greenock 160 all out (37.5)
On Sunday at Glenpark, Greenock put in a much-improved performance following their defeat to Kelburne on Saturday, but just failed to win through to the Western Union 40 Cup semi-final when they lost to Poloc by eight runs.
Poloc scored 168 all out with Taimoor Ahmad (73) and Uzzair Shah (36) top-scoring for the Glasgow southsiders. Julien Hulbert, 3 wickets for 38 runs, and Jonathan Hempsey, 3 for 34, were Greenock’s main wicket takers.
Two wickets down with just 20 runs on the Greenock scoreboard shortly after the tea interval and Glenpark supporters could have been forgiven for thinking ‘here we go again’. But it was a better batting performance with several decent partnerships assisting Greenock to build their score.
In particular, the fourth and fifth wicket partnerships put Greenock into a position to win the tie. Kyle Scrimegour and Julien Hulbert (16) added 42 runs and Scrimegour and Jonathan Hempsey (25) added 35 runs.
However, when Scrimegour was caught-and-bowled by Ahmad for 61 with the total on 138 for 6, Greenock still needed 31 runs to win with ten overs remaining. Sehmat Pandher then scored a swift 12 runs, which included a straight six into Fox Street, before he was bowled by Ahmad.
At this stage, the Greenock score was 153 for 8. A further wicket was lost without addition to the score leaving Greenock still requiring 16 runs but with just the last wicket and four overs remaining.
With thirteen balls to be bowled and nine runs needed to win, Poloc’s Taimoor Ahmad wrapped up his ‘man of the match’ performance by bowling Sam Sanghera to gain his fourth wicket, and to give the visitors victory and leave Greenock narrowly beaten.
The match was sponsored by The Bluebird Café, Gourock
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U
