Inverclyde Now Logo CRICKET — Greenock Could Be Without Key Players For Rest Of Season

25 July, 2019 | Local

GREENOCK’S recent run of good form came to a somewhat juddering halt last weekend when they were quite comfortably beaten by title-chasing Prestwick at the latter’s ground.

This Saturday, Greenock face another away match, this time in Glasgow at Titwood against Clydesdale and they will be looking for a stronger response on this occasion.

The Glasgow side are presently enjoying a transitional season, having adopted a policy of bringing youth to the fore. This has resulted in them sitting in fourth position in the table, having won six of the 10 games that they have played. This could be considered to be a good return, given the relative youth of the team and Clydesdale are to be congratulated for putting their faith in their young players.

That is not to say that there is no experience in their squad. Foremost in their XI is ex- Greenock player, Richie Berrington, who is rightly seen as one of the very best players in Scotland. Fortunately for Greenock, Berrington will not be playing as he is competing in the Canadian T20 competition.

Also missing will be Angus Guy whom many observers believe has a very bright future ahead of him. Guy is the captain of the Scotland Under-19 team which is presently in the Netherlands as it prepares to take part in the World Under-19 Cup Qualifying competition. With him is Daniel Cairns, another one of Clydesdale’s complement of exciting young talent.

It could be said therefore that this is a good time to be playing Clydesdale but Greenock would be wise not to be complacent in their attitude, despite these high-profile absences. There are still a number of fine cricketers in the line-up, such as Zeeshan Bashir and Kasim Farid, who are experienced Premier Division players, and a newcomer to the team, Umar Razaq, had a very strong game last weekend against East Kilbride.

Greenock will not be at full strength either. Definitely missing are the club’s leading amateur all-rounders, Neil Flack and Jonathan Hempsey. The former is still struggling with his knee ligament problem, incurred when celebrating the dismissal of the West of Scotland professional two weeks ago, and there is every possibility that he will miss the rest of the season, which if that happens will be a grievous loss to the team.

Jonathan Hempsey has indicated that he too will be out for the rest of the season due to availability issues and his absence will also be keenly felt. Jack Griffiths is another who will not play on Saturday because of work commitments while both Chris Hempsey and Shailesh Prabhu are doubtful, again because of work pressures, although it is hoped that at least one of them will play.

All of this means that Greenock will also be fielding a youthful team on Saturday and inevitably a lot will rest on the shoulders of pro Saurabh Bandekar. So far this season he has stood up manfully to the task and has scored almost 200 runs more than anyone else in the Premier Division with 583 runs at an average of 64.78 while he is second in the wicket-taking table with 27 victims. He has also taken more catches (8) than any other outfielder so it is obvious just what an important job he has done for the team.

However, he cannot do it all himself and he will need as much support as possible from his team- mates on Saturday. Titwood is normally a fine batting pitch so Zac Barrenechea for one could find conditions favourable. He has threatened all season but has tended to get out when seemingly set for a big score. This Saturday would be a good time to change that.

A lot will also rest on the shoulders of the support bowlers. Young Sean Fischer-Keogh has looked good at times this season and it is hoped that his time with the Scottish Under-17 squad in Cumbria this week will stand him in good stead. The Pandher brothers and Sam Sanghera will also be counted on to keep the Clydesdale batting in check.

Greenock currently sit in eighth place in the table and, while there is a bit of a gap between them and ninth-placed Drumpellier, they are by no means clear of the danger of relegation. It is likely that at least one more win from the remaining five games will be needed to guarantee safety.

The game at Titwood will start at the usual time of noon. Team selection will be a last-minute affair.

Greenock’s 2nd XI (Glenpark) are at home on Saturday to local rivals Inverclyde and will look to resume their winning ways after last Saturday’s defeat to league leaders, Kirkstyle. This game will undoubtedly be keenly contested as both sides vie for the local bragging rights. The Glenpark team selection will clearly be dependent on the team that eventually takes the field for the 1st XI. The match will start at 1pm.

Greenock’s 3rd XI (Hillend) play Renfrew on Sunday at Glenpark in a friendly match that will start at 1pm.

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U

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