Weeraratna is the main man as Greenock win

Roger Graham 1551 - 1551 • Last updated 26 May 2008 12:06

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THERE was no doubting the man of the match in this comfortable home win at Glenpark on Saturday, Sean Weeraratna top-scoring with an unbeaten 68 before capturing three Clydesdale wickets.

Already minus Dewald Nel, who was playing for Scotland at Durham on Sunday, and injured Shailesh Prabhu, Greenock suffered a further, late loss, when the Scots called up Richie Berrington on Friday night for their match at Durham on Sunday.

He was unable to take part in the Scots" Saturday morning preparation but was told not to play for his club against Clydesdale.

Meanwhile, up the road at Meikleriggs, Majid Haq, also in the Scots squad, was playing for Ferguslie before driving down the road to Durham.

The apparent reason given for Haq"s permision to play for his club, was that he had not had much cricket recently. Hmmm, why select him then?

It is, of course, a nonsense in any event. If Scotland aspire to play at county level, then they ought to appreciate that county players compete against each other several days of the week, constantly travelling to and from the various venues.

A drive from Greenock to Durham on a Saturday evening is no big deal with a game the next day.

It is another example of how club cricket in Scotland is being devalued. A crazy points system, the advent of the Scotland Under-19s competing in the Premier League, and numerous call-offs due to international call-ups, debase the integrity of the Premier League.

Only in the Scottish Cup do teams meet each other now at full strength on a regular basis.

That Greenock managed to win, and did so with something to spare, says much for their performance. Weeraratna emerged as the key man, but there were excellent supporting roles from Tim McIntosh, Craig Wright, Jonathan Hempsey, David Brown, Dougie Wylie and Ryan Begley.

Wright had not intended to bowl due to a back problem, but after Berrington"s withdrawal he decided to bowl off a shortened run-up. That provided a vaulable contribution, along with his 32 runs. Hempsey took two key wickets in a commendable 10-over opening spell. That did much to build the platform for victory.

Greenock chose to bat first on a Glenpark wicket that has tended to be a little variable this season, one or two deliveries keeping quite low, especially from the Fox Street end.

Yet the start was confident, David Brown doing well as an opener with McIntosh.

When on 25, the New Zealander survived a confident visiting appeal for caught at slip. He and others believed the ball had not carried to Sheikh, while Clydesdale were adamant it had.

It mattered not, for six runs later, with 56 on the board, the Kiwi was bowled round his legs by Afzal, an uncharacteristic dismissal for him.Harry Byrnes Howe was caught behind without addition, another controversial decision, and when Brown fell on 64, caught at gulley, Greenock were in some trouble at 64 for three in the 19th over.

Craig Wright and Sean Weeraratna then began the partnership which was to restore confidence to the Greenock innings. Wright smacked Lyons over his head for a straight six only to fall to new bowler Singh"s change of pace two overs later.

Weeraratna maintained control, surviving one costly dropped catch at fine leg. With good help from Ryan Begley, then Dougie Wylie, he steered the hosts to over the 200-mark when David Thomson became the last wicket to fall in the final over of the innings, his leg stump being uprooted as he went for a big swing.

The match was evenly poised but Greenock"s attack made early inroads, Williamson falling lbw to Weeraratna, followed by two excellent wickets from Jonathan Hempsey, the first delivery in the eighth over moving off the pitch to knock over Sheikh"s off stump after the batsman had looked to have played correctly down the line, and the second two overs later knocking back Smith"s middle stump.

At 25 for three, "Dale needed a steady partnership. Professional Sajid, who had taken four Greenock wickets in a good spell with the ball, began the process along with Farid. But, just when they seemed settled, Farid spooned McIntosh to mid-on.

Twenty runs later it was 84 for five when Singh, on the back foot, was rapped on the pads by McIntosh. When Sajid was caught at mid-off to the bowling of Weeraratna, it was 113 for six and Clydesdale were in serious trouble.

Lyons fell, there was a brief revival of sorts by Bashir and Munro, but the end finally came in the 42nd over when Wylie had Afzal trapped llbw. l Match sponsor: W.B. Hall (Sales Service) Quality Cars.

GREENOCK

T.G. McIntosh b Sajid.................................31

D.P. Brown c Singh b Sajid........................13

H. Byrnes Howe c Smith b Sajid..................0

C.M. Wright b Singh...................................32

S.D. Weeraratna not out............................68R.G. Begley b Singh...................................11

R.D.G. Wylie b Afzal...................................17

C. Hempsey c Smith b Afzal........................3

J.P.C. Hempsey b Afzal................................4

K. Begley b Sajid..........................................0

D.C. Thomson b Afzal..................................0

Extras 28

Total (all out) 207

Bowling: M. Afzal 9.3-1-40-4; J.G. Williamson 10-2-32-0; K. Sajid 10-2-25-4; R.T. Lyons 5-0-31-0; Z. Bashir 10-1-44-0; H. Singh 5-0-29-2.

FOW:1/56 McIntosh; 2/56 Byrnes Howe; 3/64 BROWN; 4/117 Wright; 5/138 R. Begley; 6/180 Wylie; 7/193 C. Hempsey; 8/205 J. Hempsey; 9/206 K. Begley; 10/207 Thomson.

CLYDESDALE

J.G. Williamson lbw b Weeraratna.............17

C. Smith b J. Hempsey................................1

Q. Sheikh b Hempsey...................................5

K. Sajid c McIntosh b Weeraratna..............43

K. Farid c Wylie b McIntosh.......................28

H. Singh lbw b McIntosh..............................6

Z. Bashir c C. Hempsey b Wright...............16

R. Lyons b Weeraratna ...............................0

G. Munro b Wylie.......................................20

M. Afzal lbw b Wylie.....................................0

N.D. Mitchell not out.....................................0