Inverclyde Now Logo CRICKET — Greenock Travel To Face Poloc

21 June, 2018 | Local

GREENOCK travel to the south side of Glasgow on Saturday to play Poloc in the final match of the first half of the 2018 Premier Division league programme.

The Glasgow side are just two places above Greenock in the league table and, if the Glenparkers can gain a win, then the 12 per cent gap which currently separates them could be narrowed significantly.

Last Saturday, all but two of the Premier Division matches were washed out. Only the matches on the Ayrshire coast at Ayr and at Prestwick got played, albeit with reduced overs per side. Ayr lost to Clydesdale, which meant Ayr remained one place below Greenock and just above bottom club Dumfries. Prestwick lost to Uddingston.

Greenock’s form in June has been in stark contrast to the first few weeks of the season. Wins against Uddingston and Premier Division leaders Ferguslie, as well as a McCulloch Cup win against Renfrew, have given the side confidence and some momentum, which hopefully will not be lost as a result of the weather-enforced break last weekend.

Runs have flowed in the last number of matches with scores in excess of 200 against Clydesdale and Ferguslie, plus further fine batting performances against Uddingston and Renfrew. Team captain Neil Flack has come into form and has posted 119 against Clydesdale and 76 against Ferguslie. And Greenock’s overseas players Saurabh Bandekar from India and Laurens Smit from South Africa have also contributed well with the bat along with Harry Briggs and Jonathan Hempsey. At least three or four of these players will need to continue their good form on Saturday at Poloc in order to bring back the win points.

In the last four weeks there has been a real change in the team’s play and a determination to dig in where necessary and not give the opposition easy wickets.

Poloc have had a mixed season They have completed six games and have won three and lost three. They have won their last two outings against Ayr and Stirling County quite convincingly. The Shawholm side have relied heavily on their two overseas players, both from South Africa, professional Jurie Snyman and amateur Coenraad Nel. They are seriously destructive batsmen and Greenock will wish to see them removed early. Snyman hit 148 not out against Stirling County and Nel 105 against West of Scotland and both have had other useful knocks in other matches. Others in the Poloc side whom Greenock will be wary of include Craig Young, Saif Sajjad and Mo Ramzan.

Out of the Greenock team on Saturday through unavailability is opener Harry Briggs, so it is likely that Shailesh Prabhu will open the innings with Neil Flack. Back into the side comes Sam Sanghera who has had time out to recover from an injury.

Greenock’s team for Saturday’s Premier Division match against Poloc at Shawholm in Glasgow which will start at noon will be: ND Flack (Capt), S Bandekar, S Fischer-Keogh, F Godsman, CJK Hempsey, JPC Hempsey, GJ McDougall, RP Mountford, SS Prabhu, SS Sanghera, L Smit. Scorer: R McGregor

The Greenock 2nd XI (Glenpark) play East Renfrewshire at Glenpark. The match will commence at 1pm. The team will be from: A Calder, PJ Bryceland, C Calder, A Caskie, P Caskie, S Chaudhary, L Fischer-Keogh, T Forrest, J Nowell, C Pandher, S Pandher, P Robertson, A Sanghera, E Stewart.

Greenock Out Of McCulloch Cup

Having waited a week to find out their fate in the McCulloch Cup, Greenock, who were just one point ahead of Kelburne in the West Group sectional table after the final round of matches was washed out last Wednesday, found themselves out of the competition as Kelburne defeated Renfrew on Wednesday night in a fixture which was given permission to be re-arranged. The two points Kelburne gained from the win enabled them to leapfrog Greenock and qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U

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