Two key matches at Glenpark this weekend

The 1st XI have two important matches to play at Glenpark this weekend. On Saturday, the local side will hope to get back to league cricket after having endured four wet Saturdays in succession.

And on Sunday, the twice postponed Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup tie against Dundee HSFP must reach a conclusion, either with a proper match, or with a bowl out which is cricket's equivalent of a penalty shoot out in football.

Visitors to Glenpark on Saturday for the eighth round of the Western District Premiership Two league fixtures are newly promoted Helensburgh. The side from across the Clyde have somehow managed to complete five of their league fixtures.

Twice during the last four Saturdays, when almost all cricket in the west of Scotland has either been cancelled or abandoned after play had begun, Helensburgh have played and finished their matches.

Unfortunately for the Argyll and Bute side, the results have not gone their way and they are languishing in second bottom position in the league table with just one win from the five matches they have completed.

That win was on the opening day of the league season when the team produced a shock win at their Ardencaple home ground against Stirling County. Since then, they have lost to Langside, Glasgow Accies and Irvine, all away from home and also against Kilmarnock at home.

The 1st XI's last completed league match was way back on Sunday 18th May when a win was achieved against Glasgow Accies at New Anniesland in Glasgow. The next game against Irvine never started and both of the following two league matches against East Kilbride at home and Stirling County away were abandoned part way through when heavy rain set in and further play was made impossible. And last Saturday's match at Renfrew was cancelled all together due to the wet weather.

So the local players will be eager to get out on to the Glenpark pitch and get this weekend's matches played.

The team's two overseas players for the 2025 season, Australians Callum Henry and Will Jenkins, have had the opportunity of game time this week as they have joined an Aussie team from New South Wales, the Emus, who are touring Scotland for a couple of weeks and playing matches across the country Monday through Friday.

On Monday of this week, the Emus defeated the Forty Club Scotland and on Wednesday gained a fine win against Scotland's U19 side at Stirling. Both Henry and Jenkins contributed strongly in the matches scoring fifties.

On Saturday, the 1st XI field a side which needs to win and gain the full 25 points available from the match with Helensburgh. With just one win from the three completed league matches to date, a positive result would keep them in a mid-table position and if the results from a couple of other matches see Accies and Kilmarnock both lose, then they could jump up one or two places in the league table.

Work commitments and injuries mean the team will be without Shailesh Prabhu, Chirag Pandher, Fahimgul Dinarkheil and Mu Ahmadzai. But back into the side come Greg McDougall, Cammy Calder and Harry Briggs along with PJ Bryceland.

It will be hoped that both Callum Henry and Will Jenkins recent fine form, for the team and also with the touring Emus, continues against Helensburgh. The young Aussies have scored over 250 league runs between them and the Glenparkers batting has been strengthened by their contributions.

On Saturday, others in the batting line-up have to show that they too can contribute. The potential is there but the mental attitude to focus on their skills and to have the patience to build an innings has yet to develop consistently with a number of the players.

If the team bat first and players do perform well and build solid partnerships, then a commanding and challenging total can be set for the visitors.

And on the bowling front, the team must also focus on their skills and avoid giving away unnecessary extras from wides in particular.

The 1st XI will start as favourites on Saturday afternoon, and, with a good all round performance from the team, a winning result should be achieved. The match will start at 12 noon.

On Sunday, the 1st XI and Dundee HSFP will try for a third and final time to get their first round CS Challenge Cup match played at Glenpark. Postponed on each of the past two Sundays due to weather and ground conditions, the two teams will hope for better luck this weekend. If the weather is once again unkind then a bowl out will decide which team progresses to Round 2 of the competition to play Kilmarnock.

The selected team shows two changes from Saturday's team with Briggs and Kadyan being replaced by Muhibullah Ahmadzai and Dilpory. All being well, the match will start at 1pm and be played over 40 overs per side.

The Glenpark XI travel to Glasgow on Sunday hoping to continue their unbeaten run in the Western Championship Division Three when they play Clydesdale Bees. The good early season form which brought wins against Galloway, Milngavie and Ardrossan in May has been halted by the miserable weather of the past few weeks and the team will hope to take up on Sunday where they finished off in mid-May. Eddie Ahmad captains a decent looking team for the match which will start at 12 noon at Titwood.

The Hillend XI got their Sunday League campaign off to the best possible start when they defeated an Uddingston Development XI at Bothwell Policies last Sunday but lost out in a Midweek League match against Mearns Challengers at their Hamilton Palace ground on Tuesday evening. The team have no fixtures with weekend.

The Club is grateful for the continued sponsorship from Cleaning Supplies 4U.