Cricket: Villagers’ league hopes end after crushing defeat

Jul 31 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

TUNNOCK’S Uddingston’s league season crashed to a halt after Grange ran out overwhelming winners in Saturday’s crucial Scottish National Cricket League Premier Division clash at Bothwell Castle Policies.

The 39-run defeat leaves the Villagers down in fifth place, 29 points behind leaders Grange, and with absolutely no chance of pipping the Edinburgh side to the title.

Ironically Grange had looked dead and buried after collapsing to 91 all out, but a storming fightback saw them skittle Uddingston for just 55.

Uddingston captain Ricky Bawa won the toss and in view of the humid conditions chose to put Grange in to bat. By the 14th over Grange were on 18 for 3, with Bawa taking all three wickets.

Paul Hoffmann was giving nothing away at the other end, and was replaced by Gavin Bradley in the 15th over.

Bradley had Grange professional Warren McSkimming brilliantly caught at deep over by Hoffmann, and in his next over had Taylor caught by Scott Dalgleish, putting Grange on 40 for 5, after only 19 overs.

Only a stubborn 26 by wicket keeper Simon Smith enabled Grange to post a meagre 91 all out.

Hoffmann ended the day with 2 for 6 from 9 overs, Bawa finished with three wickets in his eight-over spell, Gavin Bradley took two, and Mark Townson, Scott MacKenzie and Amir Gul all took a wicket each.

Grange’s defence of their less than imposing total started sensationally.

Within the space of five overs they had decimated the Villagers’ top order and delivered a triple whammy from which their hosts would not recover.

Dalgleish rashly slashed at a wide McSkimming delivery and was caught in the gully by Sandy Patel.

In the next over Ed Cowan fell victim to a mix-up with Brett Webber and was run out by a McSkimming direct hit.

And in the fifth over Webber was bowled shouldering arms, only managing to play the ball onto his stumps off a delivery from the Grange professional.

With the score at 10 for three in the fifth over, the now rampant Grange bowlers proceeded to rip through Uddingston’s middle order with ease.

The only Uddingston batsmen to offer meaningful resistance were Bawa (11) and Bradley (16), as Uddingston capitulated in the 24th over.

On Saturday, Uddingston entertain Clydesdale at Bothwell Castle Policies in the SNCL Premier Division.