Cricket: Ayr have the silver touch

Jun 12 2009

AYR Cricket Club suffered their sixth straight defeat of the league season during a mixed weekend.

They were swept aside by Clydesdale at Cambusdoon as their poor start to the SNCL campaign continued.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Ayr got off to a good start with pro Michael Papps and Andi McElnea putting on 76 for the opening wicket.

After McElnea (32), Mark Renny (29), Douglas Johnstone (21) and Papps (64) had been removed, Ayr lost wickets cheaply and were bowled out for 216 off the last ball of their innings.

Clydesdale got off to a flying reply and raced to 55 off 5 overs before losing their first wicket.

Some tight bowling in the middle of the innings pulled back the run rate, but the visitors cruised home for the loss of just three further wickets with nine overs to spare.

But Sunday was a better day as Ayr lifted silverware in the delayed final of the 2008 West League Cup against Renfrew.

Ayr batted first and scored 206-4 in their 30 overs. Papps (69) and McElnea (58) again got Ayr off to a good start before some inventive shots from Fraser MacDonald (35 not out) saw them to their challenging total.

Renfrew got their innings off to a poor start losing two very quick wickets and were always behind the required run rate, with a good opening spell from youngsters Scott McElnea 1-14 and Callum Leck 4-43.

Some big hitting from Hussain gave Renfrew a glimmer of hope but following his dismissal for 86 their chance of victory ended and they were bowled out for 164.

The Cambusdoon XI had an eventful game away to Titwood when their clash was interrupted for an hour by someone trying to steal the players’ valuables from their dressing room.

On the field they had a good day restricting their hosts to 188-9 and chasing down the target for the loss of seven wickets with good contributions from Colin and Niall McCrossin (39) and (38), Ross Mitchell (41) and young Callum McLaughlin (31).

Friday night saw both the under 11s and under 15s beat Glasgow Accies with Elliot Speirs starring for the under 15s at Cambusdoon with 35 not out to see them home.

This weekend Ayr are away to Uddingston on Saturday and the Cambusdoon XI at home to Motherwell.

MGM Prestwick continued their stuttering start to the season with a 40 run loss against Corstorphine at the Henry Thow Oval.

The visitors posted a competitive 234-8 from their 50 overs and had Prestwick on the ropes with the early dismissal of veteran Andy Gibson.

The home side laboured to chase down their target after that, despite a lusty 52 from the in-form Callum Rodger, and finished on 194-9.

The Sunday XI recorded a narrow home victory over Bute with half centuries from Kev Lawler and Fraser Rodger helping them home.

Bute had posted 197-6 but Prestwick reached 199-9 in 33.4 overs.

Both the under 11s and under 15s lost to their Ferguslie counterparts in their latest fixtures.

The under 15s lost to Ferguslie by seven wickets after posting a total of 138-5. Ross Paterson (66) and Eoin Baillie (30) top scored for Prestwick.

Prestwick’s first XI face West Lothian on Saturday at the Oval. The second XI are away to GHK/Strathclyde and the Sunday XI are at home to Clydesdale.