CRICKET — Greenock In League And Cup Action This WeekendGREENOCK have another busy weekend with both a Premier Division fixture and a Scottish Cup match to be played.
On Saturday, Ayr are the local team’s opponents at Glenpark for a league match and on Sunday the team travels through to Coatbridge to play Drumpellier in the Citylets Scottish Cup.
Having gained an important win over Kelburne last Saturday, Greenock will be seeking a second win in this season’s Premier Division against Ayr. But the task will be far from easy as Ayr have won two out of the three league matches which they have played.
Greenock’s own good run of winning form, which has seen the team win four matches in a row, came to an end on Wednesday evening when Ferguslie beat the local side by six runs in a McCulloch League Cup sectional match.
The Glenparkers are developing as a team and within it there are numerous players who have the abilities to be match winners. Neil Flack is in fine form with the bat and has scored close to 300 runs already this season. Shailesh Prabhu too, batting in the middle order has brought experience and stability to the line-up, while 17-year-old Louis Ware is averaging almost 30 runs per game.
Overseas amateur Kyle Scrimegour and his Aussie team mate Julien Hulbert are settling in to the side and have made important contributions. Both are all-rounders and have taken important wickets while also scoring useful runs. Hulbert has taken almost 20 wickets and scored more than 100 runs while Scrimegour has a dozen wickets to his name and scored close to 200 runs.
Greenock will be able to field a strong side against Ayr and will see team captain Jonathan Hempsey in the team for the first time in league action this season following a foot injury which has kept him sidelined. His presence in the side should add to both the bowling and batting strength and also allow Neil Flack, who has been acting captain, to focus on his batting and bowling skills.
Ayr have a strong side and one capable of scoring big totals. Professional, Michael Papps, is their talisman. He has played at One Day International level for New Zealand in recent years and has already been piling on the runs for the New Cambusdoon team this season. He is a prodigious run-scorer and back home in his native New Zealand, he became the first player to score 10,000 runs in the Plunkett Shield which is one of the main inter-state competitions at First Class level. Papps, who will shortly celebrate his 38th birthday, will be Greenock’s number one target. His wicket will be crucially important for the Glenparkers and, if they can remove him early, then chances of a victory will greatly improved.
But the Ayr team is not a one-man band. Last Saturday, Ayr overcame a strong Poloc side who scored 267 for 7 wickets thanks to significant contributions from several players. Papps top-scored with 95 and was supported by Andy McElnea (61) and Neil Smith (51), while Scott McElnea with 3 for 46 was their top bowler.
Earlier in May, in a league match against Ferguslie, Neil Smith scored a magnificent 131 and, on the opening Saturday of the Premier Division programme against Dumfries, Shujaa Khan top-scored with 79 runs at New Cambusdoon with the McElnea brothers each capturing three wickets.
Greenock’s team for Saturday’s Premier Division match against Ayr at Glenpark which will start at noon will be from: JPC Hempsey, ND Flack, HR Briggs, CJK Hempsey, JW Hulbert, GJ McDougall, PC McIntosh, SS Pandher, SS Prabhu, SS Sanghera, KG Scrimegour, LPJ Ware.
Greenock’s match against Ayr is sponsored by Ethos Facilities (Scotland) Limited
On Sunday, Greenock play their second-round match in this season’s Citylets Scottish Cup competition against Drumpellier at their Langloan ground in Coatbridge.
Drumpellier were relegated from the Premier Division last season and have made a disappointing start to their First Division league programme losing both of the games which they have played. However, in the first round, the Coatbridge side overcame Weirs, who are unbeaten in the First Division.
Greenock will need to ensure that they do not approach this game lightly, as their First Division opponents have the ability in their side to provide a challenging afternoon for the Glenparkers.
The prize for the winners is a home quarter final tie against either Prestwick or top Edinburgh side, Grange who will meet on Sunday at the Henry Thow Oval in Prestwick.
The Scottish Cup match against Drumpellier will begin at Langloan in Coatbridge on Sunday at noon. The Greenock team will be: ND Flack, CJK Hempsey, JW Hulbert, GJ McDougall, RP Mountford, CS Pandher, SS Pandher, SS Prabhu, SS Sanghera, KG Scrimegour, LPJ Ware.
Greenock’s 2ndXI (Glenpark XI) travel to Dumfries on Saturday to play St Michael’s 2ndXI (Kingholm) at the Kingholm ground in the Reserve League First Division.
Junior cricketers at Glenpark also have matches schedueld. On Friday evening, Greenock’s Under-11 team play Uddingston at Glenpark. On Monday evening the Under-13 side play Glasgow Accies at Glenpark while the Under-18s travel to Glasgow to play Accies. The Under-15s have no match this weekend but play a joint Ferguslie/Kelburne side next Friday at Glenpark.
Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U
