1st XI achieve cup success over West
Greenock 1st XI v West of Scotland
West of Scotland 145 for 9
Greenock 1st XI 146 for 5 (RD Berrington 51, C Bellwood 30)
Greenock bounced back from their Premiership defeat to Heriots on Saturday with a fine Scottish Cup win over Premiership opponents McCrea West of Scotland at Glenpark on Sunday. The premier cup competition in Scottish cricket is, in the last decade, Greenock’s most favoured competition, the locals having won the trophy five times since 2002, and there was a very keen desire by both players and supporters to progress through to round three with a victory over their Glasgow opponents.
For once this season the toss worked in Greenock’s favour and McCrea West were invited to bat first. Two early breakthroughs by opening bowlers Bellwood and Berrington got the Glenparkers off to the best possible start, but then Ian Young, a former Middlesex player and the very promising Andrew Umeed began to steady the innings. However, an unnecessary run out with just 32 runs on the board, due to a superb piece of fielding by Chris Bellwood, sent a disconsolate Young back to the dressing room having scored 16.
Zimbabwean professional Colin de Grandhomme, who plays in the Auckland state side in New Zealand alongside (hopefully soon to arrive) Tim McIntosh, was next to the crease and he and Umeed took the score along at a rate of just over three runs per over for the next ten overs before Greenock picked up three wickets in quick succession. De Grandhomme lofted a Hislop delivery to David Thomson, who after juggling the ball for a few seconds completed the catch. Three balls later Hislop bowled Luthra for a duck and then a dreadful mix up between Umeed and new batsman Brown had Umeed given run out. All of a sudden 64 for 6.
Greenock might have thought that they would clean up the remaining McCrea West wickets, but a 49 run partnership between Ross Brown and David McNulty allowed the Partick side to get back into the match. McNulty eventually was bowled for 21 by Tony Judd who was a late replacement into the side. Brown then became run out victim number three for the afternoon for West having scored 24 and then just before the innings closed, Alex Baum stumped Talpur off Judd’s bowling for 13.
Greenock used six bowlers during the McCrea West innings and apart from the wicket takers already mentioned there were also good bowling performances from Dave Sharma and Jonathan Hempsey.
Needing just three runs per over to win the tie but with rain constantly threatening, Greenock got over the early loss of Andy Hislop and settled into a steady rhythm with Chris Bellwood and Richie Berrington at the crease. These two added 65 runs for the second wicket with a very fine partnership before Umeed bowled Bellwood for 30. Baum came and went with just two more runs on to the total and then Ryan Begley joined Berrington and these two took Greenock to within touching distance of the visitors total. Berrington was then adjudged LBW having batted in an impressive manner to score 51 vital runs for his team.
Although West did pick up one further wicket, Begley (22not out ) and David Thomson (7 not out) guided Greenock safely over the winning line with eight overs to spare.
Greenock have been successful in obtaining another home tie in the third round of the Cup, Glasgow rivals Clydesdale being the visitors on Sunday 19 June.
