COMPETITIVE cricket for Greenock takes a break for the next two weeks as the Commonwealth Games gets into full swing in Glasgow.

A number of clubs in the Glasgow area are having their facilities used by some of the visiting countries for training and suchlike.

In addition, it is considered that traffic congestion will be such that it will not be easy to get across Glasgow on both Saturdays.

As a result, the Western Union felt that the best course was to suspend the leagues for the two weeks of the Games.

Greenock have decided that they did not wish the facilities of Glenpark to go unused over these two weeks and have accordingly organised a series of friendly matches to fill the gap.

The first of these games sees Inverclyde make the short journey from Gourock to play the Hillend XI tomorrow. The game will start at 1pm and the Hillend XI is sure to feature the usual heady mix of the experienced and the future stars of the club.

It is to be hoped that the current scorching weather (at the time of writing) holds firm although there are rumblings that there may be a wee change coming. Typical.

Sunday sees something a little more competitive when Hillend, Innellan and Kilmacolm take part in a T20 festival — 20 overs per side to the uninitiated.

Innellan and Kilmacolm kick off proceedings at 11am and they will be followed by Hillend playing both of these sides, although the exact sequence of the games has still to be decided.

The winner of each game will get two points and if there is a tie on points at the end, then net run rate will decide the overall winner of the festival.

T20 games are usually great fun and there should be plenty for spectators to enjoy.

Louis Ware is a player with a burgeoning reputation and on Monday evening, playing for the combined Greenock and Kelburne Under-18 XI, he lived up to that by taking seven wickets for just six runs in three overs, including a hat-trick, against West of Scotland.

Louis is one of three young players at the club, the others being Neil Flack and Harry Briggs, who have had great success this summer at district level and indeed in Neil’s case for Scotland’s Under-17 11. As they say, the future is bright.

Greenock Cricket Club is proudly sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U.