Hillhead 1st X1 138 for 8 ( after 50 overs ) 25 points East Kilbride 97 all out ( after 34.2 overs ) 3 points
On a sluggish pitch, only starting to dry out after recent wet weather, Hillhead struggled to their 1st innings total of 138 after 50 overs. After the interval, visitors East Kilbride fared no better with the bat and were bowled out for 97 in 34.2 overs.
The conditions were such that those bowlers who took “pace off the ball“ fared better than their medium paced colleagues . Hence the “slows” on both sides took the bowling honours : for East Kilbride their spin partnership of Mahmood and Pietersen bowled their 10 overs each in tandem for only 36 runs and 2 wickets, while Hillhead’s slows, Farndale and Bartlett, were marginally tidier with 34 runs conceded, but significantly more penetrative, sharing equally the 6 wickets which came their way.
Batting was an activity to be endured, rather like a visit to the dentists. For Hillhead, Rahul Sharma took 18 overs to compile his modest 19. But Will “Biggles” Wright was positively jet propelled with his 23. And the star and eventual match winner for Hillhead was Cammy Horn, who set about the visitors bowling like a man making up for “lost time”. He effectively clubbed his way to 35 with no nonsense cricket, hitting both through and across the line with impunity. He had 4 boundaries in his 35, and his team managed only 2 more between them. Aa an indicator of the pedestrian nature of the game, it was only in the 30th over of the home innings that the first “4” was recorded.
For their part, East Kilbride fared no better despite their being fed a generous diet of wides, 33 in total, from the Hillhead quicks. Certainly both Kampman and Pietersen looked dangerous with the bat Both fell for 12 and 9 respectively to fine catches, taken by Cammy Horn and Gavin Lynch. In the latter’s case, the “ earth certainly moved” when he hit the ground.
Despite Shadid Mahmood’s brave attempts to shepherd the tail, East Kilbride subsided rather meekly to 97 all out , leaving their hosts winners by 41 runs.
Saturday May 20th finds Hillhead in BellaHouston park to play Victoria in round 4 of the competition. Midweek the Western Cup opens with Victoria the visitors on Tuesday night. Thursday night brings round 1 of the Rowan Cup with an 18.15 start against near neighbours Glasgow Accies.
