Greenock come close to beating the league leaders

Greenock 1st XI vs Uddingston
WDCU CSL Premier Division
Saturday 3rd August 2019

DLS Par Score was 102 in 47 overs

Scorecard       

Not for the first, or even second time this season, Greenock got themselves into a winning position on Saturday by bowling out their opposition for a low total only to be unable to bat well and finish the job.

Premier Division leaders Uddingston came to Glenpark keen to maintain their top position, but midway in the match that ambition looked unlikely, as they had been bowled out for just 102 runs following a first class bowling and fielding display by Greenock, which was rounded off by a first senior hat-trick by Under-17 Scottish international bowler Sean Fischer-Keogh.

WDCU CSL Premier Division Table (as at 3 August)

Uddingston won the toss and elected to bat on an afternoon which started out warm and sunny, and with Glenpark in first class condition and ready to provide the setting for an entertaining match.

It was Greenock who gained the early initiative when the visitors opening batsman Mo Awais was well caught by Sehmat Pandher in the second over of play. Awais (9) had been very positive in the few balls he had faced and had scored two boundaries before Sean Fischer-Keogh made the breakthrough.

And it was Fischer-Keogh who was also instrumental in the second Uddingston wicket to fall. Amir Hafeez drove the ball towards the extra cover area and set off for a run, but Fischer-Keogh was quick on his feet, and, having made good ground, picked the ball up one-handed then made a direct hit on the stumps with his throw, to run out the Uddingston opener who had not yet opened his account. 16 for 2 in the seventh over.

'Harry' Singh and Amir Gul then put together a partnership which was looking like being a lengthy one until Sehmat Pandher took a second, very smart catch low down at cover to dismiss Singh for 17 off the bowling of Sam Sanghera with 51 runs on the board.

Greenock picked up wicket number four just before the midway drinks break when Chirag Pandher clean bowled Gul for 23, and the Glenparkers were in positive mood.

Their optimism was well founded, as Uddingston's innings lasted only a further 12 overs after the midway point. Three more wickets were picked up between the 28th over and the 32nd over as Gavin Bradley (13) bowled Saurabh Bandekar, Bryan Clarke (3) also bowled Bandekar and Ross Lyons (3) caught Barranechea, bowled Cammy Calder, all departed cheaply to leave Greenock in a dominant position with the score on 86 for 7.

One hundred runs came up for the visitors without further loss before Sean Fischer-Keogh demolished the last three batsmen in the space of three balls to give him his first senior hat-trick.

Scottish internationalist Gavin Main was Fischer-Keogh's first victim, trapped LBW for 13 with the fifth ball of his ninth over and new batsman Niall Alexander, fresh to the wicket, was clean bowled next ball to give the Uddingston man a first ball 'duck'.

Fischer-Keogh then gained his hat-trick with the first ball of his tenth over when Mo Adnan (1) was bowled to wrap up the league leaders' innings for just 102 at the start of the 38th over and Greenock looked to be in a strong position as the teams left the field for the tea-break.

Fischer-Keogh with 4 wickets for 32 runs from 9.1 overs was the outstanding bowler for Greenock, with Saurabh Bandekar 2 for 6 from 8 overs and Chirag Pandher, Sam Sanghera and Cammy Calder each with one wicket, the other bowlers who did well for the local side.

Zac Barranechea opened the Greenock innings as he has done in each of the Premier Division matches to date, but with yet another different opening partner. Chirag Pandher who normally bats in the lower middle order, was promoted to open the innings and became Barranechea's sixth different partner at the top of the order.

But the tactic failed to benefit the Glenpark side, as Pandher was clean bowled in the very first over by a fast spearing yorker by pace bowler Niall Alexander before a run had been recorded on the scoreboard.

Greenock then made steady progress with Barranechea and Indian pro Saurabh Bandekar seeming in good form and dealing well with the Uddingston bowling attack.

However, with the score on 38 in the 11th over Greenock lost a second wicket when Barrenechea fell victim to change bowler Amir Gul. He had just scored a boundary from Gul's very first ball and attempted to repeat his sweep shot next ball only to top edge the delivery and was easily caught by slip fielder 'Harry' Singh.

And when Greenock's professional Saurabh Bandekar was bowled by Gavin Main with just four more runs added to the total, Greenock's progress towards the winning target was suddenly and significantly altered.

The experienced pairing of Shailesh Prabhu and Rod Mountford only managed to add a further eleven runs for the fourth wicket before Mountford was adjudged LBW to Gul to make the score 53 for 4 in the 17th over.

Sensing Greenock's vulnerability, Uddingston's bowlers grew in confidence and in the space of just the next five overs, the Glenparkers slumped to 72 for the loss of 8 wickets with only Prabhu showing any sign of being able to withstand the visitor's bowling attack.

However when Prabhu was run out for 21 attempting a second run in order to retain strike, Greenock's last hope of somehow being able to reach the winning line all but ended. And, with heavy rain clouds around and a short stoppage due to a brief downpour, that hope was finally extinguished when Sam Sanghera was caught by Alexander off the bowling of Mo Awais with the local side still eighteen runs adrift of the Uddingston total.

Amir Gul with 4 wickets for 30 runs from his 10 over spell was Uddingston's top bowler.

Only three more Premier Division matches are left to be played in the league programme, and Greenock remain in eighth position just slightly more than 10% above Drumpellier who occupy second bottom position. At least one more win may well be needed for Greenock to be sure of finishing above the bottom two relegation spots when the season ends in three week's time.