Greenock humbled

Roger Graham 1551 - 1551 • Published 15 Jun 2009 14:00

Greenock 220 all out; Watsonians 221 for 2wk

GREENOCK"S season is fast turning into an embarrassment after this comprehensive home defeat on Saturday by a modest Watsonians side.

At full strength, with the exception of international pace bowler Dewald Nel, the Glenpark side need to take a detailed look at their level of performance after their fifth loss in the league.

With five international players in their team, plus an under-19 cap, this was a shoddy display by a vastly under-performing unit.

There needs to be a vast collective improvement if the season is not to disintegrate completely. Going by current displays, this is a side which needs some serious time together in the nets and some individual self-examination.

Credit, of course, should go to the visitors from Edinburgh, in particular Ewan Chalmers and professional Andy Delmont who each scored centuries in an impressive unbeaten third wicket partnership.

It was their third win of the season and was throughly merited over the course of a match which ended with seven overs to spare.

For Greenock the season is now about ensuring they remain in the Premier League and and having a run in the Scottish Cup.

That, of course, assumes that there will be a Premier League next season.

Proposals have been put forward by Cricket Scotland for a return to regional cricket with three leagues of eight teams, the top two of each going forward to play for a national title.

It is a move which Greenock"s former president Jimmy Lepick is known to oppose. He has been in talks with some clubs who have threatened to form their own breakaway elite league which would aim to retain their link with Cricket Scotland.

The issue is to be debated at a meeting in Stirling next month.

Greenock"s innings began with a run out in the third over, Berrington going for a single and Prabhu failing to make his ground.

Cameron Borgas arrived at the wicket and smashed opening bowler Sutherland over square leg for a six in the fifth over but when Berrington, apparently under instruction from Cricket Scotland to open the batting for his club, fell to a catch at gulley in the sixth over it was 27 for two and some rebuilding was required.

However, Borgas then steered a Sutherland delivery round the leg side to be caught and Greenock were proving all too brittle.

Skipper Craig Wright came in only to be caught at slip off Page and when Moneeb Iqbal, who had batted beautifully last week at West, fell to a mistimed shot to mid-on, it was 52 for five wickets.

Watsonians were buzzing, but Sean Weeraratna and Keenan Bowers began a recovery of sorts only for the former to fall on 83. He was followed by Willie Rowan six runs later and the visitors were firmly back in the driving seat.

Keenan Bowers then began a comeback of substance, first with Ryan Begley, then Dougie Wylie.

His 50 arrived in the 39th over and by the time Begley fell, caught and bowled Sutherland, it was a far more healthy 157 for eight.

Wylie continued where Begley had left off and a Bowers single heralded the 200 in the 48th over. Watsonian heads were falling noticeably in the field, though Bowers fell to Routray in the same over.

Wylie and Jonathan Hempsey put on 19 more before Hempsey became the final wicket to fall in the final over.

Given their appalling start, it was a more than decent total for a side with plenty of bowling in their ranks. Plenty of bowling on paper, that is. On the field it was a different story, though the early portents were good.

Sean Weeraratna had Easton caught at deep fine leg with only two on the board and then a superb throw by Richie Berrington ran out Flannigan in the fifth over, the total being 11.

That was when things began to go badly wrong. First Chalmers was dropped by Borgas at slip off Wright when on five, then he was put down, again in the slips by Wright off Weeraratna when on 15. They were to prove costly errors from normally extremely reliable fielders.

Dougie Wylie appeared as first change in the 13th over with the total 61 for two.

Gradually Delmont and Chalmers began to take the initiative, the former"s half century coming in the 21st over.

Bowling changes made little impact and Chalmers joined his partner on 50 with a single off Iqbal in the 25th over.

The 150 came up in the 31st and Greenock were sorely needing a breakthrough. The Watsonian procession continued and Chalmers struck the returning Wright for a beautiful straight four, following up soon after with two successive boundaries off Willie Rowan.

The question now was whether or not the Edinburgh club pair could each reach their centuries. The match result was now beyond doubt.

In the 41st over Chalmers became the first to achieve the target, followed soon after by Delmont, the game ending with seven overs remaining.

Such is the bizarre nature of the points system that Watsonians, having won comprehensively, left Glenpark without the two bonus points. It"s a strange cricket world in Scotland.

GREENOCK

R.D. Berrington c Batchelor b Page................6

S.S. Prabhu run out.........................................0C.A. Borgas c Stubbs b Sutherland...............22

M. Iqbal c Sutherland B Delmont...................12

C.M. Wright c Chalmers b Page......................1

S.D. Weeraratna c Easton b Routray............17

K. Bowers b Routray....................................71

W. Rowan c Easton b Delmont.......................5

R.G. Begley c & b Sutherland.......................22

R.D.G. Wylie not out.....................................24

J.P.C. Hempsey c Batchelor b Routray...........2

Extras 38

Total (10wkts) 220

Bowling: G.D. Sutherland 10-0-57-2; S. Page 10-1-46-2; R.T. Routray 9.3-2-44-3; A.H. Delmont 10-2-35-2; R.T. Paxton 10-3-26-0.

FOW: 1/6 Prabhu; 2/27 Berrington; 3/34 Borgas; 4/41 Wright; 5/52 Iqbal; 6/83 Weeraratna; 7/89 Rowan; 8/157 Begley; 9/201 Wylie; 10/220 Hempsey.

WATSONIANS

R. Flannigan run out.......................................0

J.A.C. Easton c Rowan b Weeraratna............0

A.H. Delmont not out...................................100

E.F. Chalmers not out..................................102

Extras 19

Total (2wkts) 221

Bowling: C.M. Wright 8-0-51-0; S.D. Weeraratna 8-0-42-1; R.D.G. Wylie 8-1-36-0; W. Rowan 3-0-29-0; C.A. Borgas 9-1-29-0; M. Iqbal 6-0-34-0.

FOW: 1/2 Easton; 2/11 Flannigan.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 15 Jun 09

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