Langside 281 for 4 wickets (25 points)
Greenock 125 all out (0 Points)
GREENOCK made a disappointing start to their 2026 WDCU Premiership Two league programme when they lost to Langside by 156 runs at Albert Park in Glasgow.
The team’s lack of match practice prior to the start of the league season came home to roost in no small way as they were completely outplayed.
Team captain, Aryan Sanghera, won the toss and elected to bowl first. The team opened with pace from Fahim Dinarkiel and off-spin from Toby Matthews and although no very early wickets were captured, the home batsmen were kept under a reasonable control with a scoring rate of just four runs per over from the first ten overs.
A first wicket did arrive in the 12th over when Mujahid Khan was caught by Greg McDougall off the bowling of Matthews for 12 runs. Then with the first ball of the 19th over Muhibullah Ahmadzai had opening bat Anwar Hafeez caught by wicketkeeper Adam McGuirk for 43. With the last ball of the same over, new batsman Omkar Lagad was caught-and-bowled by Ahmadzai without scoring.
At 68 for three, Greenock had made a good start to the match and should have been looking to capitalise and push through the Langside batting order. But it was not to be. The Glasgow side then found a match-winning partnership between Nathan Perika and Asad Khan which added 134 runs before Khan was bowled by Toby Matthews for 82.
Khan hit 13 boundaries in his innings from 69 balls and was well supported by Perika as the two middle order batsmen took the game away from Greenock. And Greenock’s suffering in the field was only worsened by new batsman MS Asif who blasted five sixes and four boundaries from just 26 balls received in an innings of 57 not out.
Langside completed their 50 overs on 281 for the loss of four wickets with Perika having anchored the innings with a fine 71 not out from 99 balls received. For Greenock, Toby Matthews and Mubi Ahmadzai with two wickets each were the local team’s most successful bowlers.
With such a challenging target, Greenock needed to make a good start and be conscious of the need to score at an average of close to six runs per over to overcome the home side’s large score.
But Greenock were soon in trouble when team captain Aryan Sanghera departed for just seven runs in the fifth over having been bowled by Mian Haseeb. And worse followed two overs later when Shailesh {Prabhu was given out leg before wicket.
The sound start needed by Greenock had been quickly dismantled by Langside’s opening bowling spell. And when Adam McGuirk was bowled for 21 runs with the score on 41 for three in the tenth over, Greenock needed a major middle order partnership to rescue their innings and mount a challenge to the Langside score.
But Greenock continued to lose wickets as no meaningful partnerships were developed. Only Toby Matthews showed any sign of batting form as he built a good innings while at the same time more wickets were falling. Matthews was the seventh Greenock wicket to fall with the score on 114 in the 32nd over. He was stumped off the bowling of Asad Khan for 51 runs having just scored a patient 50 from 83 balls received.
The Greenock innings ended on a disappointing 125 all-out midway through the 37th over. The only batters able to make double figures were Adam McGuirk 21 and Toby Matthews 51.
Midweek McCulloch Cup Match
Greenock travel to Paisley on Wednesday evening to play Ferguslie in the opening McCulloch Cup match. The team is: A Sanghera (Capt), Mu Ahmadzai, CS Calder, F Dinarkheil, JPC Hempsey, U Mansoor, T Matthews, GJ McDougall, A. McGuirk (Wk), SS Prabhu, R Singh.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by The Ethos Group
