CRICKET — Impressive Derby Win For Inverclyde

Glenpark 172 for 8. (1 pt)
Inverclyde 176 for 3 (25pts)

INVERCLYDE had an emphatic seven-wicket victory over local rivals Glenpark, gaining revenge for their recent narrow defeat at the Greenock ground.

It took a good all-round performance from Inverclyde’s bowlers, fielders and batsmen to achieve this rare derby win on Saturday at Gourock Park.

Put into bat, Glenpark’s openers made a solid start until second change-bowler Dave Mudie removed them both in his second and fourth overs. Firstly Peter Hempsey mis-timed his pull shot to be caught at mid-wicket by Dave Cooke for 21, then Ahmad was dismissed for 29 with an even better catch by Scott Campbell low down at deep mid-wicket when he tried to repeat an earlier boundary.

The visitors were on 62 for 2 after 18 overs, with the match well balanced. Calder and Caskie had a good third-wicket partnership worth 60 runs but this was broken by Paul Singh, in his second spell with a change of end, when David Thomson caught Caskie at mid-on at 121 for 3, and two runs later, Singh struck again with the ball-of-the-innings to remove Chaudhary.

Calder was still batting well, but fell for an impressive 61 in the 32nd over at 140 for 5, to another Singh wicket when Cammy Gunn held a further impressive Inverclyde catch at deep square leg.

Cooke and Gunn held their second catches to Scott Campbell’s bowling, and Inverclyde captain Gareth James trapped Glenpark skipper Hutchinson leg before to complete the wicket taking.

Peter Robertson helped the score to 172 for 8 at the end of the 40 overs, with Inverclyde disappointed to concede some late runs. Singh finished with 3 for 50, Campbell 2 for 26, Mudie 2 for 33, and James 1 for 27 in two good spells by the Inverclyde captain. Tom Watson was unfortunate not to share in the wicket haul with two accurate spells going unrewarded. The bowlers were well assisted with six catches in the field.

Inverclyde’s reply suffered an early setback when Thomson was caught behind down legside off Caskie, but this brought Cooke and Gunn together for a match-winning partnership, during which they shared 18 boundaries.

They put on 148 runs in good time before Cooke, in a second successive league half-century, was unfortunate to be adjudged leg before to Ahmad for 55, and then, eight runs short of victory, Norris had Gunn caught at backward square leg for 65, also his second half-century of the season.

However the incoming batsmen, James and Pilkington, saw Inverclyde through to a comfortable victory in the 33rd over, the winning runs coming with a square leg boundary.

This victory for Inverclyde made it three wins out of five, and moved them up to sixth in the Division Three.

Inverclyde meet LOC The Tryst on Saturday in another home league match while, also on Saturday, Inverclyde’s juniors continue with their regular coaching slot from noon to 1.30 pm.