Greenock 176 in 44.3 overs (1 point)
East Kilbride 180 for 3 in 38.4 overs (25 points)
GREENOCK fell to another disappointing defeat, losing to East Kilbride by seven wickets.
East Kilbride have now moved up to sixth place in the league on 37.77 per cent while Greenock have slipped to the ninth, on 32 per cent, with just Hillhead beneath them on 22.40 per cent. The seventh and eighth positions are occupied by Helensburgh on 34.54 per cent and Mearns on 32.72 per cent.
With each team having six games still to play, the likelihood is that these positions will change several times before the season ends. Greenock still have to play three of these teams, fixtures which will, in all likelihood, determine the club’s fate.
Captain Toby Matthews won the toss and elected to bat first. Usman Mansoor and Cammy Calder opened but Mansoor was quickly dismissed, leg before wicket, to Afzaal for just two. Shailesh Prabhu came in next but his innings was brought to an early close when he was run out for eight in the ninth over. When Calder gave a catch to Sidhu in the next over, Greenock were struggling at 31 for three.
The club’s overseas amateurs, Adam McGuirk and Toby Matthews, set about rectifying the situation. They took their time, moving the score forward slowly but surely. At the halfway point, it stood at 91 for 3, with McGuirk on 31 and Matthews 19. The next over saw a shift in the momentum with Matthews taking 18 off Mahmood, hitting one 6 and three 4s.
McGuirk was the first to reach his half-century, in the 32nd over, and Matthews did likewise in the next over. Hopes of a really substantial total were slightly dashed when Matthews fell at the start of the 35th over, bowled by Sidhu for a well-compiled 52. The score was now 149 for 4 and the pair had added 118 together.
Pandher fell for just four but, at the end of the 40th over, the total had reached 167 for 5 and a total of over 200 was feasible. But McGuirk’s dismissal for 62 put paid to that idea and the remaining wickets only added seven runs as the side were bowled out for 176, a total that was likely to be below par.
Afzaal with three for 21 and Sidhu with three for 32 were the main wicket-takers for East Kilbride.
East Kilbride began their reply facing the left-arm pace bowling of Dinarkheil and Mahmood Ahmadzai and made steady progress reaching 41 without loss of wicket by the 11th over.
Greenock made the breakthrough in the next over, Calder bowling Osman for eight, having replaced Ahamdzai in the attack. Muhibullah Ahmadzai then replaced Dinarkheil who had bowled seven overs for just 14 runs before, in the 16th over, Calder claimed a second victim, having Kakar caught by Thapa for 30.
Matthews came on in the 20th over but the bowlers could not separate Abbasi and Kampman. After 27 overs, the total had reached 98 for 2. Matthews tried other options but McDougall and Pandher both conceded double figures in their only over and the momentum was now completely with East Kilbride.
However a third wicket was captured in the 34th over when Matthews bowled Kampman for 24, but the target was now down to 37 with plenty of overs in hand. Abbasi and Mughal quickly knocked off the runs, being severe on Dinarkheil on his return to the attack and the winning runs were scored in the 39th over.
Abbasi finished unbeaten on 58, an innings which contained 11 boundaries, and Mughal on 21. Calder with two for 21 and Matthews one for 34 in his 10 overs were the Greenock wicket-takers.
This was a disappointing result for Greenock with the lack of support for the Australian amateurs and the inability of the attack to put East Kilbride under any real pressure being contributing factors.
Next week, the team are away to second-placed Uddingston in what will be a very tough fixture at a ground where they have struggled in recent years.
The Glenpark XI were away to Woodhall East Kilbride on Saturday and suffered the same fate as the 1st XI.
Woodhall scored 236 for 9 in their 40 overs with Melvin Varghese and Waqas Ahmed returning identical figures of 3 for 43. Glenpark’s reply was always behind what was necessary and they were bowled out for 134 in the 30th over. Skipper Eddie Ahmed with 25 and Ahmed 23 were their top scorers.
The Hillend XI were to have played Ayr at New Cambusdoon on Sunday but had to concede the fixture as they were unable to raise a side.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by The Ethos Group
