With the weather seemingly set fair, it will be another busy week of cricket for the Glenparkers. First up are the Glenpark XI on Tuesday when they take on Helensburgh in the Western Cup at Glenpark. The 1st XI travel to Renfrew on Wednesday to play the local side in the McCulloch Cup and then are at home on Thursday to Langside in the second round of the Rowan Cup .

All these matches start at 6.15pm. Tuesday's match can be watched at this link and it is hoped that this facility will also be available for the 1st XI games - watch this space.

Despite a second successive unbeaten century from Rahul Dalal, the 1st XI fell to another league defeat, losing by 7 wickets to Prestwick. Dalal's 109 was the mainstay of the team's 176 for 5, an innings cut short by rain after 42.4 overs. DLS adjusted that score to 208 but this proved no obstacle to Prestwick who knocked off the runs for the loss of just 3 wickets with almost 5 overs to spare. Peter Hempsey's weekly report rounds up the details of a match which promised much but ultimately slipped out of the teasm's grasp.

The Glenpark XI were involved in a high-scoring affair away to Woodfarm but came out of it with a 5 wicket loss. Batting first, they scored 224 for 9 with Asad Farooq with 49 and Nagendra Nagaraju with 42 being the main scorers. The game was very keenly poised when Woodfarm stood at 153 for 5 but their 6th wicket partnership could not be separated and reached their target in the 39th over. The match was a triumph for Mr Extras who reached his half-century in both innings.

The 1st XI should be full of confidence after their excellent win over West of Scotland last Saturday. This week, Prestwick are the visitors to Glenpark and like the locals, they also broke their league duck last Saturday. They will provide a tough task for the 1st XI but there is no reason why the locals cannot come out on top. Certainly Greenock supporters will hope that Rahul Dalal is able to repeat his outstanding knock of last week but he will need the help of his team-mates if a win is to be recorded. The game is scheduled to start at 12 noon and will be streamed live via this link.

The Glenpark XI have made a good start to their league campaign this seaon but they face a stern test on Saturday when they take on the unbeaten leaders, Woodfarm ,on their opponents' ground in Glasgow. The Glenparkers will need to be at their best if they wish to return home with the winnign points. This match starts at 1pm.

Kelburne achieved double success over Greenock teams in this week's midweek cricket. On Tuesday their second string were too strong for the Glenpark XI, winning by 41 runs in the Western Cup while on Wednesday, the 1st XI, again forced to field a weakened eleven, were no match for their Paisley rivals in the McCulloch Cup, going down by 75 runs. Even at this early stage of these competitions, the two elevens have it all to do if they hope to reach the knock-out stages.

The 1st XI broke their league duck in some style on Saturday, travelling to Hamilton Crescent to take on West of Scotland and winning by 4 wickets. Skipper Greg McDougall won the toss and asked West to bat, a decision that was amply justified as the attack made quick inroads into the home side's batting lineup. At one stage West stood at 105 for 8 but rallied to 148 all out with wickets shared out amongst the bowlers. When the 1st XI were 13 for 3 in the team's reply, the outlook did not look rosy but a superb unbeaten 105 from Rahul Dalal off just 70 balls saw the Glenparkers across the winning line. Peter Hempsey's weekly report gives all the details of a match which delivered a much-needed win and which will hopefully set the team up for the rest of the season.

The Glenpark XI had the easiest of wins at Glenpark, defeating the Clydesdale Cavaliers by 10 wickets. The visitors were bowled out for just 38, with Emily Norris with 3 for 2 returning the best figures. Jamie Nowell and Eddie Ahmad knocked off the runs needed for victory in just 6 overs. Dave Sharma, having recovered from last week's injury, provides an a eye-witness report on the match.

The 1st XI reached the second round of the Rowan Cup with an 18 run victory over East Kilbride at Torrance House on Thursday. Batting first, they overcame a rocky start which saw them lose thier first two wickets for just 10 runs. A stand of 115 between Tom Polkinghorne (62) and Gregor Chambers (60*) and a cameo from Cammy (Calder), who hit 15* from just 8 balls, enabled the team to post a total of 154 for 3. East Kilbride made a great start, putting on 74 for the first wicket but their openers were then dismissed by Usman Mansoor and they finished on 136 for 6. Langside are next up for the team at Glenpark on 1st June.

On the previous evening, a much-weakened eleven were well beaten by Ferguslie in the first group match in the McCulloch Cup. The Paisley side scored 209 for 1 in their 20 overs and restricted the 1st XI to 105 for 8, Rahul Dalal with 32 and Greg McDougall with 27 being the top scorers.

To complete the midweek picture, the Glenpark XI, again with a weakened side, went down to Anniesland in the first group match of the Western Cup on Tuesday. The Glasgow team easily overtook Glenpark's 106 for 6, losing just 2 wickets in the process.

Ian Chambers, who is Gregor's Dad and who comes to all the 1st XI games and in an emergency steps in as the 1st XI scorer, is about to embark on a cycle ride from Lands End to John O'Groats in aid of SMA UK, a charity which supports people and families affected by the rare genetic disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Details on how to follow Ian's progress can be found here.

We wish Ian and his two friends who are doing the ride with him, all the very best.

The 1st XI were well beaten by the league champions Ferguslie at Glenpark on Saturday. The visitors batted first and at one point were reduced to 133 for 6 but their depth in batting saw them reach 238 before being dismissed in their final over, Rahul Dalal being the most successful bowler with 4 for 39. Greenock's reply never got going with wickets falling at regular intervals. Only Gregor Chambers with 45 offered any real resistance as their Paisley opponents won by 112 runs.

Peter Hempsey's weekly report gives more details on a game which showed again the levels the team needs to reach to survive in the division.

The Glenpark XI came up just short at New Anniesland when they went down to Anniesland by 16 runs A last wicket stand of 44 saw the home side reach 169 before being dismissed and despite 46 from Chris Hempsey and 44 from a hobbling Dave Sharma, Glenpark were all out for 153. Dave Sharma has taken time out from nursing his injury to pen a full report on the match.

The 1st XI were unfortunately no match for Ayr on Saturday, losing by 119 runs to the visitors. Ayr made 266 for 7 in their 50 overs, their professional Frylinck making 91 and the locals could only respond with 147 for 9. Tom Polkinghorne scored 54 but could not get anyone to stay with him with only Chambers and Dalal making it into double figures. Peter Hempsey's weekly report provides more detail on a disappointing performance by the team.

It didn't get any better on Sunday when they were swept aside by Stewart's Melville in the first round of the Scottish Cup by 9 wickets. Batting first, they could only amass 92 and the Edinbugh side wasted no time in overtaking that total, losing just one wicket in the process. Peter provides a brief report on what was an extremely one-sided affair.

The Glenpark XI made it two wins out of two when they defeated Galloway 2nd XI by 5 wickets, a pleasing victory given the struggle to get eleven players to travel and play. Hamidullah Safi was the star with the ball, taking 5 for 8 as Galloway were dismissed for just 44. Glenpark did make heavy weather of the chase but ultimately they won quite comfortably.

The April monthly draw for the Glenpark Supporters Prize Draw (GSPD) was carried out on Saturday 29th April 2023 by Craig Wooler. The four lucky winners were Alastair McMillan, Ian Henley, Colin McDougall and Monika Fischer-Keogh while Peter 'Robbo' Robertson scooped the April jackpot prize.

Congratulations to everyone on their win!

The next draw will take place on Saturday 27th May 2023 for the usual prizes. The Spring jackpot prize will also be drawn at this time.

We are always looking for new members to join the draw, the receipts from which are used to improve the facilities of the Club for all members. If you wish to join, please contact Brian Papworth using the details to be found at the Contacts link at the top of this page.

It was a case of mixed fortunes for the club on the first Saturday of the league season.

The 1st XI at one stage looked on course for victory at Dumfries, with home team on 56 for 4 chasing a target of 193 to win, but the locals' middle order stood firm and won the game by 4 wickets in the 49th over. Tom Polkinghorne with 64 and Lukas Fischer-Keogh with 54 starred with the bat in a total of 192 for 7, their partnership putting on 120 for the third wicket, whilst skipper Greg McDougall was the most successful bowler with 3 for 43. Peter Hempsey fills out the details in his report of a game which promised much but ultimately failed to deliver for the team.

It was a different matter for the Glenpark XI. Their opponents, Blackhill, could only field 9 men and were quickly skittled out for 23. In reply, the Glenparkers passd that total in just 3.2 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. In a blast from the past, veteran all-rounder Dave Sharma has been persuaded to write a comprehensive report on the match, something which is bound to please his many admirers.

A dry and mostly sunny weekend saw the 2023 season start at Glenpark and it was a winning start as both friendly matches were won in some style. New professional, Rahul Dalal, was the star of Saturday's victory over East Renfrewshire, his hard-hitting 85 giving promise of things to come in the league season as the visitors were defeated by 6 wickets. On Sunday, Gregor Chambers, who had taken 4 for 17 on Saturday, was the main man with the bat, making 50 in the total of 160 for 6 against West of Scotland. The Glasgow side made a steady start but the introduction of Nagendra Nagaraju to the attack brought any hopes that they might have had of winning to a rapid end, as he took 5 for 9 in just 4.1 overs to seal victory for the home side by 36 runs.

Peter Hempsey in his first report of the season provides the details of what was a splendid start to the season.

Despite no cricket being played on Saturday 15th April, the day was still deemed a success due to the Player Sponsorship function held in the evening. Players, members and crucially sponsors all assembled to discover who would be sponsoring who in the coming season. As can be imagined, everyone was on tenterhooks to learn who get the chance to sponsor our new pro, Rahul Dalal. Shailesh Prabhu turned out to be that lucky person. Can't see him going thirsty this summer!!

The March monthly draw for the Glenpark Supporters Prize Draw (GSPD) was carried out on Saturday 25th March 2023. The four lucky winners were Mary Hempsey, Linda Robertson, Alan Park and Tony Church.

The Club is delighted to announce the return of Player Sponsorship. For just £50 per player, members can sponsor a Greenock player for the 2023 season and earn rewards depending on that player's performances in all competitive 1st XI and Glenpark XI matches. These incentives are

Batting - 30 runs earns a bottle of beer, 50 runs a pint and 100 runs a jug of beer

Bowling - 2 wickets earns a bottle of beer, 3 wickets a pint, 5 wickets a jug of beer with a bottle of beer for every wicket on top of that number

Fielding - 2 catches/runout earns a bottle of beer, 3 earns a pint, 4 a jug of beer, 5 a jug and a bottle and more than 5 a jug and a pint.

Any member who wishes to sponsor a player should contact captain Greg McDougall on 07957 673373 or leave his or her name with Lynn Cole at the bar.

The draw for the allocation of players will take place on Saturday 15th April at 7.00pm after the opening season friendly with Hillhead and it is hoped that as many sponsors as possible will be able to attend to take part and find out which specific player they will be sponsoring.

The Club is pleased to announce that it has signed Rahul Dalal from India as its professional for the 2023 season. Rahul joins the Club after a successful season for Arunachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 482 runs, which was the highest aggregate amongst the teams competing in Arunachal's group. In all first-class cricket, Rahul has scored 2407 runs with a top score of 267*.

Rahul is a right-hand bat and also bowls off-breaks and will undoubtedly be a key player for Greenock in their return to the Premier Division this season.

In 2020, when no cricket was played due to the Covid-19 outbreak, a number of articles relating to the history of the Club were published on the website. These can be read via this link.

The Club records have been updated again, this time to cover the years from 1931 to 1937. Each year that has been added to the archives has a summary of all games played by the 1st XI together with full averages, selected scorecards and a short review of the season. The cumulative records of the Club have also similarly been updated.

This new update covers the years when the Club's professional was Reg Hollingdale, from Sussex, who can reasonably be claimed to be one of the best professionals employed by the Club. During this time, the Club won the Western Union title on two occasions while there were any number of memorable games, not least the time when Jack Hobbs played at Glenpark in June 1935. 1937, though it did not result in title or cup success, was a year when there were some outstanding personal performances, such as John Kerr hitting two centuries in four days at the age of 52.

As with previous updates, there a number of caveats that need to be kept in mind and these are detailed in this brief article.

Work will now start on the next update which is likely to cover the years from 1925 to 1930.