The past few days of dreich smir put paid to the chances of a full calendar of Premier league cricket being played today. Hopefully the weather pattern changes for the better soon as we have entered the business side of the season and lost games to the weather mean lost opportunities to resolve or improve positions in the league.
Drumpellier v Ayr at Langloan and GHK V Uddingston at Old Anniesland were the early casualties of the Premiership programme for the day.
Ferguslie Cricket Club v LOC Hire Stenhousemuir Cricket Club
Ferguslie were entertaining Stenhousemuir at Meikleriggs and a delayed start had the game reduced to 34 overs a side. Stenhousemuir won the toss and put Ferguslie in to bat first. Some may question Nicky Rodgers decision to bowl first, but it was the right decision – a reduced over contest and for the first time in a few weeks, an engine room of at least 6 bowlers to call upon to bowl them. The return of Zander Smith added to the talents of Husnain Atif, Nick Lister, Amir Shahzad, Praveen Pinnamaneni and Callum Grant gave Rodgers a valuable weapon to use but he needed them to bowl flatter, fuller, up-to-the-bat and definitely no width. If they did, especially against the most in-form batting line-up of the WDCU, a few early successes could restrict Ferguslie in posting a total that could cause Stenhousemuir problems trying to chase.
Husnain Atif had the ever-dangerous David Stafford (2) caught behind in the 1st over and then had Muhammed Mayet (16) caught behind in the 9th over and Ferguslie were 30-2 after 10 overs. At the other end, Nick Lister bowled his seamers with years of experience showing and was desperately unlucky to have no reward for his efforts. Atif bowled 5 overs 2-19 and Lister bowled his 7 overs with figures of 0-20.
But from here on in, the bowling became expensive as Uzair Ahmad (67no) and Taimoor Ahmad (57) rode the various Stenhousemuir bowling changes for a partnership of 123 over the next 23 overs. For the first time in a few weeks, Nicky Rodgers had a bowling attack to use and an opportunity to record a signature win against the form side in the league and how the result would impact both clubs and their respective season going forwards – his bowlers let that moment slip.
Although there was a flurry of wickets in the final three overs of the Ferguslie innings, those 3 wickets alone came at a cost of 26 runs and Ferguslie finished up being 170-5 off their 34 overs. Pinnamaneni took 1- 31 off his 4 overs while Smith was an expensive 2-39 off his 5 overs.
Ferguslie opened the bowling with Muhammed Mayet at one end and Taimoor Ahmad at the other and a 10 over spell that reduced Stehousemuir to 40-4. Peter Hamilton (6) was caught by Uzair Ahmed from a delivery from Taimoor Ahmad while Asad Izaz (2) was caught by Taimoor Ahmad off Mayet. Yasin Valli (19) clipped a ball off his legs down to a wideish fine-leg and 2 runs had been completed – he called for a 3rd but Bahadar Esakhiel was run out to a return throw to the gloves of David Stafford, a wicketkeeper that knows where the stumps are and has very quick hands, who promptly whipped the bails off with Ezakhiel inches short of the crease. A salutory lesson for young Ezakhiel to learn from perhaps that when batting with the pro, run the 1st run hard and don’t dawdle with the 2nd run – he would have made his ground for the 3rd if he had done so because he would have given himself that extra yard or so to use to his advantage. After batting so well last week with Esakhiel, you could see the dismay on Valli’s shoulders as he heard the run-out behind him and it clearly affected his batting and his game-plan – in the 12th over, he fell over himself and spooned a delivery from Daoud Tahir down the throat of Saif Sajjad at midwicket and Stenny were now 38-5.
Stenny’s reply and hopes of victory now lay on the shoulders on Callum Grant and Zander Smith having a partnership together and making a serious dent in the runs required. Grant (11) was caught behind off Jewell in the 15th over and Smith was bowled by Daoud Tahir (10) in the 18th leaving Stenny 60-7. Rodgers (5) was caught off Jewell in the 19th and Pinnamaneni (19) fell LBW to Daoud Tahir in the 22nd over and Stenhousemuir were 84-9. The longest partnership of the innings was with the last pair in Nick Lister (16 no) and Husnain Atif (5) and came to an end when Atif was caught by Adam Tahir off the bowling of young Jamie Rennie.
Jamie Rennie, Under 16 player, was handed a 1st team bowling opportunity and bowled nearly 4 overs and took 1-22 – he looks a serious talent in the making and yet further proof of the fantastic youth development structure that Ferguslie maintains but also nurtures over by giving youngsters a chance by giving them a taster of 1st team league cricket and hope that they want to aspire to playing more of. Keeps the 1st team looking over their shoulders because under-performers can be easily replaced with what they have coming through their home-grown ranks.
The pick of the Ferguslie bowling was Mayet 2-23, Jewell 2-17 and D. Tahir 3-21
Stenhousemuir were 111 all out in the 27th over and rue the opportunity they had today and didn’t use. For Ferguslie, another win under their belt and an adjustment made to their sights and the target above them in the table.
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A Farewell to WoSACO
On Friday 4th July at West of Scotland Cricket Club, the final West of Scotland Association of Cricket Officials (WoSACO) gathering took place. A last event to reminisce, remember, celebrate, enjoy and toast the last 60 odd years of what this organisation with its umpires and scorers brought to cricket in the west, to Scottish cricket and also internationally.
One of the oldest umpiring associations anywhere in the world, it had evolved over time from the fractious days of the 1890s when league cricket first started getting played with the WDCU being one of the earliest leagues formed – there was a distinct need to have neutral umpires appointed for the matches being played, a need going back over 150 years. A regular circumstance up to the formation of the WDCU in 1893 was the abandonment of games over umpiring decisions as evidenced by the attached newspaper cutting from the Daily Mail of 12th July 1875 and the days of over 2000 clubs in the west playing cricket. The WDCU tried a principled resolution but even in its earliest format, grumblings were evidenced. When you consider that these grumblings are from the 1890s and the Victorian era and then compare them to the issues of just now… and it took another 70 years for what evolved into being called WoSACO to appear to resolve those issues and stop those grumblings.
And what a fantastic job WoSACO did.
Allan Jack, as Chairman of WoSACO, gave a poignant eulogy remembering the last 60 years and also thanked everyone, past and present, for their assistance and contribution to the association and what it had delivered to cricket. This delivery will be missed (it already is and that is plain to see just now in the cricket, east and west) and that it had been an honour to be a part of it, a feeling expressed by all those that were present last night.
A phrase often expressed elsewhere never felt so aptly applicable as the evening concluded “Once it’s gone, it’s gone” – I hope that players, clubs, cricket and governing bodies now begin to appreciate what this association brought to an amateur sport and has been now lost, gone forever.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and “look to the past to find the answers for the future” are another couple of phrases that apply in my opinion.
Raise a glass, tea cup or coffee mug and toast WoSACO and thank them for what they did – believe me when I say that although you probably didn’t appreciate what it did when it was in existence but I have a feeling you’ll be wishing it was still about in the seasons yet to come. I’m honoured to have played countless games in my own career with WoSACO officials present, but I am also extremely proud to have been a WoSACO official myself and stood in numerous matches with colleagues that it has been my pleasure to stand with – thank you.
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Vigilant Dumfries Cricket Club v Kelburne Cricket
Kelburne made the journey to Nunholm and were asked to bat first by Dumfries. Although Zain Mohammad (3) was bowled by James Hobman and Kelburne were 18-1 after 7 overs, Cameron MacLean and Lucas Farndale grafted away taking the total to 57 until Farndale (08) was caught by Bainbridge from a Nairn Cubbon delivery.
Cammy MacLean (63) was bowled by Chris Brockwell and will be disappointed with himself – he had a great opportunity to score a ton today and looked well-set when out and Kelburne were 88-1 off 21 overs. Kyle Northend (13) got the score along to 113 when he was caught by Hobman off the bowling of Munro Cubbon. Evan Fouche (30) was the next wicket to fall in the 28th over caught by big Al Davidson off a Callum Reynolds-Lewis delivery and Kelburne were now 134-5 just after the halfway point in the innings.
Mo Kamran and Jamie Cook took the Kelburne total along to 156-5 in the 33rd when Brockwell struck with a two wickets in two ball combo – Kamran (12) was caught by Malik and Ross MacLean (0) was trapped LBW first ball up. At 157-7, I thought that the Kelburne innings would expire quite quickly but to be fair to the tail, they stayed around for another 11 overs and scored a further 38 runs to the total. Jamie Cook (18) was bowled by Brockwell in the 35th, Pashtoon Barak (5) was caught by Ben Plowman off Reynolds-Lewis in the 38th and the last pair of Rahim Roghani (12 no) and Joseph Silvin (2) sclaffed and scarpered a final partnership of 20 until Silvin fell LBW to the returned Hobman in the 44th over. A final total of 194 all out for Kelburne and the pick of the Dumfries bowling being Hobman with 2-21, Brockwell with 4-35 and Reynolds-Lewis with 2-29.
The Dumfries reply stuttered earlier doors with Al Davidson (0), Adam Malik (13) and Andrew Dawson (6) all falling victim to a 5 over spell of 3-16 from Rahim ‘Ozzy’ Roghani and when Pashtoon Parak had Chris Bellwood (5) caught by Jamie Cook, Dumfries were 20-4 after 10 overs.
Fergus Bainbridge (23) and Ben Plowman had a small stand of 24 but when Jamie Cook dismissed both of them in the 21st and 23rd overs respectively, Dumfries found themselves 60-6. Chris Brockwell (7) was caught by Cook off Ross MacLean in the 24th and Jamie Cook had yet another catch in 25th when he caught and bowled James Hobman (0). Dumfries were now 69-8 and a lot to ask of their remaining batting. To be fair to it, it put on another 41 runs until Nairn Cubbon was run out at 106 in the 32nd over and Callum Reynolds-Lewis (2) was last man out when LBW to Joseph Silvin in the 33rd over and Dumfries 110 all out.
Jamie Cook took 3-36 and another 3 catches to his name for the season.
Another disappointing defeat for Dumfries taking them down the table while Kelburne tossed a lifebelt and pulled themselves up the table slightly from 9th place.
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Prestwick Cricket Club v Clydesdale Cricket Club
Prestwick batted first against the league leaders and quickly found themselves in trouble after 4 overs and 7-2. Tiann Kuhn (0) was bowled by Isaac Rahman in the 2nd over and Ross Kennedy was also bowled by Rahman in the 4th over. Declan Botes (11) was bowled by Mo Ghaffar in the 11th and when Fletcher Rao (5) was stumped by Fischer-Keogh off Sahir Hussain in the 15th over followed by Euan McBeth (1) out caught by Fischer-Keogh in the 17th, Prestwick were 48-5 and it was an innings so far of appalling familiarity of recent weeks – brittle and so out of character for Prestwick Cricket Club.
Tom Fleet (9) and Sachin Chaudhary (40) had a stand that got them to 82, but when both of them also fell to the bowling of Hussain, Prestwick were 93-7. When Callan Turner (0) was bowled by Hussain and Prestwick now 93-8, any additional runs scored were going to be a bonus. Gurupreet Singh (4) was 9th down at 94 caught by Murtaza off Rafay Khan and the Prestwick innings finally closed on 97 all out after 32 overs when Dylan Thayne (2) was bowled by Ravikiran Alavala.
The pick of the Clydesdale bowling was Rahman with 2-15 and Hussain 5-31, and although there was a lengthy rain interruption during the innings, Clydesdale’s bowling looked from the outset that it would account for Prestwick quite cheaply.
Although Clydesdale’s reply saw Ali Khan (0) caught by Fleet off Kuhn in the 1st over and Lucas Fischer-Keogh (10) also caught Fleet, bowled Kuhn in the 7th over and Clydesdale 16-2, the depth of the batting of the Titwood men was always going to see them through. Hafiz Murtaza (29) was caught by McBeth of Sachin Chaudhary’s bowling in the 15th over and Clydesdale 62-3 but that was the last wicket to fall at the Henry Thow Oval today. Craig Young 24 no) and Sizwe Masondo (19) saw the visitors home in the 25th over and another 25 points secured to add to their 100% status.
Tiann Kuhn took 2-8 off his 6 overs bowled but it was another disappointing day for Prestwick as they fall to 9th in the table with 8 weeks to play.
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Joel Garner is coming to the Tryst.
The Number 1 ranked ODI fast bowler EVER will deliver a talk and answer your questions in the Clubhouse. There will be a photo opportunity and time to chat with the great man at the bar after the event.
There will be a complimentary Rum Punch as you arrive and a Caribbean Buffet served mid way. The cost of this once in a lifetime event is £40.00.
LOC Hire Stenhousemuir Cricket Club members will get first dibs on tickets – but only until 17th July when they will be available to the general public. Contact Tom Dickson tom@tdickson.co.uk for tickets — your email should have the subject Joel Garner Ticket.
This event is sponsored by Stelar Travel in conjunction with the Barbados Tourist Board.