On what was a cold and drizzly afternoon, the muted Alps XI humbled their Greenock counterparts Hillend with some clinical spin bowling, and decisive batting.
After the first six-or-so overs, the scoreboard was spurring somewhat of a cold sweat amongst the less-than-rhapsodic academicals; and with a run rate of over 6 per over, 300 to beat didn’t seem unimaginable.
Six overs in, it was time for a change, and Calum Nelson was taken out the attack for consistent off-spinner Stuart Murray. Stuart started well, dismissing Hillend opener D. Moore two balls after a dropped catch by team-boy Corrie Dick. He quickly slowed the rate with his tidy off-breaks.
Nik Stone was taken out the attack in the 14th over when young leggie Corrie Dick was asked to bowl. The big-turning 16 year old took a wicket in his second over, following his customary “loosener” (boundary) in the first over.
Together Ham and Coz bowling in tandem ended with cumulative figures of 29-5-74-8, and really turned the innings around, despite some questionable field placements.
There were some top-notch prodigious catches taken though, despite Coz’s blunder; David Jones’ leaping effort, just managing to snatch the ball to prevent it soaring over his head, Ross Paton’s one-handed effort when G Daisy miscued a leggy to point, and Haydn Gleed’s tremendous crater-producing dive from short fine leg to dismiss Pranav Sharan and help T. Bear on his way to his 3-for.
Following a heavy shower and delayed play, Haydn was then called upon to bowl his reckonable off-breaks. He finished with figures of 2.5-0-4-1, taking the final required wicket with a solo LBW appeal.
With 129 to beat, openers George Paton and Suraj Survana, who had kept wicket astoundingly well in the previous innings- securing two stumpings off Coz, started positively, accumulating 100 runs between them before at 20.4 overs Suraj was bowled for 68. Suraj had played some beautiful strokes, including one out-the-park six hit and another that cleared the rope. He made his 50 from 51 balls in 50 minutes.
Lack of training was then exposed, however, when Hillend bowlers McDougal Sr. and Stewart provided a shindig of wickets; dismissing Satwant Uppal, Ross Paton and David Jones cheaply- possibly all going for the glory shot!
Jim McLaren was left to hit the winning runs with an inspiring straight drive past the bowler, and after making the required two runs, he decided to take another, running out his partner, Nik Stone. The ball was dead, and so Nik’s average will be spared for the time being.
All-in-all, the team played well, and stand-in-skipper David Jones did a good job - two fine legs and two mid-ons aside!
Some good cricket from the Accies 3rds!
Coz