TRIUMPH AND DISASTER COLLIDE FOR HILLHEAD AT THE RENFREW KG5 PLAYING FIELDS
Hillhead 1XI 220 all out in 50 overs 7 points
Renfrew 1XI 221 for 8 in 47.2 overs 25 points
This was the first competitive game in season 2024 when Hillhead’s 1XI occupied the crease for the allotted 50 overs to score what seemed at the tea interval to be a winning total. However the hosts clearly thought differently and stormed to victory and their 25 points with some 16 balls to go, deflating the Hillhead squad hoping for their first win in the competition. For any neutral spectator, if there had been one, the performances of the respective sides were franked with some impressive batting, occasionally belligerent, some nagging bowling and occasionally some indifferent fielding and catching. What is beyond dispute would be the commitment of both sides to attacking play and the desire to win.
For the visitors, opener Hugo Longrigg shone with a 98 ball knock of fifty nine in which he mixed caution on an goodish batting wicket with some wonderful attacking play through the covers. Equally “up for it” were Jim Lindley-Dawe and Ganesh Ardarkar with nineteen and twenty respectively. However a middle/late order collapse found Jared Bartlett coming together with Gavin Lynch to take the score from 142 for 8 in the 40th over to 195 for 9 in the 48th. Batting 8, Jared started slowly with 12 singles from some 20 balls but he opened up to finish on forty two not out off 36 balls with two maximums. Gavin Lynch signalled his intentions with a first ball 6 and later three cheeky reverse sweeps for 4. This was a cameo performance from the “ big Man “ to rival T20 at its finest but it soon came to an end, the Logger’s being bowled for thirty two off just 26 balls.
In their reply Renfrew were pegged back by the unerring accuracy of Agrim Jain who is his ten over spell conceded 8 off his first over but only 11 in his next 9. His final analysis was the best of the game as he finished with 10-5-19-0. Unfortunately the other support Hillhead bowlers could not exert the same degree of control and the Renfrew reply responded steadily with their middle order of F Khan, Professional Rahman and Majeed all scoring heavily around the Renfrew oval. However the visitors were still positively in the game with Renfrew “ on the ropes” at 166 for 6 in the 39th over with Sneehan Das picking up 2 wickets.
The momentum now changed dramatically for the hosts when the helmetless Arshad strode to the wicket to clobber twenty five off only 11 balls. He was ably assisted by wicketkeeper, Shuja, who paddled hard for his twenty six not out with nineteen singles. The game was virtually all over then and Ahmad and Khehra saw their side home safely.
Naturally the visitors were crestfallen at the conclusion, as their first half efforts should have provided a platform for victory. Their first win continues to remain elusive but the season brings 3 more opportunities for matters to improve. The first of these comes on Saturday August 17 at the Langside Sports Club, start 12.00.
Image 1: Hugo Longrigg somewhat impassive after his fine 59
Image 2: Jared Bartlett an improving cricketer
