Woeful season continues for Glenpark men

Roger Graham 1551 - 1551 • Published 22 Jun 2009 14:00

Clydesdale 220 for 6wkts; Greenock 181 for 7

IT may have been an improved display, but Greenock continued this season horribilis with another defeat, this time at Titwood.

Seven league games played, six defeats and their sole success - and a fortunate one at that - against the only side below them in the table.

I can"t recall a more depressing sequence in all the years I have reported on the club"s matches.

They lined up in Glasgow minus injured international pair Dewald Nel and Sean Weeraratna, the latter ruled out for around six weeks with a strained side, and unavailable skipper Craig Wright.

They still had sufficient resources to have given anyone a decent game. They did just that up until the last eight overs. At that stage they required 59 with six wickets in hand.

For Greenock sides of the past that would have been almost a foregone conclusion. But on Saturday it was Clydesdale"s attack which rose to the occasion, notably Afzal and Haq.

When stumps were drawn the visitors were still 20 adrift.

When Keenan Bowers fell with eight overs remaining, Greenock sent in Chris Hempsey ahead of Willie Rowan and Ryan Begley, clearly an attempt to go for quick runs.

His favoured tactic of taking a step back to give himself room for a lusty whack was soon sussed out by the home bowlers. In the event he played and missed too often and Greenock were soon well behind the clock.

With four overs to go the run rate required had risen above 10 per over. By the time Hempsey fell, bowled by Afzal, the task was beyond redemption.

The game began with Clydesdale being inserted on a greenish wicket after some heavy rainfall.

First blood was drawn in the seventh over when Willie Rowan had Williamson caught at midwicket by Keiran Begley.

Gradually, however, Clydesdale began to take control and when Jonathan Hempsey was hit for a straight six by Shahid in the 16th over it was 57 for one.

Sajid then skelped Cameron Borgas for a boundary through long-on before Shahid reached his half century in the 22nd over, the total 87.

The wiles of Dougie Wylie began to slow the hosts" progress and he took an excellent catch low down off his own bowling to dismiss Sajid, following up by having Shahid caught excellently at gulley by Chris Hempsey, the big fellow diving quicker than a besieged U-boat to clutch the ball.

The hundred came up in 31 overs and Greenock were right back in the match. Moneeb Iqbal came on in the 35th and soon had Farid trapped leg before wicket.

Haq was then run out before a top catch in the outfield by Jonathan Hempsey removed Hussain.

The innings closed with the home side on a respectable 200, but less than they would have wanted with wickets in hand.

Greenock"s reply was confident, though Shailesh Prabhu was put down in the eighth over at cover with the total only 23. When he finally fell 10 overs later, the total was a healthy 67.

Cameron Borgas came in to join Richie Berrington but he spooned a simple catch to midwicket off Afzal. Richie Berrington was clean bowled next delivery by Afzal, the ball keeping low and nipping away, and Clydesdale sensed the tide had turned in their favour.

Iqbal and Bowers dug in and gradually began to establish themselves. They found runs hard to come by, however, and when Bowers was out to a good catch by Scobie, running in from deep midwicket, it was 142 for four in the 42nd over.

That brought Chris Hempsey to the wicket. Two decisive overs were bowled by Afzal and Haq which effectively put the game beyond the grasp of the visitors.

Hempsey became Afzal"s fourth victim, clean bowled, then Rowan was stumped going after Bashir. By the time the final over came, Greenock were 24 short of the target. Ryan Begley was Afzal"s fifth victim in the final over and Greenock had slumped to their sixth league defeat of the season.

CLYDESDALE

Z. Shahid c C. Hempsey b Wylie..................52

J. G. Williamson c K. Begley b Rowan............4

K. Sajid c & b Wylie.......................................16

K. Farid lbw b Iqbal........................................23

O. Hussain c J. Hempsey b Iqbal..................55

R.M. Haq run out.............................................4

Z. Bashir not out............................................18

H. Sher not out................................................5

Extras 23

Total (6wkts) 200

Bowling: W. Rowan 7-1-21-1; R.D. Berrington 10-0-57-0; J.P.C. Hempsey 5-0-24-0; R.D.G. Wylie 10-1-22-2; C.A. Borgas 10-3-38-0; M. Iqbal 8-0-33-2.

FOW: 1/20 Williamson; 2/88 Sajid; 3/93 Shahid; 4/137 Farid; 5/169 Haq; 6/189 Hussain.

GREENOCK

R.D. Berrington b Afzal..................................39

S.S. Prabhu c Hussain b Afzal......................26

C.A. Borgas c Farid b Afzal...........................10

M.M. Iqbal not out..........................................49

K. Bowers c Scobie b Sajid...........................29

C.J.C. Hempsey b Afzal..................................0

W. Rowan st Hussain b Bashir........................1

R.G. Begley b Afzal.........................................0

R.D.G. Wylie not out........................................1

Extras 21

Total (7wkts) 181

Bowling: J.G. Williamson 5-0-26-0; K. Sajid 10-5-20-1; L. Scott 8-0-39-0; M. Afzal 10-1-30-5; R.M. Haq 10-2-30-0; Z. Bashir 7-0-27-1.

FOW: 1/67 Prabhu; 2/85 Borgas; 3/85 Berrington; 4/142 Bowers; 5/169 C. Hempsey; 6/175; 7/178 R. Begley.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 22 Jun 09

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