Double-header weekend yields a win and a loss

Greenock 1st XI v West of Scotland
Western Premiership Two
Saturday 17th May 2025

Greenock 1st XI 213 for 8   WN Jenkins 43, N Kadyan 36, EA Stewart 32*; C Dutia 3 for 40
West of Scotland 217 for 4   L Masunda 51, J Carrasco 39, J Mills 39*, J Oliver 37*

Greenock 1st XI (1 pt) lost to West of Scotland (25 pts) by 6 wickets

Scorecard

West of Scotland arrived at Glenpark on Saturday having been relegated from Premiership One at the end of the 2024 season, but having made a two match winning start to their 2025 league season.

And when Greenock won the toss and opted to bat first, it was the West team which made the best start. After just ten overs Greenock were in some difficulty having scored just 14 runs and having lost their first three wickets.

However, Will Jenkins (43) and Nikhil Kadyan (36) righted the ship with a fine 83 run partnership before Kadyan was caught by Oliver off the bowling of Dutia.

Jenkins departed soon after when he was trapped LBW by Singh with the score on 114. But the lower order dug in and Greenock's score continued to rise towards the 200 mark largely through the efforts of Ewan Stewart (32not out), Sam Sanghera (23) and Muhibullah Ahmadzai (14not out).

At the end of the 50 overs innings Greenock's score was a very creditable 213 for 8 after such a rocky start.

For West, Calum Dutia with 3 wickets for 40 runs from 10 overs and Oscar Shepperson 2 for 25, were the most successful bowlers while D McNulty, G Singh and J Strachan each picked up one wicket.

"Would the total be big enough ?" The answer to the question being posed at the tea interval, was provided after the re-start.

The first ten overs witnessed West displaying a tentative start against Greenock's opening attack and with the second last ball of that tenth over the score was on 26 when Greenock made a breakthrough.

Opener Clayburn who had been struggling to find any rhythm with the bat, edged a delivery from Will Jenkins and was caught by wicketkeeper Callum Henry for just two runs scored.

Four overs later with fifteen runs added to the West score, Greenock captured a second wicket. Sam Page, who had opened with Clayburn and looked in good form, was unable to deal with a fast rising ball and his shot lobbed back to bowler Jenkins who took the catch. Page had scored 20.

But that wicket was to be Greenock's last bit of joy for some time as Joe Carrasco and Larvet Masunda took complete control and West moved steadily towards their target.

Masunda played on to Sehmet Pandher, having just reached his fifty, with the score on 126 and Carrasco was beaten by Mo Ahmadzai for 39 with the score on 141.

However West's strength in depth in batting showed as John Oliver (37 not out) and Jesse Mills (39 not out) eased their team to a well deserved win with slightly more than five overs remaining.

Glasgow Accies v Greenock 1st XI
Western Premiership Two
Sunday 18th May 2025

Glasgow Accies 197   ZM Khan 94, D Holloway 31; WN Jenkins 4 for 44, including the hat-trick
Greenock 1st XI 198 for 3   CJ Henry 108*

Greenock 1st XI (25 pts) defeated Glasgow Accies (1 pt) by 7 wickets

Scorecard

Sunday's re-arranged league match against Glasgow Accies at New Anniesland gave the 1st XI their first league win of the 2025 season. It was also a match which provided top class performances from the team's two young Australian amateurs.

Will Jenkins took 4 wickets 44 runs from 9.5 overs bowled, which included a hat-trick as he demolished the Accies tail-end batsmen.

Then, as the team chased the Accies total of 197 runs, Callum Henry batted supremely through the entire innings to score a magnificent unbeaten century ending on 108 not out, scored off just 84 balls. He received good assistance from Aryan Sanghera who scored 26, Semhet Pandher 21 and Muhibullah Ahmadzai with 14 not out.

This was a good team effort by the players and will have given them a lot of confidence for the matches in the weeks ahead.