1st XI outplayed by Langside

Langside v Greenock 1st XI
Western Premiership Two
Saturday 2nd May 2026

Langside 281 for 4   A Khan 82, N Perika 71*, MS Asif 57*, A Hafeez 43
Greenock 1st XI 125   TA Matthews 51; M Imad 3 for 19

Greenock 1st XI (0 pts) lost to Langside (25 pts) by 156 runs

Scorecard

The 1st XI made a disappointing start to their 2026 WDCU Premiership Two league programme on Saturday when they lost to Langside by 156 runs in their match played at Albert Park in Glasgow.

The team's lack of match practice prior to the start of the league season came home to roost in no small way as they were completely outplayed by Langside.

Team captain, Aryan Sanghera, won the toss and elected to bowl first. The team opened with pace from Fahim Dinarkheil and off spin from Toby Matthews and although no very early wickets were captured, the home batsmen were kept under a reasonable control with a scoring rate of just four runs per over from the first ten overs.

A first wicket did arrive in the twelfth over when Mujahid Khan was caught by Greg McDougall off the bowling of Matthews for 12 runs.

Then with the first ball of the nineteenth over Muhibullah Ahmadzai had opening bat Anwar Hafeez caught by wicketkeeper Adam McGuirk for 43 and then with the last ball of the same over new batsman Omkar Lagad was caught and bowled by Ahmadzai without scoring.

With Langside on 68 for 3, the team had made a good start to the match and should have been looking to capitalise and push through the Langside batting order. But it was not to be. The Glasgow side then found a match-winning partnership between Nathan Perika and Asad Khan which added 134 runs before Khan was bowled by Toby Matthews for 82.

Khan hit 13 boundaries in his innings from 69 balls and was well supported by Perika as the two middle order batsmen took the game away from the 1st XI. And the team's suffering in the field was only worsened by new batsman MS Asif who blasted five maximums (sixes) and four boundaries from just 26 balls received in an innings of 57 not out.

Langside completed their 50 overs on 281 for the loss of 4 wickets with Perika having anchored the innings with a fine 71 not out from 99 balls received.

For the bowlers, Toby Matthews and Mubi Ahmadzai with two wickets each were the most successful.

Facing such a challenging target, the local batsmen needed to make a good start and be conscious of the need to score at an average of close to six runs per over to overcome the home side's large score.

But they were soon in trouble when team captain Aryan Sanghera departed for just seven runs in the fifth over having been bowled by Mian Haseeb. And worse followed two overs later when Shailesh Prabhu was given out LBW without scoring.

The sound start needed had been quickly dismantled by Langside's opening bowling spell. And when Adam McGuirk was bowled for 21 runs with the score on 41 for 3 in the tenth over, the team needed a major middle order partnership to rescue their innings and mount a challenge to the Langside score.

But they continued to lose wickets as no meaningful partnerships were developed. Only Toby Matthews showed any sign of batting form as he built a good innings while at the same time more wickets were falling.

He was the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 114 in the 32nd over, stumped off the bowling of Asad Khan for a patient 51 runs, made from 83 balls received.

The innings ended on a disappointing 125 all out midway through the 37th over, the only batters able to make double figures being the Aussies, McGuirk and Matthews.

It was not the start to the season that the team had been looking for and much work and thought will now be needed about how to manage each match as the season develops.