Greenock soundly beaten by Aberdeenshire
Greenock 1st XI vs Aberdeenshire
Greenock 1st XI 66 (0 pts) (TJ Buchan 7 for 20)
Aberdeenshire 70 for 0 (10 pts) (JG Strydom 42*)
The importance of the toss in cricket was perhaps never better illustrated than on Saturday when Aberdeenshire called correctly and asked Greenock to bat first in their Premiership fixture at Glenpark. Less than two hours later, after what must be one of the shortest league fixtures ever played by the local side, the game was over and Greenock had lost heavily to their Aberdeenshire opponents.
After two overs, with 15 runs on the board, there was no inkling of the calamity which was to follow. But with the first ball of the third over Chris Bellwood was clean bowled by Tyler Buchan and became what was to be the Aberdeenshire skipper’s first of seven wickets.
Greenock’s internationalist Richie Berrington came to the middle and joined Andy Hislop but just two overs later, and after having faced just nine balls, Berrington became Buchan’s second victim when he was clean bowled by a ball that cut back sharply and took off stump. 25 for 2. Hislop and Rowan then put together what was looking like a promising partnership until Hislop was well caught by Brand at point for 11. Rowan was next to go when he mis-timed a pull shot, top-edged the ball and Chris West took a straight forward catch to send him back to the clubhouse having scored 17. 53 for 4.
Thanks mainly to ‘extras’, the Greenock score moved along to 66 still for the loss of four wickets after just thirteen overs. What happened next must surely rank as one of the biggest collapses in Greenock’s long cricketing history. In the space of just two overs, Greenock contrived to lose their remaining six wickets without adding a further run to their total. All out 66.
The destruction of Greenock’s batting line up was mainly the result of a special performance with the ball from Aberdeenshire’s opening bowler Tyler Buchan, who finished with career best figures of 7 for 20, which may have signalled to the Scotland selectors that he should be in the reckoning when future Saltires teams are being considered.
With the forecasted afternoon’s weather to be rain spreading into the area and not moving away for many hours, Aberdeenshire’s batsman set about their business with devastating intent in order to ensure that the rain would not deny them their win. After three overs, with the ball being carved to the boundary on numerous occasions with the visiting opening batsmen on all out attack, 31 runs were on the board. Strydom, in particular, was taking the home bowling attack to task as he hit nine 4s in an unbeaten 42. His batting partner Brand was also in hard hitting form with two 4s and a 6 in his 25 not out as Aberdeenshire cruised past Greenock’s paltry 66 after just seven overs and one ball.
Heads or tails? How might the result have been different if Aberdeenshire had not called correctly?
Greenock CC wish to thank Match Sponsor, Priyas Palace and Match Ball Sponsor, Tom Ward, for their generous support.
