CRICKET — Dropped Catches Cost Greenock Against West of Scotland

West of Scotland 222 for 8 (25 points)

Greenock 170 all out (3 points)

GREENOCK showed improvement but were still unable to earn their first win of the 2018 season against West of Scotland in Glasgow.

The Glenpark side’s batting frailties were once again a major factor as West of Scotland were eventually comfortable winners. But it was not just the batting which let Greenock down. A number of dropped catches and some poor fielding also allowed the Glasgow side to accumulate a substantial total from their innings.

West won the toss and opted to bat. However, it was the Greenock team which initially made the better start with both of West of Scotland’s opening batsmen dismissed with just 28 runs on the board. Gregg Watson was first to go thanks to a very sharp catch by Jonathan Hempsey at gully, off the pace bowling of Indian Professional Saurabh Bandekar. Watson had previously been dropped twice. James Fennah was the second wicket to fall. He was caught by wicketkeeper Chris Hempsey off the bowling of Neil Flack for 14.

The dismissals brought together Ian Young and Aussie amateur Nick Boller and these two built an excellent partnership which put West into a very strong match position. Young did have a ‘life’ when he was dropped on 39 but the partnership eventually yielded 115 runs and then, as so often happens, both batsmen were out in quick succession. Boller was first to go with the score on 147, leg before wicket (LBW) to Jonathan Hempsey for 48 and then, with no further addition to the total, Young was bowled by Bandekar for 51.

Zimbabwean professional, Traver Garwe and Jonathan Fearn continued to score at a fairly brisk rate. Garwe was out for 14 to a fine caught-and-bowled by Neil Flack, and shortly afterwards Fearn was caught on the long-on boundary by Jonathan Hempsey as he tried to hit Flack over the boundary rope for a maximum. It was 179 for 6 at the start of the 45th over.

In the remaining (almost) six overs, West maintained a high run-scoring tempo and took their innings total to 222 for the loss of 8 wickets at the end of their 50 overs, with Barbadian Simon Naitram hitting a quickfire 28 runs. Neil Flack took 3 wickets for 38 runs, Saurabh Bandekar 2 for 37 and Laurens Smit 2 for 49.

After the tea interval, Greenock began their innings with team captain Neil Flack moving up the order to open with Shailesh Prabhu, in the absence of regular opener Harry Briggs who was unavailable. And it appeared that the two players were building a positive partnership until Prabhu (9) edged a ball from West’s pace opening bowler Gavin Smith and was caught at first slip by Jonathan Fearn.

Following this setback, Flack and Saurabh Bandekar seemed to be coping comfortably with the West attack and had moved the score along to 40 in the 13th over when first change-bowler Blaal Hussain clean bowled Bandekar for 10 with just his fourth ball. Only two runs later, Flack mis-timed a hook shot and sent the ball spiralling up over the wicketkeeper and was caught by Fearn for 20. Chris Hempsey was next out LBW to Toby Gardiner and, at four wickets down for just 46 runs on the scoreboard, Greenock were facing another batting debacle, especially as South African amateur Laurens Smit was then run out in a mix -up.

But it was at that point that Greenock’s reply took a turn for the better. Number six batsman Jonathan Hempsey adopted a positive approach and runs began to flow. A 40-run partnership with Rod Mountford and then a 55-run partnership with Greg McDougall brought Greenock back into the game. With 11 overs remaining, Greenock needed 66 runs to win which meant they needed to score at just a run a ball and had four wickets in hand.

However, West got the breakthrough they needed when McDougall was caught by Gregg Watson for 22 off Fennah’s bowling and Greenock’s tail-end batsmen were unable to give Hempsey the support needed to allow the team to keep up the challenge.

Two further wickets fell with just two more runs added, and with the target now a distance away, Hempsey became the last man out after a very fine innings. He had scored 70, his highest 1stXI score, when he was caught at mid-wicket by Naitram and Greenock were all out for 170. Gavin Smith took 3 for 39, Toby Gardiner 3 for 29 and James Fennah 2 for 8.

Scottish Cup Tie Postponed

Greenock’s Scottish Cup tie with Glenrothes was called off early on Sunday following overnight rain. The tie will now be played this coming Sunday at Glenpark.

Second Win For Greenock 2ndXI

Greenock’s 2ndXI (Glenpark) gained a second win in successive Saturdays with a narrow 17-run victory over Stenhousemuir 2ndXI (The Tryst) at Glenpark. The Glenpark side scored 185 for the loss of 6 wickets, with Mark Farrell top scoring with a superb innings of 86.

In reply, The Tryst were bowled out for 168 with Jamie Nowell bagging a five-wicket haul and Ewan Stewart taking 3 for 30.

Midweek McCulloch (West League ) Cup

Greenock are at home to Renfrew on Wednesday evening in a McCulloch Cup match which will begin at 6.15pm.

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U