Greenock face all-important game with Stirling

 

Greenock make the trip through to Stirling this Saturday to play Stirling County in the full knowledge that a win is absolutely essential if Premier Division cricket is to be possible in 2019. Less than three percentage points separate Greenock from second bottom Ayr and less than seven percentage points separate the Glenparkers from bottom side Dumfries.

With just two weekends of cricket remaining in this season's top league competition, any two of the bottom four could go down, but if Greenock can win both of their remaining matches then they will be safe.

 

WDCU CSL Premier Division Table (as at 11 August)

 
Played
Won
Lost
Tied
Points
Net Run Rate
%
Ferguslie
13  
12
1
0
305
1.51
  93.85
Clydesdale
14  
9
5
0
253
0.01
  72.29
Stirling County
13  
7
4
2
205
0.13
  63.08
Uddingston
14  
7
7
0
212
0.15
  60.58
Prestwick
14  
7
7
0
206
-0.03 
  58.86
West of Scotland
13  
6
7
0
182
-0.25
  56.00
Poloc
13  
5
8
0
163
0.39
  50.16
Greenock
13  
5
8
0
138
-1.01
  42.47
Ayr
14  
4
10
0
139
-0.47 
  39.72
Dumfries
11  
2
7
2
  99
-0.70 
  36.00

 

So Greenock must be on top form this Saturday and will look to their senior and overseas players to step up to the mark and produce the performances with both bat and ball which will bring home maximum points from the match at New Williamfield.

Indian professional Saurabh Bandekar has been in good form in the last few weeks. He gained his top score of the season 80 against West of Scotland in mid-July and then added to that with 59 at Prestwick. In the match at Uddingston he scored 33 not out in a 92 run partnership with Neil Flack and last Saturday he top scored for the team with 70 against Ferguslie.

Another high scoring innings from Bandekar will be important for Greenock at New Williamfield on Saturday, but the pro needs to be better supported than has sometimes been the case if the team is to build a large total and gain control of the match.

Back into the side this weekend is Chris Hempsey, who missed out due to work commitments last Saturday, and his presence will be a boost to the team. He will likely open the innings following his 61 at Prestwick and 29 at Uddingston when he filled that position. He is also the team's first choice wicketkeeper.

The experienced Shailesh Prabhu will probably be at the top of the order with Chris Hempsey and it will be important for that partnership to give the team a sound start. At Uddingston, two weeks ago the pairing did just that putting on 55 runs before Prabhu was adjudged LBW for 23 and then once Hempsey departed Flack and Bandekar took the team on to a very fine 8 wicket win.

Flack has been Greenock's highest scoring batsman this season with 119 against Ferguslie at Meikleriggs back in June and he has had a number of other fine innings. This Saturday at Stirling, on what is normally a very good batting wicket, he has the potential to be a matchwinner if he can remain focussed in the manner he showed two weeks ago at Uddingston when along with Bandekar he played a very important and carefully constructed innings.

Others from whom runs can come include South African amateur Laurens Smit, Sehmat Pandher and Greg McDougall. Smit has had several good innings for the team in the Premier Division this season and is a capable batsman. But he needs to get through the first few overs and get some runs to develop his confidence to go on and build a score.

Sehmat Pandher is a hard hitting batsman from whom runs are likely to come quickly but he needs to develop the ability to stay at the crease for longer spells to take advantage of his power and scoring potential. He is a player who can quite suddenly alter the run-rate and give the opposition a real problem defending the boundary and if he gets to the middle at the right moment on Saturday he could do real damage to Stirling.

Greg McDougall too can play an important role in the lower middle order if asked to bat there. He can defend well and support others from higher in the order while at the same time accumulating runs without any drama. And as building partnerships is important in getting a good team score, McDougall's input with the bat later in the innings could prove pivotal.

Run-scoring is however only one element of the game which Greenock will need to do well in at New Williamfield. The team must bowl well and be sharp in the field.

Heading up the bowling attack will be pace bowler Bandekar and leading league wicket-taker Neil Flack. These two will look to gain some early wickets to put Greenock in charge while Stirling are batting and supporting them will be Under-15 Scotland international Sean Fischer-Keogh, Laurens Smit Greg McDougall and Sam Sanghera.

Out of last Saturday's side are Harry Briggs, Fraser Godsman and Jonathan Hempsey who has a back injury. Up and coming young players Sean Fischer -Keogh and Ewan Stewart along with the experienced Chris Hempsey are the players who replace them.

Saturday's opponents Stirling have had a very mixed season but have done enough to secure a strong league position without ever challenging at the top of the table.

Key players in the Stirling side are the experienced Gavin Anderson, South African amateur Brandon McMullen, and Tom Bradburn son of the Scottish national cricket coach.

Anderson is an all rounder being both a useful batsman and also a dangerous change bowler. McMullen will be likely to open the bowling and bat in the middle order where he has been a consistently good run scorer for the team while young Bradburn is a very useful middle order bat.

With less than three percentage points separating Greenock from Ayr in second bottom spot, Saturday's match at Stirling will be hugely important in determining the final outcome of the Premier Division positions with just one more round of fixtures after this weekend.

The Glenpark XI play their final home league game of the season when they welcome Kingholm (the second string of St Michaels of Dumfries) to Glenpark. The team are on a run of disappointing losses and will surely look to end their home games with a win. Skipper Ally Calder will hope that the final selection from a squad of fourteen will do the trick. The match starts at 1pm.

The Hillend XI wrap up their season with a friendly match on Sunday against Helensburgh at Glenpark, the match starting at 1pm.

 

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored this season by Cleaning Supplies 4U.