Villagers miss out on golden opportunity to beat West

Jun 25 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

TUNNOCK Uddingston Cricket Club blew a golden opportunity to inflict a damaging win over McCrea FS West of Scotland at Hamilton Crescent on Saturday.

A fine performance in the field saw the hosts reduced to just 160 from their innings but the Villagers couldn’t match that with a batting display and reached just 133, losing by 16 runs. The result dropped Uddingston down to fourth in the Scottish National Cricket League Premier Division table.

West won the toss and chose to bat first on a greenish wicket. Openers Dougie Lockhart and Greg Watson never seemed comfortable against Uddingston’s Paul Hoffmann and RickyBawa, but survived for 12 overs before Watson was caught by Tom Plant off the bowling of Bawa to put West on 32 for 1.

In the next over, Hoffmann clean-bowled Scotland opener Lockhart.

One over later, the Villagers were delighted when captain and former Marylebone Cricket Club Young Cricketer Ian Young, who mistakenly assumed the ball in the stumper’s hands was dead after being returned from the fielder, was promptly run out by the alert Brian Clark.

Before West could settle down after this double setback, Bawa struck again and had vice-captain Craig Brown LBW off the very next ball.

At 33 for 4 after 14 overs, the West innings looked in danger of serious collapse but, mainly due to a knock of 67 by New Zealand professional Andrew Ellis, the hosts posted a more respectable 160 when they were all out in the 45th over.

Of the bowlers, Gavin Bradley was the pick with 4 for 17, including the wicket of the dangerous Ellis.

Tom Plant and Paul Hoffmann opened the innings for Uddingston but the latter was bowled in the second over, having made only five runs.

Aamir Gul and Plant then progressed steadily, taking the score to 34 after 11 overs, when Gul yielded to temptation and got himself caught at square leg when he mistimed a hook.

Vinnie Bird and Bradley soon followed so that in the 18th over the Villagers were 53 for 4 with the cream of their batting back in the pavilion.

David Bill then joined Plant and they were steering their side to victory with the score at 93 when Plant uncharacteristically lofted a drive to long-on and was well caught out.

After that, it was all downhill as batsman after batsman surrendered their wickets, with the exception of Bill, who was last man out.

Although Plant managed 42, Bill scored 40 and Gul got 17, Uddingston were all-out for 144 in the 42nd over.

Uddingston enjoyed better fortune on Sunday as they easily overcame the challenge of sWeir’s in the Scottish Cup by a margin of over 100 runs.

On Saturday, Uddingston host league leaders Aberdeenshire, with the match starting at 1pm.

A big crowd is expected for the Tunnock’s Trophy Finals at Bothwell Castle Policies on Sunday.

l Hamilton Cricket Club enjoyed an emphatic win over Moorcroft in the Western District Union Division Four.

Winning the toss, Moorcroft put Hamilton in to bat and they took full advantage, closing their innings on 270 all-out. Imam was top scorer with 94.

An early finish to the game resulted when the visitors’ batting collapsed at just 59 all-out, with Amir Virk the hero with a miserly 4-14.

Hamilton are at home to Vale of Leven on Saturday at Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds and on Sunday entertain Indian touring side Anita Memorial Club of Delhi. Both games start at 1pm.

Hamilton’s midweek side, Hamilton Thistle, are away to Inverclyde this Thursday in the Evening League.