Rain stops play for Uddingston cricketers

Jul 10 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

TUNNOCK Uddingston Cricket Club suffered another major setback after a third successive Scottish National Cricket League Premier Division match was called off due to poor weather.

The Villagers were 70-3 ahead at Ferguslie by the time the match was rained off, as Brett Webber and Amir Gul had clocked up 34 and 11 not out, respectively.

Weather has cost Uddingston dearly, however, as the spate of call-offs have left them in fifth place, 29 points behind leaders Grange, who again played their game and defeated fourth-placed Ayr by 12 runs, taking the maximum 10 points.

At Meikleriggs, Ferguslie won the toss, and sent the Villagers out to bat on an already damp wicket.

They soon had the visitors in disarray at 18 for 3 in the eighth over.

However, Weber and Gul dug in and took the score to 70 without further loss, at which point rain made further play impossible, and the match was abandoned.

Uddingston fared better on Tuesday evening in the Cockspur Cup at Ayr, winning through to the quarter-finals.

In a match of 20 overs a side, Uddingston were set a target of 105 for 9, which they comfortably met.

Paul Hoffmann opened the batting and hit the first ball right out of the park for six, as he scored 22 off the first four balls, on his way to a remarkable 48 from only 17 balls.

The Australian was eventually out with the score on 60 for 2, at which point Gavin Bradley and Amir Gul took over and knocked off the runs required to win, with seven overs to spare.

However, on Sunday Uddingston’s quest to become the first Scottish club to reach the Lords final of the Cockspur Cup was ended as they were beaten by Chester-le-Street in the first national round at Bothwell Castle Policies.

Uddingston won the toss and Ricky Bawa sent the visitors in to bat.

Hoffmann and Bawa kept the scoring rate down and had the English side at 28 for 3 in the 14th over, after which time both were rested.

A fine fourth-wicket stand of 94 took the visitors to 122 in the 35th, before the wicket fell.

With six wickets in hand and only nine overs left, the remaining batsmen took their score to 206 for 8 at the close.

In reply, Hoffmann and Scott Dalgleish put on 40 before the former was caught on the ropes at deep extra cover in the eighth over.

Dalgleish followed in the 11th as he attempted to up the tempo, and after that – despite a stubborn innings of 48 from Bawa – wickets fell at regular intervals until the Villagers were all out for 157, losing by 49 runs.

On Saturday, the 1st XI entertain Ayr at Bothwell Castle Policies in a game they will pray isn’t rained off.