CRICKET — Disappointing Defeat For Inverclyde

Marress 150 all out (25pts)
Inverclyde 88 all out (0pts)

INVERCLYDE missed out on the chance to progress three places in the league when a disappointing batting display failed to back up a strong bowling performance against Marress at Irvine.

Opening bowler Tom Watson’s good form continued with six wickets, well supported by captain Gareth James’s four wickets, but a good innings by the opposition captain allowed his side to reach a challenging total of 150 all out in 38 overs.

Watson’s initial eight-over spell brought four wickets including bowling Ingram in the third over and then Linn in the seventh over. David Thomson’s catch at short mid-on and James’s sharp catch at slip had the home side at 48 for 4 after 16 overs.

Paul Singh meanwhile bowled an accurate 10-over spell conceding only 28 runs and was unfortunate when home captain Govens was given not-out to a confident leg-before-wicket appeal.

The home side rallied through Daas and Adam, but James trapped Daas leg before and bowled Adam. Govens also survived a stumping appeal before finally being dismissed for 61 with Tom Watson’s instinctive caught-and-bowled chance.

Change bowlers Ally Haw and Scott Campbell backed up the main bowlers well, with good support also from young Jacob Haw’s enthusiastic fielding, as Watson and James took the final wickets as the home side were all out in the 38th over for 150 runs. Watson finished with 6 for 29 in 10 overs and James 4 for 32 in nine overs.

Faced with a pacy and accurate Marress bowling attack, Inverclyde’s top-order batters Cammy Gunn, David Thomson and Ally Haw were dismissed early, and Inverclyde were at 20 for 3 after eight overs.

Campbell and Douglas Pilkington were rebuilding the innings when Campbell was well caught at slip for 16. James and Singh were both caught trying to attack rare bad balls, and then Pilkington was adjudged leg before for 16 when trying to repeat a previous sweep boundary.

Inverclyde had fallen to 84 for 7 and were only realistically now looking for bonus batting points but Watson was run out, Chris Roffe was bowled and Mark Blair was last man out, with Jacob Haw the not-out batter as Inverclyde’s innings closed in the 36th over.

Junior coaching continues on Saturdays from noon until 1.30pm at Gourock Park.