GREENOCK will be hoping the unsettled weather relents enough to allow this Saturday’s match to go ahead against East Kilbride at Glenpark, following cancellation of last week’s Irvine fixture.
Both of these fixtures were targeted at the start of the season as matches which could bring full points, and put Greenock into the top four, at least, in the Premiership Two league table. However, in reality, Greenock have played three of the first four league fixtures and won only once.
Losses to Kilmarnock and West of Scotland, and a single win against Glasgow Accies, have left the Glenpark side sitting in sixth position. But a win on Saturday with other results going in Greenock’s favour would hoist the local side up one or perhaps two places in the table.
East Kilbride have played all four of their Premiership Two matches to date, but have claimed just one victory which came against bottom side Irvine two weeks ago.
In three out of the four completed matches, the Lanarkshire team has been bowled out in less than 30 of the 50 overs available and lost on each occasion scoring 130 runs or less. Only one of their batters has achieved an average of more than 20 and not one has totalled 100 runs for the season as yet.
By comparison, Greenock have six batters in the side who are currently averaging more than 24 and Callum Henry has himself scored more than 150 league runs, including a fine unbeaten century against Glasgow Accies.
With the ball, East Kilbride have found difficulty in containing their league opponents. West scored more than 200 runs and won easily, and in two other matches failure to score enough runs left the bowling unit with too much to do.
Greenock have selected a side which includes numerous players in good form. The two Aussie amateurs, Callum Henry and Will Jenkins, provide strength in the batting line up and Jenkins is also fresh from a four-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, against Glasgow Accies.
But others in the side have shown ability to score runs and take wickets too. Aryan and Sam Sanghera, Chirag Pandher, Nikhil Kadyan, Ewan Stewart and Mo Ahmadzai have shown good form with the bat in the last couple of weeks.
And Cammy Calder, Faheem Dinarkheil, Mo Ahmadzai and Sam Sanghera have all provided fine support to the side when given the opportunity to bowl at opposition sides.
So, if the weather can allow the match to go ahead, Greenock can feel confident that the team selected will be strong enough to win the match and pick up the 25 points on offer.
The match is due to start at noon. The team will be: A Sanghera (Capt), M Ahmadzai, C Calder, F Dinarkheil, C Henry (Wk), W Jenkins, N Kadyan, G McDougall, C Pandher, S Sanghera, E Stewart. Scorer : B Roberts.
On Sunday, Greenock’s Sunday XI Hillend play their first league fixture of the season. The match, which is 40 overs per side, is taking place at Glenpark with a 1pm start. The visitors are Glasgow side GHK Crow Road.
The team will be from: PJ Bryceland (Capt), R Kumar (Vice Capt), M Anwar, C Calder, F Dinarkheil, S Haidary, Y Hayat, G McDougall, U Mansoor, S Safi, A Sanghera, A Shaurya, M Thompson, M Zeeshan.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U
