Double success in T20 event
Published 27 Jun 2011 12:00
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GREENOCK took part in the Cricket Scotland T20 festival at Ayr on Saturday.
Greenock opened the day's play in mid-morning at New Cambusdoon against host side Ayr and scored 109 for 5 with Kiwi pro Tim McIntosh, fresh from his lengthy plane journey from New Zealand, scoring 35 and Andy Hislop adding 27.
In reply Ayr managed just 89 for 8 giving Greenock a comfortable win in their first match.
In match number two, Greenock were once again involved, this time against Dumfries.
The Nunholm side batted first and got off to an electrifying start scoring 30 runs from the first three overs and by the end of seven overs had more than 70 runs on the board.
The capture of a number of key wickets allowed Greenock to get into the game and slow down the Dumfries scoring rate.
By the end of the 20 overs Dumfries had scored 110 for 7 and the Glenparkers had given themselves a chance to win.
A slow start to their innings, and some tight bowling by Dumfries, put Greenock on the back foot with only 19 runs on the Glenpark scoresheet after the first seven overs, in stark contrast to where Dumfries had been at the same stage in their innings.
A remarkable over, which saw Tim McIntosh smash five 6s, changed the game and Greenock went on to overtake the Dumfries total for the loss of just one wicket. McIntosh was 68 not out at the end and Chris Bellwood (pictured) had helped himself to 31 not out in support of his Kiwi batting partner.
Meanwhile in Edinburgh, a serious row is brewing as Grange, Watsonians and Carlton refused to take part as individual clubs and instead played a combined side against Heriots who were hosting the T20 Festival in the capital city.
Heriot's captain, Steve Knox said: "While giving over this Saturday to twenty:20 we have to finish the Premiership league season with back-to-back games on a Saturday and Sunday in August which isn't ideal.
"The context of the festival with no prize money or no apparent bigger picture appears baffling, a bit strange.
"If the twenty:20 had been part of an on-going series of matches on, say, Friday nights the way the winter indoor tournament is conducted (at the National Cricket Academy) I could have more easily understood."
Sanjay Patel, captain of Grange agreed, saying: "There doesn't appear to be any point to it and a lot of our guys decided this was the right time to take a break."
Steve Gilmour, Carlton's coach, added: "The lack of importance attached to the event was brought home by a message from Cricket Scotland that we were not required to notify any results."
Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith insisted twenty:20 festivals have a big part to play in the game's future. "The national side are heading across to Namibia at the end of this season and the plan is to add five matches in the twenty:20 format on to a schedule which includes a four-day Inter-Continental Cup match and one-day internationals.
"We are going to be playing more and more T20 matches and with the possibility of qualifying for two T20 World Cups in the next four years they would be important to us," said Smith.
Peter Hempsey, President of Greenock Cricket Club, said: "We sent an experienced side to take part in the Ayr festival. Our team lacked a few players, who would in normal circumstances play for our first eleven. However, we have had little cricket in the west of Scotland this season, due to the dreadful weather since early May, that any cricket is important for our players.
"The festival has really not been welcomed by Greenock.
"We would prefer to be playing league cricket on a Saturday and the fact that there was no prize-money on offer meant that there was not even any opportunity to gain compensation for the loss of income suffered as a result of having no match taking place at our ground at what should be the height of the summer.
"Cricket Scotland may need to listen more carefully to what clubs around the country are saying."
Meanwhile, Greenock's involvement in this season's Scottish Cup was brought to a premature end yesterday afternoon when their third round tie with Clydesdale was decided on a bowl-off - the cricket equivalent of a penalty shoot out in football.
The third round tie had originally been scheduled for Sunday 19 June, but rain last week meant yesterday's reserve date was brought into play.
Once again, however, the miserable weather intervened and no play was possible.
But, as the competition rules state that the final date for a decision on the tie is this coming Wednesday, Greenock anticipated that a reduced overs midweek match would take place.
Clydesdale would not agree to play midweek and the umpires ruled that there should be a bowl-off.
Greenock made it clear to the umpires prior to the bowl-off taking place that they felt the decision was a quite inappropriate way to proceed when a reduced overs match could be possible within the time frame laid out in the competition rules. The umpires stated that their interpretation of the rules, when the two clubs could not agree, was that a bowl-off should take place.
Greenock CC President, Peter Hempsey stated: "The Scottish Cup has been devalued by today's decision. Ferguslie and Kelburne, who were in the same situation as ourselves, will play their tie on Wednesday evening and have it decided by a reduced overs twenty:20 match. That is sensible and in the spirit of the game.
"Greenock Cricket Club will be contacting Cricket Scotland to express extreme disappointment that our tie was not allowed to be decided by means of playing a reduced overs game in midweek.
"The bowl-off should only be used as a very last resort.
"It is reasonable to have a bowl-off on the last available Sunday where clubs have a very lengthy distance to travel, such as Aberdeenshire travelling to Dumfries, and where a midweek tie would not be feasible. But our two clubs are only half an hour apart and regularly play midweek West District cup competitions."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 27 Jun 11
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