Published: Monday, 1st June, 2009 12:00pm
Escape to victory
by Roger GrahamGreenock 252 for 5wkts; Ayr 243 all out.
HITTING OUT: Willie Rowan in full flow for Greenock during the first innings at Glenpark on Saturday.
why should a side seek consolation in victory?
It may seem a paradox, but this opening win of the league season for Greenock certainly posed the question.
The satisfaction for the hosts came pricipally from the win itself, an excellent opening partnership between Shailesh Prabhu and young Keenan Bowers, a top knock from Willie Rowan and a peerless innings from professional Cameron Borgas, his unbeaten 88 struck off just 81 deliveries.
Then should come some self-examination.
On the face of it this might be assumed to have been a great game of cricket: loads of runs and a brave Ayr response which fell just short of the target.
The visitors deserve full credit for pushing their hosts as far as they did, and for a while it looked as if they might well be successful. Few would have grudged them that.
But Greenock have to look at their bowling. They were minus Craig Wright, Dewald Nel and Richie Berrington, but they still had sufficient in their armoury, including two international bowlers, to worry an Ayr side which had lost four times on the bounce.
In the event, Greenock"s attack was often woeful and, yet again, extras was an embarrassing amount, this time four short of the 44 in the Grange match a fortnight prior
Sean Weeraratna, in fairness, seemed troubled by a problem with his left shoulder, but he was especially wayward and struggled throughout to find line and length. He did come back at the end to make a key contribution but it was a display which suggested some time in the nets would not go amiss.
At the end of a beautiful afternoon one could not help but feel some sympathy for an Ayr side who fought valiantly, notably through a splendid sixth wicket partnership of 115 between Smith and David Johnstone.
The innings of the day, however, came from Cameron Borgas. He also produced the tightest home bowling display and captained well in often trying circumstances. Without him Greenock would have lost.
Ayr skipper Dougie Johnstone won the toss and inserted Greenock, a decision he might have been questioning when Prabhu and Bowers raced off to a brisk start.
By the time the Ayr skipper brought his slow bowling into the attack it was 86 without loss after 20 overs.
However Johnstone had Prabhu stumped and when Bowers followed soon after, caught behind off visiting pro Papps in the 26th, it was 103 for two.
Moneeb Iqbal came and went and suddenly the fightback was very much on.
Sean Weeraratna fell caught and bowled Johnstone before Ayr"s recovery was halted in its tracks by a superb partnership by Cameron Borgas and Willie Rowan. They put on 152, Borgas"s 50 coming up in the 44th.
Rowan, who had shown fine form, was finally run out in the penultimate over. Borgas, having already lofted a fine six over long-on, then smashed another maximum off Wilson in the final over to leave Greenock on a healthy 252 for five.
Most of us spectators believed it would require a century from Ayr pro Papps for there to be a realistic chance of an Ayr win. We were wrong. Ayr raced off in reply and Borgas quickly brought on Wylie for Weeraratna in the seventh over at 32 for one, McElnea having been caught behind off Rowan in the preceding over.
Jonny Hempsey had Renny caught by Prabhu in his first over but by the end of the 20th it was 99 for two and Ayr were growing in confidence. Borgas introduced his off spin and had Dougie Johnstone caught and bowled and, when Papps fell leg before to an Iqbal full toss, it was 109 for four. Five runs later McCrossin was also trapped lbw by Iqbal and few would have given Ayr any chance.
Smith and David Johnstone had other ideas and thrived off some indifferent bowling. Sometimes you get what you deserve in life, and Greenock were getting what they deserved.
In the 41st over Weeraratna conceded 25 runs and the game looked lost for the hosts. But sinner turned saint. An inspired switch brought Weeraratna back in the 43rd at the Bedford Street end. First he had Smith caught by Wylie at mid-on, then next ball saw Johnstone snaffled up by Borgas.
It was a pulverising double blow to Ayr and one from which they could not recover, the last wicket falling in the final over 10 runs short of the target.
Greenock were victorious, but they will appreciate there is much hard work to be done before they can be remotely content.
GREENOCK
S.S. Prabhu st Smith b Johnstone................42
K. Bowers c Smith b Papps...........................40
C.A.Borgas not out........................................88
M. Iqbal c Leck b Johnstone............................1
S.D. Weeraratna c & b Johnstone.................11
W. Rowan run out..........................................42
R.G. Begley not out.........................................1
Extras 27
Total (5wkts) 252
Bowling: A. Baird 10-4-28-0; S. McElnea 7-1-42-0; E.M. Papps 10-1-29-1; D.I. Johnstone 10-1-46-3; C. leck 8-0-50-0; P. Wilson 5-0-49-0.
FOW: 1/96 Prabhu; 2/103 Bowers; 3/104 Iqbal; 4/134 Weeraratna; 5/286 Rowan.
AYR
M.Papps lbw b Iqbal.....................................58
A. McElnea c Bowers b Rowan.......................6
M. Renny c Prabhu b J. Hempsey...................8
D.I. Johdstone c & b Borgas..........................19
N. McCrossin lbw b Iqbal.................................4
D.M. Johnstone c Borgas b Weeraratna.......53
P. Wilson c Begley b Rowan............................4
S. McElnea run out..........................................2
C. Leck not out................................................6
A. baird c Bowers b Weeraratna.....................0
Extras 40
Total (10wkts) 243
Bowling: S.D. Weeraratna 6.3-1-54-3; W. Rowan 10-1-45-2; R.D.G. Wylie 10-1-42-0; J.P.C. Hempsey 3-0-15-0; M. Iqbal 10-1-50-2; C.A. Borgas 10-2-28-1.
FOW: 1/32 A. McElnea; 2/70 Renny; 3/105 D.I. Johnstone; 4/109 Papps; 5/114 McCrossin; 6/229 Smith; 7/229 D.M. Johnstone; 8/236 S. McElnea; 9/237 Wilson; 10/ 243 Baird.
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