1st XI start the 2026 league season at Langside

The 1st XI travel to the south side of Glasgow to get their Western Premiership Two league programme started when they meet Langside at Albert Park on Saturday.

It will be the team's first outing of the season as both of their intended pre-season friendly matches failed to take place when their opposition called them off due to ground conditions.

But Club captain, Aryan Sanghera, is quite upbeat about the match on Saturday and said "The players have been training well over the winter period and are ready to go. Not getting either of the two warm-up matches was a disappointment, but the players are looking forward to getting out on to the pitch and playing a competitive 50 overs-a-side match".

The team is buoyed by the arrival of two overseas amateurs from Australia. Adam McGuirk is from New South Wales and has just completed a fine season for his club 'down under'. He is a wicketkeeper/ batsman and was top scorer for the season with around 1000 runs to his credit. Greenock will be well pleased if he can replicate that sort of form while featuring for them over the summer.

Toby Matthews is the team's second Australian amateur. He is a highly regarded off spin bowler and comes from Queensland. His team back home, Western Suburbs in the Brisbane area, has just completed a very successful season, winning their Premiership final against University of Queensland with Toby a key player scoring 82 very valuable runs in the second innings and also taking an important wicket.

The two Aussies will get their first taste of cricket in Greenock colours on Saturday afternoon and both will be keen to do well.

Last season, Greenock and Langside met only once during the Western Premiership Two league season. In the match at Albert Park at the end of June, it was Langside who emerged victorious. Greenock were bowled out for just 103 and Langside won with six wickets to spare. The return match at Glenpark at the end of August was cancelled due to wet weather.

The coin toss before the match gets under way could well be a key factor in the outcome of the match as the winning captain will have the choice of batting first or opting to bowl, and the conditions on the day will likely be an important influence on that decision.

The 1st XI will field a side which shows a few changes from 2025 with Harry Briggs, the Pandher brothers, Chirag and Sehmat, and Sam Sanghera not featuring. But it is a side which has the potential to do well and return with a first league match win and 25 points.

It is also a side which has a mix of experience and youth in the team with former captains Greg McDougall and Shailesh Prabhu both available alongside some younger players. And, of course, the two Aussies are players who have been in form in their own season back home and could be the key to bringing out the best in their new team-mates.

Captain Aryan Sanghera will be urging his players to get the season off to a winning start by focussing on doing well in each of the three elements of the game batting, bowling and fielding. If they can do that, then returning west back along the M8 from Glasgow on Saturday evening should be a positive and enjoyable journey.

The game will start at the usual time of 12 noon.

Due to Glenpark not being available until next weekend the Glenpark XI have no game this weekend, their home fixture with Albert Park being rescheduled to Sunday 9th August.

The Club is grateful for the continued sponsorship from Ethos Group.