1st XI soundly beaten at East Kilbride

East Kilbride v Greenock 1st XI
Western Premiership Two
Saturday 2nd August 2025

East Kilbride 226   J Loram 57, C de Villiers 55, S Abbasi 39; Mu Ahmadzai 4 for 30
Greenock 1st XI 117   CJ Henry 65; S Mahmood 4 for 14, C Pietersen 4 for 27

Greenock 1st XI (0 pts) lost to East Kilbride (25 pts) by 109 runs

Scorecard

The 1st XI warmed up for their Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup semi-final on Sunday by being soundly beaten by East Kilbride at Torrance House on Saturday.

Team captain Aryan Sanghera won the toss and inserted East Kilbride. The decision paid off as the Torrance House team were soon 17 for 2 early in the eighth over with Fahimgul Dinarkheil and Cammy Calder each with a wicket.

By the start of the 21st over East Kilbride had moved on to 74 but had lost two more wickets as change bowler Chirag Pandher had picked up the wickets of Kampman (13) and Abbasi (39).

By the 25th over, a 56 run fifth wicket partnership between De Villiers and Meikle had boosted East Kilbride’s score to 130. However, at that point in the match, the bowlers made some significant breakthroughs.

Firstly, De Villiers was caught by Mubi Ahmadzai off the bowling of Dinarkheil for 55 runs, having scored almost all of his runs in boundaries and sixes.

Then, in the very next over, Ahmadzai had Meikle caught by Sam Sanghera and followed next ball with new batsman Pietersen caught by Chirag Pandher.

So, in the space of two overs, East Kilbride slumped from 130 for 4 to the position of 130 for 7 and looking as though they could be bowled out for around 150.

However, not for the first time this season, the bowlers failed to drive home this good position. Instead, East Kilbride added another 96 runs for the last three wickets and recovered to 226 all out in the 46th over.

Jack Loram with 57 and number ten batter David Doyle 22 not out changed the game and their efforts took East Kilbride to a very commanding and challenging total of 226 by the time the innings did eventually finish.

Mubi Ahmadzai with 4 for 30 was the most successful bowler and there were 2 wickets apiece for Fahimgul Dinarkheil and Chirag Pandher.

In reply, the 1st XI made a a good start with Callum Henry and Aryan Sanghera posting a good 50 run opening partnership, but Sanghera's dismissal for 15 at 64 started a run of wickets. The innings quickly fell apart with no other batsman able to support Henry who was in fine form and scoring freely.

The team was eventually bowled out with the last ball of the 25th over for 117, opening bat Callum Henry having scored 65.

Pietersen with 4 wickets for 27 and Mahmood 4 for 14 were the main architects of the 1st XI's demise.