Uddingston cricketers frustrated as rain stops play

Jul 3 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

TUNNOCK Uddingston Cricket Club suffered another blow to their Scottish National Cricket League Premier Division title aspirations when rain washed out Saturday’s fixture against Poloc at Shawholm.

After a delay of over an hour, which caused the match to be reduced to 40 overs a side, Uddingston captain Ricky Bawa won the toss and sent Poloc in to bat on a damp bowler-friendly wicket.

Poloc’s batsmen made painfully slow progress, and overs bowled exceeded runs made when the players first went off because of rain.

This set the tone for the rest of the day, and the game was eventually abandoned with Poloc on just 105 for 3, with six overs remaining.

So for a second successive week, the Villagers were awarded just two points, while at the same time their title rivals were able to complete their games and widen a gap which, at the halfway stage, Uddingston will find difficult to close.

Uddingston fared somewhat better on Sunday, running up a nine-wicket victory over West Lothian in a Scottish Cup second round tie in Linlithgow.

Captain Ricky Bawa won the toss and sent West Lothian in to bat, with Gavin Bradley joining Paul Hoffmann at the crease, while Brett Webber was behind the stumps in Brian Clarke’s absence.

The hosts made slow progress and had scored only 23 in the 12th over when Bradley got the first wicket.

Rain interrupted play in the next over, and the match was reduced to 49 overs a side.

On the restart the bowlers remained in control, with Scott Mackenzie taking three wickets in the last nine overs, as West Lothian posted a modest 153 total for Uddingston to chase.

Ed Cowan and Scott Dalgleish wasted no time in going on the offensive.

Cowan was out in the 10th over with the scoreboard on 63-1, Dalgleish was then joined by Webber, and the pair put together a fine partnership of 91 – Dalgleish recording 70 not-out – as Uddingston progressed to a quarter-final tie against Heriot’s at Bothwell Castle Policies on Sunday.

On Saturday the annual Tunnock’s Sevens tournament took place, with nine sides contesting the first round.

Due to a backlog of fixtures, the second round has been delayed.

Participants will be notified when the second phase is given the green light.

l UDDINGSTON have organised a Festival of Cricket at Bothwell Castle Policies, on July 7, 8, 10 and 11 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), between 10am-1pm, and it’s open to all boys and girls of school age.

Coaching from Ed Cowan, Brett Weber and other qualified coaches is available.

Cost for the full four days is £10, including refreshments every day.

To book, contact the club on 01698 307068 or Uddingston’s junior coach Amir Gul on 07944 089955.