GREENOCK are at home once again tomorrow and welcome Poloc CC from Glasgow’s south side for the match at Glenpark.

Having recorded their first league win of the season against Glasgow Accies last weekend, and also having defeated Premier League side Kelburne in a mid-week Player Reg West League Cup competition, the Greenock team will be looking to continue their winning form against Poloc.

The Glenparkers win last Saturday was a real all-round team performance.

The bowling workload was spread around, with six bowlers used during Accies’ innings.

Former Australian professional Darren Walker, below, now settled and living locally, demonstrated that he still has the talent to tame opposition batsmen with three wickets for 33 runs from a spell of 10 overs. He was ably supported by other wicket-taking performances from Blake Taylor, Jonathan Hempsey and Phil McIntosh.

The important business of run-scoring (Greenock’s Achilles’ heel in recent seasons) also came good with the top six batsmen in the Glenpark line-up all contributing significant runs to enable the Accies score to be overtaken.

In the last few years this would have been the sort of score Greenock would have failed to achieve.

Fielding too was of a high standard with catches taken and a smart run out achieved.

The hard work at training under the watchful eye of coach Darren Walker is now showing dividends.

The side to meet Poloc at Glenpark tomorrow afternoon will be much the same as played Accies last weekend, with just Phil McIntosh unavailable. Into the team will come Sam Sanghera, who provides excellent fielding cover and also a bowling option for Greenock captain Shailesh Prabhu.

The local side will be keen to show that their run-scoring good form can be maintained and much will be expected once again from the top six batsmen.

If a good innings foundation can be laid by the opening pair, and in particular if one of the openers can bat through a large number of overs, then Greenock can expect to gain plenty of runs.

Opponents Poloc have shown excellent early season form in the matches which they have been able to complete with three wins out of three in competitive cricket, two of which have been 20 overs a side midweek evening cup competitions.

The Glasgow southsiders have only one league match completed so far due to the wet weekend weather which has caused their last two Saturday matches to be abandoned.

In the matches which have gone ahead, the influence of Poloc’s overseas players professional Niel Bredenkamp and amateur Christopher Graham, both South Africans, has been immense in the ‘Loc’s performances.

Opening batsman Graham scored 95 in the league match against Weirs at Shawholm on the first Saturday in May and Bredenkamp, batting at number three, added 44 in the side’s total of 189 for five.

Graham also scored 56 not out against Irvine in a midweek Murgitroyd Rowan Cup match, while Bredenkamp demonstrated that he is a real threat with the ball, taking four wickets for just 12 runs in a Player Reg West League Cup game against Clydesdale, followed up with four wickets for just seven runs in last Saturday’s abandoned league match against Irvine.

But it is not just these two players Greenock should be watchful of. Craig Young, batting usually in the top four, has also been in fine form scoring 140 in his three innings to date with a top score of 76 against Irvine in the midweek Murgitroyd Rowan Cup match against Irvine.

In their bowling line-up Poloc have several options.

Ihtisham Malik, Poloc’s young under-18 player who has already received a call-up into the senior Reivers side for North Sea Pro Series, has been the ‘Loc’s opening bowler in each of the matches in which he has played and he has picked up a total of six wickets for 82 runs from 26 overs bowled.

Malik has been well supported in the Poloc opening bowling attack by Azeem Akbar, who joined up at Shawholm at the end of April from Hamilton CC and also Syed Aslam, not forgetting, of course, South African pro Bredenkamp. Akbar has picked up wickets in each of his matches and has taken eight for 106 runs from 32 overs.

So, Greenock will face a very tough test when Poloc roll up at Glenpark on Saturday. But it is a test which the Glenparkers should look forward to, as it will provide a good indicator for the progress which the side is currently making. The Greenock team to play Poloc in the WDCU Division One West League match at Glenpark tomorrow with a noon start will be: SS Prabhu, ND Flack, AP Forrest, TB Gilmore, JPC Hempsey, GJ McDougall, RP Mountford, SS Sanghera, BM Taylor, DK Walker, L PJ Ware.

l GREENOCK 2ndXI (Glenpark) will hope to continue their winning form from their recent matches when they travel away to Poloc 2nd XI (Shawholm) in a WDCU Reserve Division One match which will start 1pm tomorrow at Shawholm, in Pollok Park, Glasgow.

l ON Sunday, Greenock face Stenhousemuir in their re-arranged Scottish Cup first-round match which was unable to be played at The Tryst last Sunday because of the weather.

As Greenock travelled through to Stenhousemuir and no play was possible.

The cup rules state that the home side loses their ground advantage and have to travel to their opponent’s ground. So it is Glenpark this Sunday afternoon.

Stenhousemuir have been in fine league form in the first three Saturdays of May, with wins recorded against Stirling County, Weirs and Prestwick.

The team from The Tryst has also been a bit of a bogey team for Greenock in recent seasons and the Glenparkers will be looking to redress a run of reversals against them in this tie on Sunday afternoon.

l ON Tuesday evening, Greenock gained a Western Cup first-round win over Renfrew.

Batting first, Renfrew scored 82 all out with Mark Robertson picking up five wickets for 26 runs and Sam Sanghera three wickets for 18 runs.

In reply, Greenock were in control from the very first over and easily passed the visitors’ total after 14.4 overs, losing just the wicket of Chris Hempsey for 42 with only two runs needed for victory. Peter Hempsey was not out 30.

l PLAYER Reg West League Cup reversal: Greenock lost heavily to Ferguslie on Thursday evening at Meikleriggs to make it one win and won defeat so far in this six match, mini league, midweek cup competition.

GREENOCK are at home once again tomorrow and welcome Poloc CC from Glasgow’s south side for the match at Glenpark.

Having recorded their first league win of the season against Glasgow Accies last weekend, and also having defeated Premier League side Kelburne in a mid-week Player Reg West League Cup competition, the Greenock team will be looking to continue their winning form against Poloc.

The Glenparkers win last Saturday was a real all-round team performance.

The bowling workload was spread around, with six bowlers used during Accies’ innings.

Former Australian professional Darren Walker, below, now settled and living locally, demonstrated that he still has the talent to tame opposition batsmen with three wickets for 33 runs from a spell of 10 overs. He was ably supported by other wicket-taking performances from Blake Taylor, Jonathan Hempsey and Phil McIntosh.

The important business of run-scoring (Greenock’s Achilles’ heel in recent seasons) also came good with the top six batsmen in the Glenpark line-up all contributing significant runs to enable the Accies score to be overtaken.

In the last few years this would have been the sort of score Greenock would have failed to achieve.

Fielding too was of a high standard with catches taken and a smart run out achieved.

The hard work at training under the watchful eye of coach Darren Walker is now showing dividends.

The side to meet Poloc at Glenpark tomorrow afternoon will be much the same as played Accies last weekend, with just Phil McIntosh unavailable. Into the team will come Sam Sanghera, who provides excellent fielding cover and also a bowling option for Greenock captain Shailesh Prabhu.

The local side will be keen to show that their run-scoring good form can be maintained and much will be expected once again from the top six batsmen.

If a good innings foundation can be laid by the opening pair, and in particular if one of the openers can bat through a large number of overs, then Greenock can expect to gain plenty of runs.

Opponents Poloc have shown excellent early season form in the matches which they have been able to complete with three wins out of three in competitive cricket, two of which have been 20 overs a side midweek evening cup competitions.

The Glasgow southsiders have only one league match completed so far due to the wet weekend weather which has caused their last two Saturday matches to be abandoned.

In the matches which have gone ahead, the influence of Poloc’s overseas players professional Niel Bredenkamp and amateur Christopher Graham, both South Africans, has been immense in the ‘Loc’s performances.

Opening batsman Graham scored 95 in the league match against Weirs at Shawholm on the first Saturday in May and Bredenkamp, batting at number three, added 44 in the side’s total of 189 for five.

Graham also scored 56 not out against Irvine in a midweek Murgitroyd Rowan Cup match, while Bredenkamp demonstrated that he is a real threat with the ball, taking four wickets for just 12 runs in a Player Reg West League Cup game against Clydesdale, followed up with four wickets for just seven runs in last Saturday’s abandoned league match against Irvine.

But it is not just these two players Greenock should be watchful of. Craig Young, batting usually in the top four, has also been in fine form scoring 140 in his three innings to date with a top score of 76 against Irvine in the midweek Murgitroyd Rowan Cup match against Irvine.

In their bowling line-up Poloc have several options.

Ihtisham Malik, Poloc’s young under-18 player who has already received a call-up into the senior Reivers side for North Sea Pro Series, has been the ‘Loc’s opening bowler in each of the matches in which he has played and he has picked up a total of six wickets for 82 runs from 26 overs bowled.

Malik has been well supported in the Poloc opening bowling attack by Azeem Akbar, who joined up at Shawholm at the end of April from Hamilton CC and also Syed Aslam, not forgetting, of course, South African pro Bredenkamp. Akbar has picked up wickets in each of his matches and has taken eight for 106 runs from 32 overs.

So, Greenock will face a very tough test when Poloc roll up at Glenpark on Saturday. But it is a test which the Glenparkers should look forward to, as it will provide a good indicator for the progress which the side is currently making. The Greenock team to play Poloc in the WDCU Division One West League match at Glenpark tomorrow with a noon start will be: SS Prabhu, ND Flack, AP Forrest, TB Gilmore, JPC Hempsey, GJ McDougall, RP Mountford, SS Sanghera, BM Taylor, DK Walker, L PJ Ware.

l GREENOCK 2ndXI (Glenpark) will hope to continue their winning form from their recent matches when they travel away to Poloc 2nd XI (Shawholm) in a WDCU Reserve Division One match which will start 1pm tomorrow at Shawholm, in Pollok Park, Glasgow.

l ON Sunday, Greenock face Stenhousemuir in their re-arranged Scottish Cup first-round match which was unable to be played at The Tryst last Sunday because of the weather.

As Greenock travelled through to Stenhousemuir and no play was possible.

The cup rules state that the home side loses their ground advantage and have to travel to their opponent’s ground. So it is Glenpark this Sunday afternoon.

Stenhousemuir have been in fine league form in the first three Saturdays of May, with wins recorded against Stirling County, Weirs and Prestwick.

The team from The Tryst has also been a bit of a bogey team for Greenock in recent seasons and the Glenparkers will be looking to redress a run of reversals against them in this tie on Sunday afternoon.

l ON Tuesday evening, Greenock gained a Western Cup first-round win over Renfrew.

Batting first, Renfrew scored 82 all out with Mark Robertson picking up five wickets for 26 runs and Sam Sanghera three wickets for 18 runs.

In reply, Greenock were in control from the very first over and easily passed the visitors’ total after 14.4 overs, losing just the wicket of Chris Hempsey for 42 with only two runs needed for victory. Peter Hempsey was not out 30.

l PLAYER Reg West League Cup reversal: Greenock lost heavily to Ferguslie on Thursday evening at Meikleriggs to make it one win and won defeat so far in this six match, mini league, midweek cup competition.