Greenock notch second league win

The winning margin was by a very comfortable eight wickets as the visitors' total of 155 runs was overtaken in just 23.4 overs, largely thanks to a fine 61 from Fraser Colson and 58 not out from Tom Batters.

The Ayrshire side now have the unenviable record of having lost every competitive Saturday match which they have played during this summer of 2013, and have only three more Saturday fixtures to obtain a change in their fortunes.

Greenock, with a number of first eleven regulars unavailable, coasted to this win and if the recent improved form can be maintained as the season moves towards its conclusion at the end of August, then a much more positive outlook will perhaps pervade the clubhouse at Glenpark.

Prestwick won the toss on Saturday and made a most promising start to their innings with openers Kevin Lawlor and South African overseas amateur Jean-Pierre Erasmus putting on 72 runs for the first wicket.

Both batsmen appeared comfortable and scored well, especially Erasmus, against Greenock's opening pace bowling attack of Tom Batters and Richie Berrington.

After eight overs, with the visitors on 31 runs, Greenock skipper Shailesh Prabhu made his first bowling change and brought on Fraser Colson with his slow off spin. However, little seemed to change with both Prestwick batsmen picking off runs with seemingly little trouble.

Then, in the seventeenth over, Colson made the breakthrough when he trapped Lawlor LBW for 22 runs. Just two balls later, Prestwick's number three batsmen David Carlyle was returned to the clubhouse also LBW to Colson to give the New Zealander a double wicket maiden and put a different complexion on the match position with the visitors 72 for two in the seventeenth over.

Calum Rodger had a fairly short spell at the wicket scoring just six runs before being bowled by Colson and then, seven runs later with the score on 92, the prized wicket of Erasmus was captured when the South African skied a delivery from Colson, and Richie Berrington running backwards at mid-off took a quite brilliant diving catch to dismiss the opener who had scored 47 runs.

As the drinks break approached, Colson collected his fifth wicket of the afternoon when Calum Morrison was well held by youngster Louis Ware, having scored five runs in a very brief stay at the wicket. The Prestwick total after 25 overs was 103 for five wickets.

With Colson's spell of ten overs at an end, Prestwick might have been forgiven for sighing with relief but their batting difficulties simply continued.

Tom Batters returned for a second spell and trapped Greg Phillips LBW for 11 before Greg McDougall picked up a further two wickets. Firstly, Nathan Calderwood gave Jonathan Hempsey a straightforward catch at mid-off then Jacob Stafford chipped a simple catch to Richie Berrington. Neither of these two batsmen troubled the scorers as Prestwick showed signs of terminal decline at 120 for eight.

Philip Stafford and Archie McDonald then breathed some life into the innings adding 23 runs before Stafford was LBW to Sam Sanghera for nine runs. The last wicket partnership of McDonald and Mitchell Rao contributed another fifteen runs before Greenock pace bowler Tom Batters ended the innings on 155 when he clean bowled McDonald for 15.

Colson returned fine bowling figures of ten overs, five wickets for 25 runs, Batters had nine overs, two for 21, Greg McDougall five overs, two for 18 and Sam Sanghera four overs, one wicket for 10 runs.

Chasing the modest Prestwick total of 155 runs, Greenock lost an early wicket when Neil Flack edged a delivery from Greg Phillips in the second over and was well caught at second slip by Calum Morrison.

But this was to be only a momentary piece of joy for Prestwick as Batters and Colson produced a fine partnership of 98 runs, which ended when Colson picked out JP Erasmus who was positioned under the large tree by the scoreboard, and he held on to the catching opportunity to dismiss Colson for 61 runs.

Jonathan Hempsey joined Batters in the middle and in just six overs the remaining 54 runs were notched up .

The runs came mainly from Batters who scored very freely and with some fine shots including eight boundaries to finish 58 not out. Hempsey was unbeaten on eight at the close.

Greenock have now consolidated a mid table position in the CSL West Division One.

CSL40 Semi-final Greenock 225 all out, East Kilbride 210 for three wickets (win on revised target of 209 required from 37 overs due to rain interruptions) On Sunday, at Torrance House, Greenock lost out in a high scoring CSL40 semi-final against top of the table East Kilbride.

The Greenock innings was largely a one-man show with New Zealand amateur Fraser Colson hitting a magnificent 152 which included twelve boundaries and seven massive sixes.

In the 40-over innings each side match, Greenock made 225 which set a challenging target for East Kilbride to chase.

In reply, East Kilbride were quickly a wicket down when Tom Batters bowled opener Craig Smith for five with the second ball of the fifth over of the innings.

A useful partnership then developed between South African amateur Garon Kleinveldt and Stewart Kampman but was broken when Kleinveldt (14) was bowled by Jonathan Hempsey with the score on 41 in the eleventh over.

Harmanjit (Harry) Singh joined Kampman in the middle and together built what proved to be the match winning innings for their team.

They put on 125 runs for the third wicket before Greg McDougall bowled Kampman for 54.

However Harry Singh (100 not out) continued to dominate the Greenock bowling and reached his century just before the winning runs were scored by Umair Saeed who remained on 15 not out at the end.

East Kilbride will now play the winners of the other semi-final between Renfrew and Ferguslie in the CSL40 final which is scheduled to be played at Glenpark on Sunday 1 September.