Cricket: Patel & Co do all they can to keep title hopes alive

Published on Monday 24 August 2009 10:20

GRANGE captain Sanjay Patel and his troops will head to Clydesdale this coming weekend still in with a chance of clinching the SNCL Premier Division trophy for the third time in four years after a hard-fought win over Ayr on Saturday.

However, with leaders Aberdeenshire having also won Grange know it is out of their hands should the men from the north east see off Uddingston in their final match.

Speaking after the 59-run win over already relegated Ayr at Raeburn Place Patel said: "All we could do was get ten points from our match and see if Watsonians could do us a favour across town against Aberdeenshire. That didn't happen so we just have to go into next week, do our best and see what happens.

"It will be a tough game away at Clydesdale, but at the end of the day it is out of our hands so it makes it straightforward for us – we just have to win our match."

On Saturday, on a ground surrounded by the temporary stands set up for this Friday's glamour Scotland v Australia tie, the recently reliable opening duo of Patel and teenager Oli Hairs failed with the bat after they had been put in by the visitors.

Patel made eight and Hairs just one before Cameron Coles (7) also went cheaply. The latter two were both victims of Ayr skipper Phil Wilson who bowled a fine spell of 3-31 off his ten overs.

Middle-order batmen Giles Holmes and Stuart Moffat went about repairing the faltering Grange innings and they both got starts before falling for 25 and 31 respectively. It was then Gregor Maiden's turn to star with the bat.

The former Scotland man has been out of touch somewhat this season, having only notched up 217 league runs prior to Saturday compared with 421 throughout the whole of 2008, but against Ayr there were glimpses that he was back to his best.

He played some nice strokes to get his team up to 142-6 after 40 overs and when he reached his half century in the 43rd over it looked likely that he would kick on from there.

However, he was out the following ball and a late salvo from all-rounder Stuart Davidson was needed to take the hosts past the competitive 200 mark. Davidson hit two big sixes in a rapid 22 before falling to pro Michael Papps and in the end Grange were all out for 209.

The key wicket for Grange to get early was Papps. The 30-year-old had already stroked 671 runs this summer despite the New Cambusdoon side propping up the table, but he was not to add to that impressive tally on Saturday.

He was out in the first over of Ayr's reply, Grange's Australian pro Allan Wise having him caught by Coles to leave the visitors, with five under-16s in their team, 0-1.

The highly rated Andi McElnea and Neil Smith put on a 47-run partnership over the next 14 overs though to keep Ayr's hopes of a coupon busting win alive before Smith was caught by Holmes off the bowling of spinner Andy Wilson.

Holmes himself then got into the mix, bowling McElnea for 29 to leave the visitors on 56-3 from 17 overs and when that became 59-4 in the next over when Wilson got his second Grange looked to be well on the way to the 10 points they needed to keep the pressure up on Aberdeenshire, who unbeknown to the players out on the field had already wrapped up victory at Myreside. After bowling a superb spell Wilson had to hobble off with a groin injury, but thankfully Grange had part-time spinner Coles also in their side and he came on at the pavilion end and ended up with 3-19.

Stuart Chalmers, who has had a good first season at Raeburn Place since his move from Penicuik, also got in on the act late when claiming two wickets before Wise returned to finish Ayr off for 150. The only other worry for the hosts was a hamstring injury for Davidson.

Certainly, Grange are still playing well as the season draws to a close, but you just get the feeling that their two league losses to Aberdeenshire may come back and haunt them when they come to reflect on the season. There is still a lot of cricket to be played this Saturday, though.

"Fair play to Aberdeenshire they have had a great season, while we have had our problems with injuries, but we are still in with a shout and I know this bunch of players will keep fighting right until the last ball," Patel concluded.