Welcome to the Western District Cricket Union website.  The Union organises and promotes cricket to half the population of Scotland, from Dumfries & Galloway in the south-west, up the west coast, and across the central belt to the Forth Valley.  We co-ordinate with the West District Junior Cricket Union, local authorities and Cricket Scotland to encourage youth development and provide a structured developmental pathway with the aim of allowing the game to flourish and grow at all levels.  From the Premier Division to the Greenwood Trophy, the Union provides competitions for all its member clubs, from 50-over Saturday cricket to competitive T20 competitions.

Latest news and notices

• Week 10 – WDCU Premiership – Saturday 5th July 2025 (10th July 2025)

  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.

  ————————————————————————————————————————–
  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.

  ——————————————————————————————————————————–
  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.
  ———————————————————————————————————————————–
  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.
  ———————————————————————————————————————————-
  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.

• Week 6 – WDCU Premiership – Saturday 7th June 2025 (11th June 2025)
  Uddingston v LOC Hire Stenhousemuir Cricket Club

  At Bothwell, Stenhousemuir won the toss, and surprisingly, asked Uddingston to bat first. A bold captaincy decision by Nicky Rodgers given that Yaseen Valli is seeing the ball the size of a football so far this season with 393 runs from 4 league innings with an average of 98.25%. But Nicky Rodgers is an astute captain – his role of ringmaster marshalling the Stenhousemuir troops has been successful in the league to date, and his decision to bowl first quickly appeared to be justified.

  The evergreen Nick Lister opened the bowling with young Husnain Atif, who prior to today’s match, had only bowled 15 league overs this season with 3 scalps to his name. Bowling up the hill, Atif struck in his first over when Areeb Umeed (3) was caught behind by Valli. In the 5th over, Mo Awais (4) was caught behind by Valli (good catch by the way) off Lister’s bowling and the following over saw Uddingston’s Mr. Reliable with the bat, Amaan Ramzan (0) caught behind by Valli off Atif’s bowling. In the 8th over, Bryan Clarke (0) popped up a simple catch to Peter Hamilton at mid-on and Uddingston were now 11-4 and young Atif had taken 3-2 from 4 overs.

  For the second week in a row, Uddingston played their pirate card with another swashbuckling innings from Adbul Sabri (54). In a partnership of 79 with Zaighum Ahmad, he sworded the Stenhousemuir bowling in an almost disparaging manner – his 39 ball innings featured seven 4s and three 6s and got the faltering Uddingston total up to 90-4 in the 24th over when the Uddingston fortunes changed again with Calum Grant proving to be a vital component of the Stenny bowling armoury. Nicky Rodgers had brought him on in the 14th over to halt the batting assault that was taking place – Calum’s 10 over spell of left-arm spin saw 4 maidens and 3 wickets fall for 11 runs. He accounted for Sabri caught out in the deep, then bowled Ben Wilmott (0) four balls later to leave Uddy on 90-6. When he had the ever-dangerous with the bat, Ross Lyons (4), caught behind by Valli, Uddy were now 100-7 after 33 overs.

  The intermittent showers of the afternoon had seen a stop/start impact on the proceedings and the Uddingston innings eventually concluded after 38 overs bowled with them 142-9. Zaighum Ahmad was undefeated with 66 not out and had slaughtered a number of vital boundaries in the final few overs of a rain-affected innings to bring up his 50 but also get Uddingston to a total that would be DLS impacted but defendable if their bowlers did their job.

  The Stenny bowling was Atif 3-21, Grant 3-11 and Smith 2-11.

  The revised DLS total for Stenhousemuir was set at 115 off 27 overs – certainly doable but requiring the initial batting to build platforms, but also a challenge to the Uddingston bowling to be line and length, up to the bat and nothing errant or wayward.

  Unfortunately for Uddingston, Stenhousemuir got off to a good start and were 43-0 after 6 overs when big Clarkey decided to change the bowling and introduce the spin twins of Mo Awais and Ross Lyons. Mo Awais had Yasin Valli (24) caught by Nathan Umeed in his 3rd over and then had Peter Hamilton (46) LBW in his 5th over and Stenny were 76-2 after 15. But Uddingston had no futher luck with the ball thereafter.

  Stenhousemuir got to their target total of 115 in the 24th over without loss with Asad Izaz 16 not out and Zander Smith 18 not out. Mo Awais’s bowling figures were 2-23 off 6 and Ross Lyons had 0-16 off his 6 over spell.

  Another frustrating day at the office for big Clarkey and another week ahead of him rallying the villagers into battle – different departments and different aspects are slowly clicking into place and one week they will all come together and somebody is going to get a doing with the bat and ball – big Clarkey and Uddingston just need it to happen now.

  ————————————————————————

  Ayr Cricket Club – Cambusdoon v Kelburne Cricket

  An interesting confrontation lay ahead at New Cambusdoon with the unavailability of Ayr’s key batting in the likes of Michael English and Neil Flack and perhaps the weather conditions forcing Ayr to implement a new dynamic to their tried and tested Saturday league cricket game-plan – win the toss and stick Kelburne in to bat first.

  For Kelburne, they could take comfort from their performance of last week and have confidence in their batting posting a score that their bowling could defend even without the services of Ross McLean and Jamie Cook at their disposal.

  However, Mohammad Kamran (0) was trapped LBW in the 2nd over by David Bains Jnr. In the 3rd, Calum McLean (08) gifted a catch up to Ollie Jones in the covers off Woodhouse. In the 10th over, Ryan Murray (9) was caught by Richie Borland for Jones to take his 1st wicket of the innings. In the 15th over, Kyle Northend flat-batted swiped square of the wicket a loose delivery from Hamza Tahir and the batsmen set off on a quick single – Alexander Gilmour (15) was two yards short when he was run-out and Kelburne were now 57-4. At the end of the 18th over, Kyle Northend (22) went back and across to a shooter from Jones and was LBW to a ball that was probably going under the stumps.

  In the 21st over, the Kelburne innings began to derail itself when Tahir bowled Zain Mohammad (0) and then two balls later had Rahim Roghani (0) LBW. Lucas Farndale (20) then moored a delivery from David Baines straight down the throat of Woodhouse lurking out at deep mid-wicket. Kelburne were now 83-8 in the 26th over. A spirited partnership by Pashtoon Mohiagha and Gurveer Singh scored 58 vital runs to the Kelburne score. When Singh (12) was bowled in the 38th over by Matthew Baines, the Kelburne total was now 141-9. The Kelburne innings came to a close two overs later when Blair Cameron (1) was caught behind by Miller off Matthew Baines to leave the final Kelburne total as 149 all out. Hats off to the batting of Pashtoon Mohiagha who was 49 not out at the end. His innings hadn’t dug Kelburne out of a hole, it was more like a JCB excavating them out of an ever-deepening crater that they had fallen into. He deserved a 50 to his name for his efforts batting at No. 10 and hopefully he’ll get one soon and also further up the order. On the Ayr bowling front, Jones 2-50, Tahir 2-18 and M Baines 2-8.

  Ayr needed Jones, Jake and the M&Ms (great name for a boy band tribute act as a fund-raiser one night at Cambusdoon) to step up and perform – Ollie Jones, Jake Woodhouse, Marcel Marconi, Michael Miller and Michael Maxwell normally form the top order of the Ayr batting after the openers, but today, in the absence of that blunt instrument strikeforce of English and Flack, the fortunes of Ayr’s reply rested upon their shoulders. Chasing a revised DLS total of 150, they had to prove that there is more to Ayr’s batting than people think.

  Kelburne’s defence of their total got off to a good start when Richie Borland (1) was caught by Gilmour off Mohiagha in the 2nd over. And his dismissal obviously triggered a T20 mindset into the Ayr batting – score as much as you can and get 20 overs completed to force a completed result viz DLS computations.

  Jones (39) was caught by Singh off Farndale’s bowling in the 17th over and the total was now 88-2 with a bizarre mix of meteorological conditions of rain falling and sunshine. In the 20th over, Marconi (54) played a slash drive off Singh and was caught at mid-off by Farndale to leave Ayr 98-3. In the 24th over, Michael Maxwell glided one off Singh down to 3rd man and set off for a single, was sent back, slipped on the turn and was on his knees halfway down the wicket when the bails were whipped off to run him out and Ayr were now 105-4. It was reminiscent of the Willem Dafoe scene in the 1986 film Platoon. Never a great way to be out and I could relate to his annoyance – at least he didn’t do what I did – slipped, went arse-over-tit, broke my shoulder, dislocated my elbow and broke my thumb thus ending my cricket career – always wear studs.

  In the 26th over, Michael Miller (2) left a delivery off Singh that seemed to jag back and take his leg stump and Ayr were now 112-5. You could sense a bit of nervousness creep into the game and when Lloyd Jefferson (4) was bowled by Farndale in the 29th over, Ayr were now 121-6. First ball of the 34th over from Zain Mohammad and Woodhouse (20) slapped it into the mitts of Farndale at mid-off. Two balls later and Hamza Tahir repeated matters and Ayr had suddenly become 139-8 with 11 runs to get. Matthew Baines (4 not out) and a Jonathan Baines swat for 4 (12 not out) saw Ayr home to victory in the 36th over (150-8).

  A team performance by Ayr to get a needed result and hard lines to Kelburne with a spirited performance – they were a bowler light today and that probably was the unfortunate circumstance that counted against them.

  ————————————————————————–

  Ferguslie Cricket Club v Clydesdale Cricket Club

  Today was the much anticipated clash between these two rivals but it was also the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ trophy match in memory of Sandy Strang and Con de Lange with a number of fund-raising events with proceeds being shared between the Brain Tumour and Marie Curie charities.

  Unfortunately the inclement weather prevented any play but your donations to these charitable causes are welcome.

  ————————————————————————–

  Dumfries v GHK

  At Nunholm, GHK won the toss and asked Dumfries to bat first. Dumfries were 12-0 after 4 overs when the umpires halted play due to the falling rain. It never stopped and the match was eventually abandoned.

  ————————————————————————–

  Shimla Cottage Drumpellier Cricket Club v Prestwick

  Drumps opted to bat first after winning the toss and began brightly. Gordon Shaw (10) was the first wicket to fall when the total was 25 in the 9th over. To be fair to Shawsy, he looks to have been bowled by a very useful delivery from Kuhn that did a bit off the pitch. At the beginning of the 10th, Adnan Bukhari (1) was caught by Thayne off Ronan Alexander’s bowling. In the 11th, Jordan Pryde (11) was cleaned bowled by Kuhn and now 26-3, there was the fear that Drumpellier could lose a few more in the coming overs.

  But not for the first time, Chathuranga Kumara and Supeshala Jayathilake grafted a partnership together that would be crucial come the end of the game. Both batters dug in and for the next 15 overs nudged and nurdled 1s and 2s about in a partnership of 43. When Kumara was dismissed LBW to the bowling of Sachin Chaudhary at the end of the 26th over, Drumps were now 69-4 and a lot healthier than they had been nearly an hour earlier. Only 30 more runs were procured in the following 7 overs as Drumpellier finished up 99-7 off 33 overs. Supeshala Jayathilake ended up 34 not out after playing an outrageous shot at the end of the innings – dancing down the wicket to the bowling of Declan Botes, one would be forgiven if you could hear the Glenn Miller classic ‘In the Mood’ playing in the background as a monstrous cleave sent the poor wee pink baw over midwicket for 6.

  An innings affected by rain stoppages, over reductions and wet conditions, the pick of Prestwick’s bowling was Tiann Kuhn 2-20, Sachin Chaudhary 2-14 and Declan Botes 2-17.

  Prestwick were set a DLS target of 109 off 33 overs but got off to a difficult start. Indy Singh (0) was LBW to Bukhari at the start of the 2nd over. Gurupreet Singh (2) was caught by Jayathilake off Bukhari at the start of the 4th over while Declan Botes (7) scratched around before falling LBW to Kumara at the end of the 11th over. Prestwick were 21-3 and in need of composure and sensible batting, however, a further wicket fell in the 15th over when Sachin Chaudhary was LBW to Darren Pryde and the total was 33-4. Tom Fleet and Ewen McBeth had a stabilising 50 run partnership until Fleet (11) was LBW to the bowling of Mohsin Khan and the total was now 73-5. 10 runs were added to the total before a seven ball period beginning in the 26th over effectively killed the Prestwick reply – Kuhn (6) was run out at the non-strikers end backing up by a sharp piece of fielding by Josh Allison. The 27th over saw 3 more Prestwick wickets fall in the space of 4 balls to the bowling of Khan. McBeth (34) was caught and bowled with Fletcher Rao (0) LBW the very next ball, and two balls later, Ronan Alexander (0) also fell LBW. Dylan Thayne (2) spooned a soft catch up to Darren Pryde at mid-off as Jayathilake had the final say in the innings, just as he had in the 1st.

  Prestwick were 87 all out in the 28th over with Bukhari 2-17 and Khan 4-27 the pick of the Drumpellier bowlers.

  As I have reminded folks since the start of the season, Drumpellier are an obdurate, defiant and committed opposition that will fight to the very end – they proved that today. But I cannot put my finger on what is wrong with Prestwick this season. A top 5 finish in the last three seasons and now down at the foot of the table after 6 weeks? Are Messrs Pitt, McDonald and others needed to be cajoled into playing a couple of games in the coming weeks? I don’t know the answer but Prestwick need to find it soon or July and August could be difficult months for them.

  **********************************************************************

  Please Read – Important news to consider

  **********************************************************************

  A final and worrying piece of information for the cricket of the west to consider – we lost a treasured and much-loved club in Poloc in 2023 and the demise of that club still hurts two years on. In 2025, a smaller, but just as important club within our cricketing circle needs the support of its fellow clubs, the cricketers, the members, the enthusiasts and anyone else involved with the game or has a passing interest in sport – Vale of Leven Cricket Club.

  The Vale enters 175th anniversary year next year and is historically one of the founder clubs of our cricket after being established in 1852 through its connections to the India Dye works in Renton as a recreational outlet for the workforce. Over those 175 years some 5000+ people have taken the field under the banner of this great club, and they hold the unique distinction of being a cricket club that won the Scottish Cup at football (a competition they helped create) and after Queen’s Park, Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen, the only other club to win it three-in-a-row. In recent times, they been involved in a project to create a new and exciting “Community Sports Hub” at Milburn Park, an amalgam of football and cricket with new facilities, a new clubhouse with bar and top class changing facilities.

  But it has gone awry – the dynamics of the original concept have changed with a 4g artificial surface being proposed to be put on top of the pitch and the cricket have now been confronted with the following: Find a new home or give up , “there are only 20 of you guys anyway…”

  Those 20 will not give in and will try their best for the 5000+ members before them who loved their club dearly. Those 5000+ cannot be simply forgotten and sent to the annals of Scottish sporting history, and there must be a way for our cricket to be a voice for them, to help them fight this, oppose planning, go to the press, engage with those in power, whatever and whenever and support them at every crossroads, junction, hinderance and obstruction to save this club, especially as their sesquicentennial approaches.

  We are a union of clubs and together we are our cricket – we must support it, irrespective of who or what – it is ours.

  Siggy
• Umpiring Availability (3rd June 2025)

  All WDCU Clubs,

  We are writing to inform you about a now critical issue currently affecting our cricket community within the Western District Cricket Union (WDCU) and across all regions. There is a significant shortage of umpires, which is impacting not only WDCU but all regions. This has had a significant impact in WDCU Prem 2 so far this season already. As a result, CSMOA are doing their upmost to manage with limited resources and therefore appreciate your understanding where umpires cannot be appointed. Only 30 umpires were available on the weekend of 31^st May, with 20 plus fixtures requiring umpires across the country…

  CSMOA are, as ever actively seeking new umpires and would encourage any umpires who wish to return to reach out. Courses and resources are available for those wishing to take up umpiring and we as a region are keen to point out that one solution being discussed for the future may be to revert to a former rule which meant clubs who required umpires were obliged to have club members who were active umpires.

  However, it is important to highlight that one of the contributing factors to this shortage is player behaviour. Instances of disrespect and unsportsmanlike conduct towards umpires have led to many experienced officials stepping down from their roles. This is a serious concern that needs immediate attention from all clubs. We appreciate the competitive nature of the sport (especially in the West) and by no means wish to discourage this enthusiasm, but we must respect the game and those willing to give their personal time to make it possible. It is not acceptable to behave negatively towards an umpire and as a region any reports of poor player behaviour towards an umpire will not be tolerated.

  We urge all clubs to take proactive measures to ensure that players exhibit respectful and sportsmanlike behaviour towards umpires at all times. Everyone plays to win but when behaviours being demonstrated are causing umpires to step down this is to the detriment of the game and cannot be tolerated.

  Your cooperation and support in addressing this issue are crucial for the future of our cricket, ultimately, we are all here to enjoy and promote the game and our clubs.

  Please disseminate this message to all players and members within your club and emphasise the importance of maintaining a positive and respectful environment on the field.

  Anyone who is interested in returning to umpiring or wishes to take up umpiring please contact us on admin@wdcu.co.uk

  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Best regards,

  WDCU Exec Committee.

• WDCU Premiership – Week 3 – Saturday 17th May 2025 (19th May 2025)

  Review from the badger’s sett…

  Stenhousemuir v Prestwick

  Prestwick made the trip to the Tryst in the knowledge that the winning of today’s toss would be crucial in determining the final outcome of the match. The Tryst is a largish ground, and on a warm and sunny day, an afternoon in the field first can be a bit of an agonising chore. With that in mind, Prestwick won the toss and elected to bat first.

  Prestwick began their innings brightly and had put 50 on the board before Ross Kennedy (18) fell to the bowling of big Nick Lister in the 10th over. At the beginning of the 11th over, the other Prestwick opener, Indy Singh (28) was smartly caught by Yaseen Valli off young Husnain Atif. In the 12th over, last week’s centurion Sachin Chaudhary (1) was LBW to Lister and at the end of the 13th, Prestwick were 60-4 with Declan Botes another batter sunk by the ‘caught Yaseen Valli, bowled Husnain Atif’ combination.  Tom Fleet (29) and Ewen McBeth (12) dug in for a partnership of 30, but the rotational bowling of the Stenhousemuir spin troika of Zander Smith (1-23), Callum Grant (3-19) and Manas Sahare (2-26) unravelled the Prestwick batting and they were finally all out for 144 in 36.4 overs.

  Defending 144 against an in-form Stenhousemuir and the batsmanship of back-to-back league century maker Yaseen Valli was going to have to have Prestwick’s bowling to be at its very best. Although Valli came and went for 34, the contributions to the total by the other batters and a cameo 37no from Amir Shahzad got Stenny over the line 5 down in the 33rd over.

  Not a good day at the office for Prestwick while Stenhousemuir go 3 wins from 3.

  Kelburne v Drumpellier

  Today’s clash was always going to be a tough result for the loser and leave them slightly afoot at the bottom of the table. Both clubs would be fairly justified in stating that at least one of their league losses to date was unfortunate, but the vanquished today would be encountering difficulties in the coming weeks to go and get that much needed first win under their belts.

  I found this game to be a strange affair – maybe nervousness on the parts of both teams – but in both innings, just as you thought the game was about to get going again, a wicket would fall and what should have been a high-scoring encounter between two decently matched sides failed to materialise.

  Drumpellier won the toss and batted first, but wickets kept on falling in dribs and drabs and the Langloaners were eventually 141ao in the 42nd over. Supeshala Jayathilake was top-scorer with 34 and the under-rated Chris Keltie scored 31. Kelburne’s bowling had Pashtoon Mohiaga taking 3-22, Zain Mohammad taking 2-20 and Jamie Cook’s inviters getting 4-36.

  I honestly thought at half-time that Kelburne had this game in the bag but began to reconsider that when Kelburne were 13-3 after 6 overs. Kyle Northend (39) and Lucas Farndale (29) got the total up to 71-4 off 14 overs. Although Alexander Gilmour was dismissed in the 16th taking the total to 78-5, a sensibly played partnership between Farndale and Jamie Cook (24) took Kelburne to 116-5 in the 21st over. Then the wheels came off the Kelburne innings. A wahoo at a Josh Allison delivery by Jamie Cook led to a leading edge skier taken by the Drumpellier keeper, Will Leslie – Kelburne 116-6. The following over, Farndale had a swish at a ball outside off-stump from Chathuranga Kumara and there were great celebrations in the land of Drumps for another caught behind by Leslie. Farndale stood his ground, did a bit of gardening and was somewhat disappointed to be given out after an 11 second delay – you could hear some interesting ‘conversations’ as Farndale left the crease, none by players I hasten to add, and I’m sure there will be varying ‘opinions’ to be heard about it all in the coming days.

  Suddenly Kelburne were 118-7 off 22 chasing 141. Kumara took 2 more wickets in the 24th over to leave Kelburne 123-9. This had become a tense and tight contest but all Ross MacLean and Pashtoon Mohiaga had to do was occupy the crease and see overs out – the needed runs would come in wides, no-balls, byes and extras if they just batted sensibly and took no chances. They got the total to 135-9 in the 28th over, and for the life of me, I am non-plussed at the following when you only need 6 runs to win from 22 overs – Mohiaga wipes Kumara to mid-on and calls MacLean for a single – mid-on picks the ball up and throws down the stumps at the non-strikers end to run Mohiaga out – he (Mohiaga) seems to give up running 3 yards short and makes no effort to run his bat in. The forlorn figure of Ross MacLean at the strikers end as Drumpellier players quite rightly run around in celebration of victory is a saddening site – we’ve all been there in our own cricket careers, on both sides of the fence, but as a neutral observer, I felt for Ross today.

  On the bowling front for Drumpellier, Mohsin Khan took 2-32 and Chathuranga Kumara finished with 5-37.

  An important win for Drumpellier and also resembling their doggedness and determination of the 2024 campaign that got them a fifth place. But for Kelburne, another Saturday disappointment.

  Ayr v Uddingston

  An interesting fixture lay ahead between these old rivals. Ayr had had a close win in the first week against Drumpellier and then the emotion of a tensely tied match against GHK last Saturday. For Uddingston, they had encountered the capabilities of GHK in the first league game and then faced Ferguslie the following week. Differing final results for both teams so far but a day’s cricket under the sun at New Cambusdoon was always going to provide a welcome win for the victor.

  Uddingston electing to bat first would have appealed to them, and a decent start would set the tone for the innings. Even accounting for the early loss of Muhammad Awais when the total was 12, the partnership of Keerat Singh (39) and Amaan Ramzan (13) is more than capable of posting a platform for the rest of the team to bat from. When Ramzan departed when the total was 62 in the 17th over, the Uddingston batting seemed to struggle with the slower bowling variations of a combination of Neil Flack (2-29), Hamza Tahir (4-24) and Ollie Jones (3-20) and eventually petered out for 129 in the 36th over.

  For Ayr, the frighteningly intimidating opening batting partnership of Michael English (58no) and Neil Flack (61) got their summer roadshow up and running for 2025. Although Flack got out when the total was 128 and Ollie Jones then stroking a 4 to win the match, Neil Flack will be glad he’s back in the game as they say. He’s looked somewhat discombobulated so far this season and hopefully today’s knock, and bowling performance, will have blown the winter blues away and he’ll resume his mantle as part of the Ayr dangerman role he has filled so well in recent seasons.

  Not the result big Clarkey would have been wanting, but he’ll gather the Villagers around again and try to get them onto winning ways in the coming weeks. Uddingston are never a side to underestimate.

  Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal – Comedy Night – Friday 25th July 2025 – Hamilton Crescent

  In July, West of Scotland Cricket Club will be hosting the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal who are running a comedy night to raise funds. With Mark Nelson headlining the evening, it won’t be one to miss!

  The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal is a charity funded by Scotland fans, the aim of which is to make a donation to identified children’s charities in every country in which the Scottish National Football Team plays matches. Since 2003, this has been achieved – uninterrupted.

  Tickets can be purchased for this comedy night online: https://tartan-army-sunshine-appeal.square.site/…/38…

  As many of you know, the Hamilton Crescent cricket ground is part of footballing history – it is the origin site for international football and the birthplace of the Tartan Army. It’s great to have TASA at the ground and continuing the symbiotic relationships between cricket and football and all for a worthwhile cause.

  It is our history, an undeniable fact of what cricket in the west has been involved in and must continue to support.

  Dumfries v Ferguslie

  The return of Dumfries back into the Premier Division for 2025 saw the Nunholm pitch and facilities back at the level they deserve to be at, and with Ferguslie as the visitors, today’s game had two batting line-ups with the potential to make full use of what the strip had to offer.

  And Ferguslie, after winning the toss, decided they would give the Nunholm deck first dibs. Stafford (14) was the first wicket to fall at 28, and Muhammad Mayet was joined at the crease by Gregor Preston-Jones. When Preston-Jones (5) was dismissed in the 11th over, the total was 71 and Mayet at the other end was 40no.

  Muhammad Mayet (69) was caught and bowled by Chris Brockwell in the 19th over and the total was 110. And this was the moment the first innings began to slide away from the Dumfries bowlers. Uzair Ahmad (103no) and Taimoor Ahmad (54) put on a 115 run partnership in 16 overs with quickly run ones and twos interspersed with flurries of fours and sixes. The run-per-over ratio of 7.18 is a good effort, but when you factor in today’s warm and sunny weather and only 56 of those runs coming from boundaries, the stamina and fitness of the Ahmads in those conditions is to be applauded. (Oh to be young again). When Taimoor was bowled for 54 in the 35th over, Uzair was 54no. Ferguslie were 225-4 with 15 overs to go. Any thoughts of a respite for Dumfries were quickly dispelled, and although 4 more wickets fell, the innings closed on 341-8. These final overs had gone at a run-per-over ratio of 7.73 with Saif Sajjad (18), Ettiene Jewell (14) and Haroon Tahir (20) rotating the strike with Uzair. When Uzair Ahmad faced the 2nd ball of the last over from Munro Cubbon, he was 90no and had been batting for nearly 40 overs. There was clear intent that he was getting a century today as he dispatched this very same ball over midwicket for 4. The next ball was also sent over midwicket, only this time for 6 and his ton was achieved, ending up 103 not out – a fantastic innings.

  A long day in the field for the Dumfries bowlers with Chris Brockwell bowling well in his 10 overs and taking 2-37 while Ben Plowman plugged away and took 3-47.

  The Dumfries reply was always going to be a daunting one with a run-rate required of nearly 7 an over. The innings started badly with the loss of early wickets and Dumfries found themselves 27-3 after 8 overs. An 86 run partnership between Adam Malik (51) and Andrew Dawson (66no) got Dumfries to 113-4 after 25 overs when Malik got out having scored yet another well-crafted 50 to his name. But scoring 228 off the remaining 25 overs at a rising run-rate of 9.00 an over was always going to be a tall order after an afternoon fielding. Wickets came and went and Dumfries were eventually 200ao in the 44th over with Dawson undefeated on 66.

  The pick of the Ferguslie bowling was Haroon Tahir taking 3-35 and man-of-the-match Uzair Ahmad taking 2-17.

  A good game of cricket played in glorious weather and on a pitch that deservedly gets many plaudits in the cricket world.

  Clydesdale v GHK

  Week 3 of the season and the current Glasgow club derby had its third competitive outing in as many weeks. The ‘Dale went into the match 2-0 up but those recent victories over the David Copperfield green and purple magic act in the McCulloch Cup and Scottish Cup would be counting for nothing – today was league cricket with the end-of-day result providing fill-in background pieces of the jigsaw that forms the WDCU Premier Division puzzle for 2025. Every run is a prisoner and every ball bowled is vital.

  GHK won the toss and chose to bat first but when Fazal Jawad (11) was LBW to Rahman at 30, a further 6 wickets fell for only 23 runs. Contributions by Ali Majeed (28) and Muhammad Majeed (24) helped get the final GHK total to 79ao in 16.4 overs but with crease occupation a necessity lost and only three batters scoring double figures, 79 was never going to be enough. Clydesdale used four bowlers with Muhammad Ghaffar (2-24) and Isaac Rahman (4-35) providing the early damage to the GHK batting. Zeeshan Bashir (3-15) and Rafay Khan (1-2) were the other bowlers used.

  In reply, Clydesdale quickly passed the GHK total for 80 without loss in 16 overs with Ali Khan 40no and Sheryar Awan 37no. GHK’s luck/magic of the previous two Saturdays deserted them today and my only observational advice to them would be crease composure and a bit more nous of building platforms and partnerships to post totals when batting first. I was never a batter myself but played in sides full of them and always understood the value of small contributions go a long way to post a score that is defendable, especially in a team sport like cricket.

  Plaudits to both sides though with only a solitary no-ball and 2 wides between them – thank you.

  There are no bad teams in the WDCU Premiership and all are capable of beating each other and convincingly to boot if required – but there is luck, what ifs and belief. And belief is the major component to have – believe that you will win, do well, bat, bowl, catch it, run him out, chase down the total or defend the low score – cricket is a team game where your fortunes are determined by those you play with and how you play with them. Some team-mates are good, some team-mates are bad, some are selfish, some are show-offs, some try their hardest and others are just simply ordinary enthusiasts. But collectively, it is a combined resolve to achieve something together that is not only rewarding, but beneficial to all involved, and that is by having belief.

  Siggy

  PS – while the cricket was going on today, I spent some time at Hampden Bowling Club in Kingsley Gardens on the southside and was in the company of the oldest football trophy in the world, the Scottish Football Challenge Cup (Scottish Cup).

  The Scottish Cup competition was created in 1873 when seven Glasgow area cricket clubs met with Queen’s Park Football Club to found the Scottish Football Association and a governing body under one set of rules and a cup competition for the member clubs.

  13 Glasgow area cricket clubs played in the original tournament of 16 teams with Clydesdale losing 2-0 to Queens Park in the final. The final was played at the First Hampden Park, the site of the bowling green that I am standing upon, and the pavilion behind me was originally the Caledonian Cricket Club that stood at Kelvinbridge.

  Our cricket – your cricket – has an awful lot to be proud of and a history that we must protect, preserve and promote.

  On a final note, only 5 clubs have won that Scottish Cup three-in-a-row – Queen’s Park, Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and a Western District Cricket Union club in Vale of Leven. The Vale are 175 next year, let’s make sure they get there as well, because they are part of our cricketing history, a history that we must never forget.

  

• Scott Weir – Kilmarnock CC (19th May 2025)

  It’s with huge sadness that Kilmarnock CC share news of the tragic death of lifelong friend and team mate Scott Weir. Our thoughts go out to Scott’s family and friends and all at Kilmarnock.

   

• Premier Division – 10th May (11th May 2025)

  Week 2 – WDCU Premier Division – Saturday 10th May 2025

  Dumfries v Stenhousemuir

  At a sun-drenched Nunholm, Stenhousemuir batted first. As ususal, the policies looked magnificent in the sunshine and the facilities thronged with people availing themselves of everything Dumfries Cricket Club has to offer the community. Stenhousemuir batted cautiously to begin with and were 40-0 after 10 overs and were 100-1 after 20. After 25 overs, Stenny were 120-3 but with Yaseen Valli still at the crease, a reasonable total could be expected.

  Yaseen fell in the 50th over for 109 and the Stenhousemuir total finished up 261-8 with batting contributions by Manas Sahare (22), Dennico Hollis (24) and Callum Grant (27no). For the second week in a row, the Messrs Cubbon played their part for Dumfries in the field with Nairn taking 3-36 and Munro pouching 3 catches.

  Dumfries had a valiant attempt at chasing down 261 and finished up 7 short on 254-8. Bellwood (13), Davidson (16) and Malik (25) kept the scoreboard ticking over while James Ritchie scored a combative 61 to keep the pressure on Stenhousemuir’s bowling. When Ritchie and Brockwell fell on 144 in the 32nd over, one would be forgiven that the match was over.

  It wasn’t – Fergus Bainbridge scored 31 and was run out in the 42nd over and the total 197-6. The following stand of 44 by the Messrs Cubbon made the equation become tighter and tighter. When Nairn fell for 28 and the total now 241-8 and 9 balls to go, it was still game on. Dumfries finally finished on 254-8 with Munro Cubbon 40no but it was a fantastic game of cricket by both teams.

  Prestwick v Kelburne

  Prestwick took first dig at the Henry Thow Oval and all looked good after the first over, however, a loose shot by Ewen McBeth at the start of the 2nd saw a sharp catch being taken by Zain Mohammad. A few balls later, a rasper of a diving catch in front of first slip by Kyle Northend did for Calum Rodger and Prestwick found themselves 7-2 after 2 overs. At this point I feared for Prestwick and perhaps a repeat of last week’s batting at Titwood was on the cards. A strange shot by Indy Singh at the beginning of the 6th saw Prestwick puffing somewhat at 20-3. Declan Botes helped Sachin Chaudhary steady the ship (sic) before being bowled with the score on 57. A fine partnership of 98 by Chaudhary and Tom Fleet took the Prestwick total to 155 when young Tom, perhaps the latest victim of the dreaded drinks-break and getting out immediately thereafter scenario, fell LBW for 48 to the bowling of Jamie Cook (I hope Jamie got him a beer after the game). With Gurupreet Singh adding a late 38 and Sachin Chaudhary posting 102, Prestwick looked to have overcome their early-season batting jitters and closed the innings with a respectable total of 267-9. For Kelburne in the field, Ross MacLean took 2-48, Aftab Ahmed took 3-47 and Pashtoon Mohiagha took 2-40.

  Keburne’s response was brisk. When Cameron MacLean (35), the first Kelburne wicket fell, the total was 72 in the 14th over. When Mo Kamran (20) and Tanu Makoni were dismissed by Sachin Chaudhary in the space of a couple of balls in the 17th over and the total now 80-3, I was worried that the remaining wickets were going to fall quickly like dominoes being toppled. Alexander Gilmour and Jamie Cook came and went and at 117-5 in the 26th over, the game’s a bogey. But no – Kyle Northend’s 61 gave hope while Mohammad (19), Ross MacLean (27) and Mohiagha (18) kept it interesting. Kelburne’s innings finished in the 47th over with them 226-9 and Lucas Farndale retired hurt/ill. What ifs and maybes had Lucas been fit and batted earlier but both sides can take comfort from today’s performances. Prestwick recovering from their shoeing of last week and Kelburne blowing off early season rustiness and showing that they are capable.

  Drumpellier v Clydesdale

  Clydesdale won the toss at Langloan and invited Drumpellier to bat first. The setting was perfect as the two senior clubs of the WDCU renewed their 350 years worth of Saturday afternoon cricket against each other. Drumps quickly found themselves 23-3 after 10 overs including a well taken catch by Lukas Fischer-Keogh to dismiss Supeshala Jayathilake for 0. A find stand of nearly 60 by Jordan Pryde and Hassan Azhar got the Langloaners back into the game but both batters were quickly removed following the almost talismanic introduction of Zeeshan Bashir into the ‘Dale attack and Drumpellier found themselves 85-5 and having to rebuild their innings again. But it was not to be for Drumpellier as they were 117 all out in the 42nd over with Bashir taking 5-11 in his spell.

  In reply, Drumpellier had Clydesdale 12-2 after 4 overs and with new batters at the crease, the chance of another couple of wickets might turn the match back in their favour. But Craig Young, Mr. Calm personified, plugged away for 31 in a partnership of 72 with Sizwe Masondo. Kallum Dhami came to the wicket at 84 and was 14no when Clydesdale overtook the Drumpellier total in the 23rd over, finishing up 121-3. I watched the innings of Sizwe Masondo with interest – nothing flashy, nothing outrageous to note, but as a bowler, I was wary of him as a batter. He looks the part and will probably be a staple of Clydesdale’s defence of the championship. His 56no was effortlessly efficient in its execution and his foot movements and shot selections made me, as an observer, glad that I wasn’t playing. He’s a player and definitely one to watch this season.

  GHK v Ayr

  GHK have obviously been reading the Ayr game-plan book of recent seasons and opted to bat first at Old Anniesland. An interesting decision to go for, but GHK were 62-1 after 12 overs and setting a rare old pace. Ali Majeed (34) fell in the 16th over with the total now 77-2 and GHK were still going for it, as they say, and were 121-3 after 25 overs. The GHK innings finally concluded in the 47th over with them being 175ao with Fazal Jawad scoring 67. The Ayr bowling saw Flack, Ali and Tahir all take 2 each while Marcel Marconi’s airwave floaters took 3-13 off 5 overs.

  Chasing 175, it would be easy to expect Ayr to overcome that total. But this is GHK they are playing – the Paul Daniel’s Magic Show of the WDCU with the tagline of “You’ll like it. Not a lot, but you’ll like it”.

  And miracles do happen – the opening salvo of the GHK bowling attack can be an ordeal – it is quick, challenging and also unexpected. Ayr did well to ride the opening burst of 10 overs and only be 27-3. With the change of pace, Michael English and Jake Wodehouse took the total along to 72-4 in the 28th over when Wodehouse was bowled by Azeem Akbar. Mikey Miller (33) chipped in to a 50 run partnership with English, and when he fell in the 39th over, the total was 128-5. 48 runs required off 10 overs with 5 wickets in hand – sorted.

  Michael Maxwell scored 18 in a 30 run partnership with English and with 20 required from 6 overs, Michael English looking determined, a tight victory for Ayr was in the offing.

  And then the magician’s wand was waved and the GHK spearhead bowling attack returned for the death. Wickets fell on 160 (Riggs) and Tahir and Ali in consecutive balls on 165 in the 46th over. English took the game to Akbar in the 47th and scored 9 runs from it. He scored a single in the 48th to tie the scores and would be facing the 49th over from Akbar. And once again, and not for the first time in recent seasons for GHK, the magic dust took effect and Michael English was caught to be last man out for Ayr and a tied match.

  A tense, close and enthralling encounter that proves that you never, ever write off a final result until that final ball is bowled.

  Ferguslie v Uddingston

  Ferguslie batted first at Meikleriggs and the well-oiled batting machine that operates at the field of dreams got up and running for the 2025 season. 60 was on the board at the beginning of the 8th over when David Stafford was caught behind and that brought to the wicket the welcome return of Gregor Preston-Jones to 1st team action – always nice to see Gregor playing. Gregor’s return to the crease was cut short when out with the total on 71 in the 11th over, but the spectators were then treated to a majestic batting display by Muhammad Mayet (110) and Uzair Ahmad (70) and a partnership of 166 in 25 overs.

  Praise to Uddingston’s Keerat Singh who bowled his 10 overs and took 3-66 during the majority of that partnership and it seemed rather apt that he was rewarded with the wickets of both Mayet and Ahmad.

  The Ferguslie innings finished with the impressive total of 298-9 off their 50 overs with Muhammad Awais taking 2-22 and Rajarajan Kamaraj taking 2-18 in the closing overs.

  It was going to be a tall order for Uddingston to chase down almost 300, and when Muhammad Awais was caught for 44 in the 17th over and the total 84-5, my initial reaction was that’s that. But I had forgotten about Ross Lyons and that he can golf it to all corners of the ground and make an impossible target very reachable. He gave it a good effort and when joined at the wicket by Tom Wilmott and 136-7 in the 30th over, the measured sclaff was on. When Ross was eventually dismissed in the 44th over, he had put on a partnership of 91 with Wilmott and personally scored 82 runs that included seven 4s and four 6s. Tom Wilmott fell for 34 shortly afterwards and Uddingston were eventually 234ao in the 46th over. Ettiene Jewell took 3-27, Haroon Tahir took 3-44 and Uzair Ahmad took 2-28.

  A win for Ferguslie but Uddingston made a game of it. 532 runs for 19 wickets. A century, two 50s, a couple of large partnerships, some strong bowling performances and decent cricket to watch. Meikleriggs again living up to its moniker ‘the field of dreams’.

  I’ve included some clips from Frogbox this week to add to the review. The first two are the catches I mention, and the other two are sporting appreciations by the fielders towards batters scoring 100. Nice to see the spirit of the game in the WDCU.

  Hope you enjoy this ‘review from the badger’s sett’ of week 2 of the WDCU Premiership 2025, but if you get a chance, study the scorecards of the games and look at the extras of each innings. Count the wides and no-balls and then deduct these ‘extra runs and balls bowled’ from the totals, factor in what those ‘extra runs and balls bowled’ did to the final result of the games played and remember what I wrote last week – every run is a prisoner and every ball bowled is vital.

  Siggy

  https://highlights.frogbox.tv/5-119e9e4d-0948-4e3e-a60b-892933054b9a/4a738f8d-8d2c-4046-8a76-b757c11c8d25.m3u8?dt=1746875675&start=0&end=30

  https://highlights.frogbox.tv/5-3162861a-6815-4907-aaca-f72018613c4f/8560009d-0541-4faf-a07f-9810b8b3af1b.m3u8?dt=1746878006&start=6&end=36

  https://highlights.frogbox.tv/5-3d3563e1-c823-415f-8135-4178e443a29a/7cbd9403-a5a5-43d1-b019-47d3a8dc152b.m3u8?dt=1746883624&start=4&end=34

  https://highlights.frogbox.tv/5-9eba6c4e-8d66-4c72-a3ed-3d6319ab6c34/86e9e5a8-8813-4551-a9f6-b68d5a7c6ed2.m3u8?dt=1746887222&start=0&end=30

• WDCU Spring Meeting (17th April 2025)
  Please find attached details of the WDCU Spring EGM to be held at 7pm on 24th April 2025 at Uddingston CC.

  Please note that balls will be available for collection for those clubs who have ordered, unfortunately I cannot guarantee being able to arrange collection of balls outside of this time ahead of league games beginning.

  We will be joined on the evening by Andrew McDowall, the Head of Integrity and Compliance at Cricket Scotland. Andrew will be leading a discussion on the CS Code of Conduct and expectations with regards to this. This discussion has already been held within the other CS regions and your participation is strongly encouraged. On this basis, we ask that Captains of all playing XI’s from clubs are in attendance in order to ensure this message is shared with and encouraged among their teams going into the new season.

  If you haven’t yet ordered balls for the 2025 season please send your order urgently to me at the following email address: wdcu.secretary@gmail.com  Please DO NOT send your orders back to this email…

  A reminder to those clubs who have not yet paid their WDCU 2025 Subscription to do so ASAP.

   

  Bryan 

• Job Advertisement  – WDCU Administrator (24th March 2025)

  WDCU are currently seeking an Administrator an administrator with a view to support the organisation of club cricket within the region. No previous experience within cricket administration is required, albeit an understanding of the region and structures of the organisation and cricket in the West of Scotland would be advantageous.  Applications should be made in writing via email to,

  Hon. Secretary & Treasurer – Bryan Clarke, wdcu.secretary@gmail.com

  Please see link below for further details –

  WDCU Administrator Roles and responsibilities 2025

  _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Job Advertisement Head Coach/Development Office (26th February 2025)

  Job Advertisement

  Head Coach/Development Officer

   

  Renfrew Cricket Club, currently competing in Division 1 of the Western District Cricket Union (WDCU), is seeking to appoint a Head Coach/Development Officer with a minimum qualification of ECB Level 2 or an equivalent coaching accreditation.

  This role will be pivotal in supporting the development of the club’s current adult and junior members, attracting new players, and working collaboratively with the senior and junior cricket convenors to strengthen the club’s overall performance.

  Key Responsibilities:

  Head Coach:

  • Collaborate with the Senior Convenor to establish clear development pathways for players progressing through the senior teams, identifying and nurturing talent.
  • Provide input into senior team selection and work closely with senior captains to implement the approved development pathway.
  • Support match-day duties for the first XI in partnership with the team captain.
  • Develop and oversee a comprehensive winter training and development programme for senior and junior players, including the establishment of an academy offering group and one-to-one coaching sessions to generate additional income.
  • Deliver the fourth year of the club’s successful “Introduction to Cricket for Adults” programme and support the development of veterans’ cricket.
  • Lead the creation and implementation of a women’s cricket programme.

  Development Officer:

  • Work alongside the Junior Convenor and Active Schools coordinators to increase participation across boys’ and girls’ age groups, from All Stars/Dynamos to junior teams.
  • Organise and deliver development initiatives, including school festivals and summer camps

   

  Performance Monitoring:

  • Key performance indicators (KPIs) will be established to track progress and achievement of the outlined objectives.

  Qualifications and Experience:

  1. ECB Level 2 Coach or equivalent qualification.
  2. Relevant coaching and playing experience, supported by references from previous clubs detailing both playing and coaching abilities.
  3. Proven track record of senior cricket experience.

  Working Hours and Remuneration:

  • The role requires flexibility, with an average of 37.5 hours per week to accommodate the club’s requirements.
  • Remuneration will be negotiable based on the experience and credentials of the successful applicant.

  Application Process:

  Interested candidates should submit a cover letter detailing remuneration expectations and a CV to: renfrewcricketclub@gmail.com for consideration.

  We look forward to receiving applications from passionate and committed cricket professionals who are eager to contribute to the growth and success of Renfrew Cricket Club.

   

   

• WDCU Adminstrator (24th February 2025)
  Please note that Iain Murdoch resigned from his position as WDCU Administrator in late January and we have been working hard in the background to reorganise in his absence.

  Iain did a great job in his two years as our administrator and we thank him for his efforts and we wish him well for the future. If we didn’t know this already, the administrator is a key position for us and Iain will be difficult to replace. In the meantime, we have agreed as a committee to pick up the various aspects of his role between us and will communicate any changes moving forward.