The weather wins for a second successive Saturday
For the second successive Saturday, Greenock’s league cricket match fell victim to the miserable wet weather which has stubbornly refused to allow any hint of summer to take hold in these parts. Indeed, cricket throughout Scotland was cancelled on Saturday, apart from one game in Dundee, with grounds unable to cope with the rainfall which has fallen almost incessantly for nearly two weeks.
Despite tremendous efforts by groundstaff and players at Glenpark from early on Saturday, their efforts came to nothing when the dry morning gave way to heavy rain once again just around lunchtime.
So, following the first three weeks of Scottish Cup sectional matches, all of which Greenock did get played, the CSL League programme has yet to get under way in the west of Scotland as all matches both on Saturday and on the previous week have been washed out. The Glenpark side will be hoping for ‘third time lucky’ this coming weekend when they travel to Paisley to play Kelburne.
Before that, Greenock have two midweek cup matches to play. On Wednesday, the local side make a trip to Whitehaugh to play Kelburne in a West League Cup sectional match, and then on Thursday, Stenhousemuir make the long trip back to Glenpark to replay the Rowan Cup tie which had to be abandoned because of heavy rain last Thursday evening.
The teams for each of these cup encounters have yet to be announced, but it is likely that Greenock will be short of a few of their first team regulars on both Wednesday and Thursday due to work and university commitments. Despite not being at full strength, Greenock will still hope to overcome their opponents on each evening and look to progress in the respective competitions.
Last Wednesday, Renfrew gained a win in the first of the six sectional matches which will be played in the initial phase of the West League Cup competition. While it is still early days in the WLC competition, nevertheless Greenock can ill afford to lose a second match and will be keen to get a win under their belt.
The Rowan Cup tie on Thursday against Stenhousemuir is a replay of last week’s abandoned match which ended when ten minute spell of torrential rain left Glenpark unplayable in the eyes of the umpires. When the decision to call off the game was taken, Greenock were in a very useful position having contained the visitors to just 87 runs for 5 wickets down. A repeat of this containment will be welcomed on Thursday evening, with a trip to either Weirs or Ferguslie the prize for the winners.
This coming weekend, as well as league business on Saturday, Greenock play their opening match in a brand new competition on Sunday when Weirs are visitors to Glenpark for the first match in the new CSL40 competition.
All that is needed now, is some decent weather !