Glenpark XI 135 all out
Inverclyde CC 100 all out
GREENOCK’S 2nd XI, Glenpark, took on Inverclyde in a pre-season friendly at Gourock Park.
Skipper Eddie Ahmad used the opportunity to give as much practice as possible to all his players. Usman Mansoor with 31, Ahmad himself with 29 and Arun Nair with 20 were the leading run-scorers in Glenpark’s total of 135.
The wickets were spread around when Inverclyde batted and they were eventually 35 runs short of their target when the game ended.
Glenpark XI opened with Usman Mansoor and Moiz Mansoor, but the innings got off to a difficult start when Moiz was dismissed for a golden duck from the very first ball by former Glenpark player Mo Anwar.
With the match being a friendly, captain Ahmad took the opportunity to promote younger players. Mahmoud Mansoor was sent in at number three but was unable to make an impact, falling early to Paul Singh.
Despite early setbacks, Usman Mansoor held the innings together with a composed 31 runs. Support came from Muhammad Ahmad (29) and Arun Nair (20), both contributing valuable runs to stabilise the innings.
When Inverclyde batted, their innings failed to find any major partnerships being built and wickets tumbled regularly.
Skipper Ahmad gave bowling opportunities to most of his players and, by the end of the Inverclyde innings, six bowlers had picked up wickets. Rakesh Kumar and Ahmad with two wickets each were the most successful.
While there were many positives, Glenpark will reflect on a few missed opportunities in the field. Several catches were dropped at crucial moments, which allowed Inverclyde to build partnerships and add extra runs.
The Glenpark XI have to wait until Saturday 9 May to play their first league fixture
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by The Ethos Group
