Inverclyde Now Logo CRICKET — Missed Chances Cost Greenock

16 July, 2018 | Local

Greenock 143 (0 points)

West of Scotland 144 for 9 (25 points)

IN a match of fluctuating fortunes, Greenock came agonisingly close to achieving a tie with West of Scotland.

With the scores level and the last West pair at the crease, a straightforward chance was put down and the batsmen crossed for the winning run. Had that catch been taken, Greenock would have earned 15 points for the tie and they would still be in eighth position in the table. (As it is they are ninth.)

To make matters worse, the vagaries of the bonus points system meant that Greenock earned no points for coming so close to winning. The losing team which bats first can only earn bonus points if they can prevent the opposition from winning within 40 overs, something which militates against adopting a positive approach to winning a game.

Greenock chose to attack West and paid the price in terms of gaining bonus points. In a low-scoring game, it is almost inevitable that a result will be achieved within 40 overs. The Western District Cricket Union needs to look at this for next season and come up with a more reasonable bonus points system.

Skipper Neil Flack won the toss and, realising that the pitch, being dry and dusty, would be a tricky one to bat on and would only deteriorate as the game went on, decided to bat first. His fears about the pitch were quickly borne out as both he and his opening partner, Harry Briggs, were dismissed with just 10 runs on the board, Flack being bowled for 6 and Briggs caught behind for 2. Jack Griffiths in next did not last long, falling leg before wicket to McNulty for 3 and Greenock were struggling at 21 for 3.

It was at this point that Greenock’s professional, Saurabh Bandekar, stood up and took responsibility for guiding Greenock to a reasonable total. He was given support initially by Laurens Smit and the two of them took the score to 80 before Smit was caught by Young off the off-spin of Lucas Farndale for 13. Thereafter, wickets fell at frequent intervals as nobody was able to stay with Bandekar. The left-arm spin of Fennah accounted for Jonathan Hempsey, caught for 4, Sehmat Pandher bowled for 6 and youngster Ewan Stewart caught without scoring.

Greenock were now 113 for 7 with 19 overs of their innings left. Greg McDougall was the next man and he knuckled down to providing support to Bandekar. Unfortunately, the professional, in attempting to put more runs on the board, was dismissed four overs later for a quite splendid 80, an innings which lasted two minutes short of two hours and included 13 boundaries.

The last two wickets managed to eke out a further 11 runs before Dave McNulty ended the innings by having Jamie Nowell caught and Rod Mountford leg before wicket, both for 1. Greenock were all out for 143 in the 40th over with Greg McDougall left undefeated on 2, having stoically defended his wicket for 29 deliveries. McNulty took 4 for 22 and Fennah 4 for 30.

West of Scotland made a steady start to their innings and had reached 30 before the first wicket fell, Fennah caught by Greg McDougall off the bowling of Jonathan Hempsey for 19. Greg Watson fell immediately after this for 10, leg before wicket to the bowling of Bandekar. When Young was bowled by Hempsey for just 2, West were 37 for 3 and Greenock were right back in the game.

Jonathan Fearn and Nick Boller, West’s Australian amateur, came together for a crucial fourth-wicket partnership but it should have been broken quite early on when Boller was put down at slip off Neil Flack’s bowling when on just 2. By now Flack had put his faith in his and Laurens Smit’s spin bowling, reckoning that the assistance given to them by the pitch would work in Greenock’s favour.

It took quite a while for this combination to take effect but, with the score on 92, Fearn was bowled by Smit for an important 48, having hit eight 4s off just 52 balls. Zimbabwean professional, Trevor Garwe, joined Boller and they continued to keep the scoring going. Greg McDougall came on for Smit for one over, which unfortunately went for 12 runs, before Smit returned to the attack.

It seemed that West would coast to victory but when Garwe was dismissed leg before wicket by Flack for 17  with the total on 133, the very next ball, Farndale was bowled by the Greenock skipper, the complexion of the game changed — 11 to win and four wickets in hand.

The next two overs brought just one single but nine runs were scored off the 33rd over and the scores were level. Neil Flack now bowled his tenth and last over and what an over it was. First ball, Hussain was caught by Bandekar, Hulatt was caught by Pandher off the second ball and the fifth ball saw McNulty leg before. Last man Smith survived the last ball of the over.

Boller now had the strike and, having survived one chance, he made the very most of the next one to hit the winning run. Boller finished undefeated on 28, a vital innings for his side. Flack finished with 5 for 32 and there was one wicket apiece for Bandekar, Hempsey and Smit. This was a desperately disappointing loss for Greenock with the two missed chances absolutely crucial. However, they can take heart from the fact that they fought to the very last.

Next up is Prestwick away from home and there is absolutely no reason why Greenock cannot defeat them. Skipper Flack strongly believes that the players have the ability to beat any team in the league, they just need to show a bit more consistency.

Glenpark XI Outplayed By The Tryst

Greenock 2nd XI (Glenpark) were never in the hunt when they played The Tryst on Saturday. Fielding a very young and inexperienced team, they were bowled out for just 122 with Patrick Caskie top- scoring with 19. In reply The Tryst were able to knock off the runs for the loss of just 4 wickets with Cammy Calder claiming two of those wickets.

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U

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