CRICKET — Greenock Face Dumfries In First League FixtureTHE 2018 Premier League cricket season starts this Saturday with Dumfries the visitors to Glenpark.
When the sides last met towards the end of the 2017 season, each was battling to secure their future in the Premier Division and eventually both did just enough to survive….but it was Dumfries who gained the victory at Glenpark on that occasion. Indeed, it was the south of Scotland side who were the victors on both occasions the teams met last year, so Greenock will be very keen to make amends this weekend.
The local side’s ability to put runs on the board will be a crucial factor in the game. There is plenty of potential in the team to do so, but the players need to show a strength of commitment and concentration to remain at the crease and build an innings if a good total is to be achieved. Shailesh Prabhu and Harry Briggs formed a regular opening partnership in the latter part of the 2017 season with Neil Flack, an early season opener, dropping down the order to improve the middle-order performance.
Prabhu is an experienced opening bat, used to dealing with pace bowling and teenager Harry Briggs is maturing into a useful player at the top of the order. Neil Flack, who has taken over the Greenock captaincy, began last season in fine form and runs flowed easily from his bat. He will be keen to get off to a similar start this season and Saturday’s opening Premier League fixture would be the perfect time to get a good innings under his belt.
South African amateur Laurens Smit, who has only just arrived in Greenock this week, is a top-order batsman for his side in Boland Province and could fill the number three spot this season. Jonathan Hempsey may be asked to move up to the number four position this weekend, as Indian Pro Saurabh Bandekar has been unable to get his visa through in time to arrive this week. Flack could then come in at number five and have an important role to play in the middle order. This may well be how the Glenpark side looks to line up in the top half of the batting order as the competitive season gets going.
While run-scoring was Greenock’s Achilles Heel at times last season, the team’s bowling attack was one of the best in the Premier Division. The club’s two overseas players in 2017, Australians Kyle Scrimegour and Julian Hulbert, were two of the top wicket-takers in the Premier Division and it will be the hope of the Glenpark faithful that this year’s overseas players can have a similar impact.
Indian professional Saurabh Bandekar is a right-arm pace-bowler who has impressive career statistics and, if he can adjust to the west of Scotland conditions, should collect a good haul of wickets during his stay. So his absence from the team on Saturday is a considerable blow. Smit, while mainly a top-order batsman, is also an off-spinner and will bring a much-needed, additional slow bowling variation to the Greenock attack.
Jonathan Hempsey and Sam Sanghera were Greenock’s opening bowlers against West of Scotland in the friendly match which beat the weather last Saturday and may well do so against Dumfries as Bandekar will be missing for the match this weekend. Both made a good start to the season with Sanghera, in particular, in amongst the wickets with 3 for 25 from his eight overs. Greg McDougall, Neil Flack and Rod Mountford could be others who will be asked to come into the Glenpark attack on Saturday afternoon.
Whatever the bowling decisions eventually are, Greenock will hope to put the Dumfries batsmen under pressure from the start and, if the first few wickets can be captured relatively cheaply, then it will be important to push home whatever advantage has been built up.
Fielding, which has been a very positive part of Greenock’s performances in recent seasons, was noticeably off the mark at times last weekend and Neil Flack will want his players to be much more focused against Dumfries. In particular, when catching opportunities present themselves, it is important that they are taken Saturday’s match against Dumfries will be one which the Glenpark team will undoubtedly be targeting as an important one from which to gain a win. Doing so on the opening Saturday of the Premier League season would be a huge confidence booster. Firstly, of course, some dry and warm conditions are needed following the recent poor weather.
Greenock’s team for Saturday’s Premier Division match against Dumfries at Glenpark which will start at noon will be: ND Flack (Capt), HR Briggs, T Forrest, F Godsman, JPC Hempsey, GJ McDougall, RP Mountford, SS Pandher, SS Prabhu, SS Sanghera, L Smit. Scorer: R McGregor
The Greenock 2nd XI (Glenpark) make their first outing of the season and travel to Glasgow to play Whiteinch. The team for this match will be chosen from the following group of players: A Calder, PJ Bryceland, C Calder, S Chaudhary, L Fischer Keogh, S Fischer Keogh, P Hempsey, L McCahill, J Nowell, C Pandher, P Robertson, D Sharma, E Stewart.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U
