Weeraratna the hero as Greenock survive scare to lift Twenty20 Cup

Published on Sunday 13 September 2009 23:12

GREENOCK last night survived a huge scare before lifting the Murgitroyd Twenty20 Cup at Shawholm, Glasgow.

The tournament favourites edged out a battling Corstorphine by 13 to claim their third trophy of the season.

However, on a dramatic finals day, they had looked like crashing out at the semi-final stage after stumbling to 89 against Second Division Dumfries.

The outsiders then needed just seven off the final over with five wickets in hand to complete a sensational win.

Instead, Greenock were bailed out by Scotland player Sean Weeraratna who conceded just one run.

The Glenpark side produced an improved batting display in the final to set Corstorphine a target of 128.

Aussie amateur Adam Lockhart-Kraus led the way with 33, while Weeraratna hammered a 23-ball 30no at the end.

Corstorphine were on course for victory when Preston Mommsen and Kevin McLaren were in the middle.

However, Mommsen was stumped off a Tony Judd wide for 32 before McLaren was brilliantly run out by Chris Hempsey.

The Premier Division side then turned the screw with Judd claiming his second wicket and Saltires star Moneeb Iqbal taking 1-16 from four tight overs.

Jubilant Greenock skipper Richie Berrington admitted: "It looked as if we weren't going to reach the final but the boys deserve a lot of credit.

We've not had the best of seasons in the league but we've won three cup competitions and being the T20 champions of Scotland is a great way to end the season."

&#149 England batsman Kevin Pietersen remains hopeful of making the November tour of South Africa despite admitting his recovery from surgery on his Achilles tendon has been slow.

Pietersen, 29, missed the last three Tests of the Ashes series, has played no part in the one-day matches against Australia and is already ruled out of the Champions Trophy.

The England trip to South Africa – the country of his birth – for four Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s was his projected target for a competitive comeback.

"I saw a couple of surgeons during the week but it's slow at the moment. I've got an open wound in my leg," he said. "I'm hoping to be back for the South Africa tour at the moment, that's still what I'm looking at."

Matt Prior will forego any thoughts of resting up in a bid to inject some life into England's tired one-day displays.

Several players have been rested since England's focus turned from Test to limited-overs cricket and wicketkeeper Prior is the only man to have featured in every international since the start of the Ashes in early July. But the 27-year-old is intent on fighting the fatigue and finding form in a bid to turn around his side's fortunes in the final three matches of the NatWest Series.

England lost to Australia at Lord's on Sunday, the seven-wicket result handing the tourists an unassailable 4-0 advantage, but there is no respite, with the Champions Trophy in South Africa beginning in ten days.

Prior said: "There are disappointed guys in the changing room at the minute but we're working very hard and these next three games are very, very important because one- day cricket is about momentum, not only a team momentum to get that winning habit, but also for individuals."