INNELLAN IN A SPIN END UP STUMPED!!
Innellan vs Greenock Sunday 11th June

Last Sunday, Innellan welcomed Greenock CC to a Castle Toward bathed in sunshine. The track looked as though it had been prepared in Port of Spain. Innellan won the toss and elected to bat McKissock and MacKellar opening. They were faced by Currie and McNab leggies from one end and off spin from the other, both getting prodigious turn on the dry, cracking surface. MacKellar survived an early scare when he looked plumb in front to Currie’s googly, McKissock hit two fours, through extra-cover and mid –on and two singles before Currie came round the wicket and took the shoulder of the bat, the ball carried to slip and Innellan were10 for 1. MacKellar added only 2 before he was stumped, 13 for 2.

Henry and Clark added 9,Clark with two boundaries before he was Hempsey’s next stumping victim. Henry was next to return to the hutch scoring only 3.Wagstaff and Dupre-Smith were understandably cautious but McDougall teased Wagstaff forward on the drive and,yes, he was removed by ‘lightning gloves’ Hempsey in a now familiar manner. El Sabaa decided that attack was the best form of defence and hit a two and a boundary but McDougall bowled him through the gate, Innellan 34 for 6.

Smith and Dunn worked hard against outstanding bowling taking a lot of flack in more ways than one, two to be precise - senior and junior. In 8 overs they gave away only 8 runs, Flack jnr bowling 2 overs of pace and 2 of spin, 2 of which were maidens, not bad for a 10 year old. The scoring was slow but the pair occupied the crease for nine overs when Dunn was undone by Farrell’s full bung’r. Barclay making his first appearance of the season scored a single and also reached the boundary rope before he forgot his lines and Farrell directed him off-stage.

This brought Johnston to join Smith and a partnership began to form with Johnston’s 4 and 6,Smith holding up his end while Johnston crossed the boundary twice more before skying one, the steepler landing in Hempsey’s gloves,74 for 9.Smith and Singh added only six more, Smith’s long battle came to an end as the keeper ended a fine afternoons work with his fourth stumping, Innellan 80 all out.

After tea Innellan knew there was a mountain to climb but Clark removing the openers, in his first over, gave them a great start.Singh also kept it tight but the odd boundary here and there took Greenock to 35 after 10 overs. Johnston and Henry continued the attack, Hempsey showed he was good with the batting gloves too as he raced to 33 when Johnston took an outstanding caught and bowled. Young Flack entered and Innellan had 4 slips in place to allow the wee man some space to score, but Henry uprooted his off stump for a duck, having disgraced himself by dropping a match winning catch at Greenock this was further shameful behaviour from the dumpmeister!! Dunn and Wagstaff couldn’t stem the flow and Robertson hit the winning runs, this time with a towering six off El Sabaa. If this reads like a substantial defeat for the local side by a useful Greenock unit, maybe this report could have been written in one line!!

Old Tosser turns to tried and tested tactics to avoid trouncing.
Innellan vs Cairndow Sunday 30th April

Having practised in the snow only two weeks ago Innellan considered wearing duvets rather than whites to welcome the Cairndow Hillbillies to Castle Toward last Sunday. Innellan’s management injected a new concept forcing a warm up and a practice before home matches. This along with the shock omission of McKissock from the team meant that the game started on time.

Innellan skipper Marshall predictably lost the toss and was put into bat by Matt Tierney.  Looking to the pavilion (new hut) Marshall must have seen a batting line up thinner than the beer in the Royal Bar. Desperately looking for openers Marshall was left to pad up along with long-term opener and one of only two recognised batsmen in the line up Campbell Johnston.  Johnston was quickly off the mark with a nicely taken single and just as quickly out bowled Tierney caught Pope.

Marshall had been heard to warn Singh that if he were to be batting at number three he would have to concentrate and bat responsibly. Ignoring this he proceeded to hit sixes off his first two scoring shots; the first of which caused a scramble of jets at Prestwick Airport. Marshall was further silenced when he was tied up in knots by Tierney and ended up playing French Cricket. LBW for 4.

Plan A ruined Andy Gilles came to the wicket making it clear that there was no plan B departing with one run to his name, bowled Nelson caught Young.

Singh still bashing away was joined by Innellan’s only other batsman Clark who stuck around while Singh (dropped for the 3^rd time) clattered more boundaries to reach his 50 before being caught off the bowling of the ever youthful Wood. McKellar came to the crease dispatching Wood’s one bad ball for a 6.  This started a superbly crafted knock by McKellar with a stylish defence that had all the sartorial elegance of the missing McKissock minus the chinos and blazer.

Clark kept the runs flowing before he too was caught by Young off Gray for 22.The visitors were now well and truly into the tail of this weak Innellan batting or so they thought. Henry joined McKellar at the crease, showing just how much they have matured in the last year adding 46 before Henry was out on 22.

Debutants Wagstaff and Henderson were shown no mercy both bowled without disturbing the total. El Sabba helped the total along before being caught by the pick of Young’s catches for 2.  Vice-captain Higgins batted at number 11 to avoid the good bowlers and on having to face Dalby and Nelson got McKellar on strike, in order to protect his averages.  A ploy that worked until McKellar was caught out for a career best 40. McKellar headed to the, in the words of the hymn writer “pavilion in splendour”. Higgins followed with a smug grin not out, 49 short of a half century.

Following the usual scrum at tea for a piece of Caroline Clark’s cake, Cairndow started the pursuit of 161 runs for victory. A steady start was ruined by two run outs of the most comical proportions, especially that of the ever competitive Buffalo Bill Nelson for 0 (does he keep a mental note of ducks as well as wickets taken?).

Dalby was then joined by Captain Tierney, the mixture of Australian Shiraz and Yorkshire Bitter accumulating runs and pressurising the Innellan attack until eventually Tierney’s wicket fell.

Jamie Pope brought his powerful frame to the crease supporting Dalby to his half century. With Cairndow sniffing victory debutants Waggstaff and Henderson showed signs of nerves but bowled well with few runs coming off the bat. Dalby then went all out to secure a victory but ended out, bowled by the Ginger magician, Mike Clark.

Pope taking on the responsibility added a few boundaries but soon followed Dalby, Cairndow requiring 7 runs. Skipper Marshall and Depute Higgins, having not bowled, decided that a bold decision was required over who should bowl the final over. Agreeing that they were both too cowardly Henry was nominated to shoulder the responsibility.  Henry removed a Cairndow wicket off his second ball, followed up by pressurising the Cairndow tail to conjure two run-outs and finished off with a maiden over to secure a home victory by 5 runs.

An encouraging start to the season with every player contributed to this victory and particularly strong performances from newer members McKellar, Singh and Henry.

Next Sunday Innellan visit Cumbernauld. The question on every cricket’s mind is “will club president Paul Smith recover from early season illness in time for this match, will he make the tour, will England win the World Cup?” ……. do we really care??

W&G Disgraced.