Glasgow Accies finally recorded their first win of the season on Saturday after a sensational bowling performance from a young attack.
Saturday morning found New Anniesland slightly damp underfoot but nonetheless bright following overnight rain. With most forecasts predicting rain just after 5pm there was a chance of a result, at least with the assistance of the Duckworth/Lewis method.
Skipper Richard Andrew’s day got off to a bad start as the toss fell in favour of visiting Irvine captain Stuart McCallum. Andrew’s consternation at losing was however only momentary as McCallum chose to make first use of a firm but very grassy pitch that promised a lot of assistance for the seam bowlers.
The wicket delivered on its promise in the very first over as Dhruv Satpute found his length early and nipped one back to trap dangerous opener Mo Alam in front third ball of the innings.
Irvine rebuilt through overseas amateur Chad Frans and skipper McCallum, and Satpute and Cammy Russell bowled a number of wides to help push the score to 21 without further loss.
At this point, Russell found his rhythm and removed the Irvine skipper, whose drive on the up was sliced into the safe hands of Euan Sheridan at point.
The dismissal marked a change in fortune for Russell, who has bowled many tight spells with little reward so far this season; encouraged by his success, the young seamer’s spell turned spectacularly destructive from this point.
It was, however, Satpute who struck next, seaming one away past the bat of Frans to upset his off stump, sparking jubilant celebrations in the field.
The opening bowlers then supported and complimented each other and Russell was to ensure Colin Dawson had a busy afternoon in the scorebox. First his full, swinging delivery was impeded en route to Bhaumik Nayak’s stumps only by the former Accie’s pads, before Graeme Owens was well caught behind by Dave Holloway even as the edge looked set to die on its way to the gloves. Russell then ensured his best figures for the 1XI by rearranging the stumps of the muscular Gurupreet Singh, fresh from lofting Satpute for an enormous six at the other end.
Irvine’s woe was compounded when professional Sachin Choudhary survived an enormous leg-before shout off the bowling of Satpute, only to be given his marching orders two balls later when the young seamer had another one nip back into the pads.
When the ECB fast bowling regulations intervened to remove Russell and Satpute from the attack after 14 overs, Irvine had been reduced to 42-7. Satpute had claimed 3-23, but was bettered by his opening partner on the day, whose figures of 4-19 are all the more remarkable for having conceded nine of those runs in his first over.
Josh Conway and Mohiagha rebuilt for the visitors with a 27-run stand – the largest of the innings – before Lyle Hill rapidly brought proceedings to an end, clean bowling Conway and Richard Wilson and having Mohiagha caught well by Arman Khan at mid-on.
Irvine were dismissed for just 75 in 25 overs, and after a ten-minute break, Neil Dowers and Andrew were back out in the middle to begin the chase in a tricky one-hour session before tea.
Deepak Yadav bowled slow seamers from one end, whilst professional Choudhary delivered his mix of off-spin and arm-balls from the other.
The pursuit began steadily if not spectacularly before Andrew attempted to work a single down the ground from a Choudhary off break and succeeded only in spooning a return catch to the bowler, leaving Accies 16-1. Sheridan joined Dowers and attempted to build a partnership, but was well caught by Owens at slip off Yadav. Disaster struck two balls later as the same seamer clean bowled Hill with a length ball that nipped back, and Accies were reeling at 23-3, the New Anniesland faithful wondering if the club would be denied an elusive win yet again.
Former opening partner Habib Malik joined Dowers at the crease, and the pair produced an exemplary show of discipline and determination to grind through to tea with the score at 36-3 after 23 overs, just ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis requirement.
After tea, things became brighter for Accies – the visitors had used almost all of Choudhary’s dangerous overs in an attempt to claim early wickets and had to look elsewhere for their bowling. Singh’s slow seamers proved easy to work around for singles and twos, whilst Alam’s usually dangerous off-spin looked unusually lacklustre, as Dowers found some fluency, using the full depth of the crease to cut two vital boundaries and help bring the total within touching distance.
Dowers was not able to see the job through, however, as Choudhary switched to around the wicket for his last over and finally got just reward for a tight and threatening spell, straightening one to trap the batsman in front. The opener left the crease frustrated, but having guided Accies to within ten runs of victory.
Holloway came and went lbw to Yadav for a duck, but just as Irvine scented blood and the mood in the field became more buoyant, Malik came out of his circumspect shell to strike two clean boundaries and secure a vital first win of the season for his relieved clubmates.
The heavens opened even as the players were shaking hands, and though Accies were well ahead of the game in the eyes of Messrs Duckworth and Lewis, it will have felt all the more sweet to win the game outright, without assistance from the statisticians.
Spirits were high in the dressing-room after a victory that should raise Accies off the bottom of the table and, perhaps more importantly, boost morale in the dressing room.
Next week’s bottom-of-the-table clash against St Michael’s in Dumfries remains a must-win game if Accies are to avoid relegation; Accies can now approach it in high spirits and full of confidence as they look for revenge for their opening-day defeat.