GREENOCK hope to get their competitive season under way with a win on Saturday when the team travels to East Kilbride.
Last Saturday’s league opener against Kilmarnock at Glenpark fell victim to the one wet day which the area has had in a couple of weeks.
But the forecast is looking promising for Saturday afternoon, so the league season looks set to get up and running.
The teams last met on league business in summer 2019 which was a dismal one for East Kilbride as they failed to gain a single league win and so ended up being relegated.
Greenock, with three league wins, finished in third bottom position and just managed to avoid relegation from the Premier Division.
There was no league cricket in 2020 because of the pandemic. Last summer Greenock once again struggled in the Premier Division. This time however, the team failed to avoid relegation and with just one win from 14 league matches, slipped down into the First Division.
East Kilbride had a much more positive season in 2021, winning ten out of the 13 First Division matches which they completed, finishing third top.
For season 2022 they have lost their top player, former Scotland international Moneeb Iqbal who has moved to Premier Division side Uddingston. But the Lanarkshire side have also brought in Imran Adrees from Poloc and Mohammad Ramzan from Renfrew.
Greenock for their part have lost two key players. Neil Flack has moved to Ayr Cricket Club and Sean Fischer-Keogh has moved to join Edinburgh club Corstorphine.
But the Glenpark side has recruited two very useful overseas amateurs from Australia in Tom Nicholson and Ryan Walker.
For the match at East Kilbride on Saturday, Greenock will be missing Jamie Nowell, PJ Bryceland and Chris Hempsey but Harry Briggs and Usman Mansoor are available.
The team will be chosen from: GJ McDougall, HJ Briggs, CS Calder, GM Chambers, LC Fischer-Keogh, U Mansoor, TJ Nicholson, CS Pandher, SS Prabhu, SS Sanghera, RA Walker. Scorer: R McGregor
Greenock’s 2nd XI opens its season on Saturday afternoon with a match against Bees (Clydesdale 3rd XI) at Glenpark.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U
