Greenock gain comprehensive win over Dundee HSFP

Dundee HSFP vs Greenock 1st XI
Scottish Cup
Saturday 4th May 2013

Scorecard       

Greenock gained a second win in their Scottish Cup sec tional campaign with an emphatic nine wicket victory over Dundee HSFP at Dalnacraig, Dundee on Saturday. The win moves the Glenparkers into second spot in the section just one point behind Grange whose match at Renfrew was cancelled due to Friday’s rain deluge.

On one of the coldest Saturday afternoons for cricket that many could ever remember, Greenock won the toss and invited Dundee HSFP to bat. The hosts lost a very early wicket when, in just the second over of play, Aussie amateur Tom Batters claimed his first wicket in Scottish cricket when he had Richard Rennie smartly caught at second slip by New Zealander Fraser Colson.

Opener Kenneth Kyles was joined by Stuart Murray and slowly they brought Dundee HSFP into the game. After 12 overs just 22 runs were on the board but they had survived the opening attack of Batters and Waleed Jamal. A couple of changes in the bowling line up brought an increase in runs as Greg McDougall, in particular, was punished by Kyles and Murray as they found the boundary rope on numerous occasions.

As the halfway mark in the Dundee HSFP innings approached, the run rate had risen above three an over. However, a second wicket went down when Jonathan Hempsey, who had bowled very well in his spell, trapped Murray LBW for 33 in the twenty third over.

Jonathan Hempsey in action at Dalnacraig

This brought Dundee’s Aussie professional Ben Strachan to the middle, and he and opener Kyles looked as though they might build a significant partnership until Mark Robertson lured Kyles into a mis-timed shot which was easily held by Fraser Colson at mid off. He had scored 34 runs and Dundee HSFP were 95 for 3 after 28 overs.

Strachan then made his intentions clear by smashing several fours and one massive six as he began to dominate the run scoring. However, Greenock cleverly quietened him down by restricting him opportunity to face the bowling and at the same time pinned down his batting partner Ross Horne. In fifteen overs together, the two compiled a partnership of 51 runs of which Horne contributed just three! His dismissal, the fourth wicket to fall, came with the home side on 146 in the 42nd over when he was comfortable caught at long on by Greg McDougall off the bowling of Jonathan Hempsey .

From a position of some strength Dundee HSFP then completely collapsed. The last six wickets fell with the addition of just four more runs. In the 43rd over, Hunter was trapped LBW by Waleed Jamal then next ball Jamal clean bowled Landwher. Worse followed for the home side as Aussie pro was called for an impossible run by new batsman Dinesh Bailwal and easily run out by wicketkeeper Alex Baum from a smart pick up and throw from Jonathan Hempsey. Strachan had scored 56.

Waleed Jamal

Waleed Jamal then finished off the Dundee tailenders. His pace and accuracy was too much for the last three batsman in the Dundee HSFP line up who each were clean bowled within just the first four balls of the 45th over. How quickly the game had changed as seven wickets had tumbled for the addition of just four runs.

Jamal finished with 5 wickets for 22 runs from 10.4 overs, while the other wicket-takers were Jonathan Hempsey 2 for 50 from 13 overs, Mark Robertson 1 for 16 from 4 overs and Tom Batters 1 for 7 from 8 overs.

Although Greenock received an early setback when Neil Flack was adjudged LBW in just the second over, Shailesh Prabhu and Fraser Colson were soon on top off the home side’s bowling attack. After 12 overs Greenock had 55 runs on the board with both batsmen looking quite comfortable and scoring with some ease. Colson, in particular, was finding the boundary regularly and was also finding the middle of the bat sufficiently well to clear the rope. Prabhu too was scoring well and for a good spell was matching Colson’s run scoring rate.

The end came mercifully quickly for Dundee HSFP when in only the 26th over Colson dispatched Aussie pro Strachan to the boundary to take Greenock to 152 for the loss of just one wicket. Fraser Colson ended not out for the second successive Saturday with 71 runs to his name having scored seven 4s and four 6s, while Greenock captain Shailesh Prabhu reached his 50 not out with what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the match.

The win places Greenock in second position in Group F of the Scottish Cup just one point behind top Edinburgh team, Grange as the first stage of this year’s competition comes to an end. The second stage of the competition resumes at the end of June while next weekend sees the start of the CSL league programme with Greenock travelling to play East Kilbride.