DMPS Financial Services St Michael's

Match Reports 2009

St Michael's Earn Home Victory

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s played host to Bothwell on Saturday and won a low scoring game by 54 runs.

On winning the toss, Saints went in to bat on a damp wicket but, as the opposition only had seven players for the first four overs, Chris Brockwell and Duncan Muir were able to take advantage of the numerous gaps in the field.

Once the rest of the away team appeared, scoring became more difficult and Muir was first to go with the score on 26. The Aussie duo of Randall Hart and Pat Sullivan then fell in successive balls and the home team were in trouble at 30-3 after ten overs.

Derek Heron joined Brockwell and fortunately they put together the highest partnership of the game. By showing a good combination of technique and patience the pair added 48 runs. Saints had now advanced to 78-3 at the half way stage, but a flurry of wickets ensued, accounting firstly for Heron for 11, Kishore for 0 and more importantly Brockwell for a valuable 41.

Ross Marscheider and Farrukh Shah then set about rebuilding the innings by adding 34 runs in only six overs, both batsmen hitting some rare boundaries. St Michael’s were looking to get past the 150 mark, but Marscheider was well stumped for 23 and Farrukh caught for 18 as the home side nevertheless reached 148 in 43 overs, helped by the 42 extras conceded by the visitors - a good total to defend on a wicket likely to assist Saints’ strongest bowling line up of the season.

The Bothwell openers got off to a solid start by adding 30 runs before Din was well run out by Muir. Graeme McKirdle then gained his first wicket to a good catch by Kishore. Farrukh replaced Marscheider and was quickly in the wickets to leave the away team on 39-3. As the score moved to 50 both McKirdle and Farrukh struck again to finish their spells and with their opponents in trouble at 53-5.

Saints were then dealt a blow when Hart pulled up injured in only his fifth over. Skipper Derek Rankine decided to bring himself into the attack and in only nine accurate overs he removed the last 5 batsmen, one to a great diving catch by substitute fielder Matty Moss, to wrap up Bothwell’s innings on 94.

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s now only have one game remaining at home to Whitehaugh this Saturday. Unfortunately they can no longer win their League this year but hope to finish a close second.

The J.B Houston Butchers Man of the Match went to Derek Rankine for carving up the opposition with his choice spell of seam bowling

Scores: DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 148 all out (Brockwell 41, Marscheider 23, Farrukh 18) : Bothwell 94 all out (Rankine 5-14, McKirdle 2-16, Farrukh 2-26)

25/08/09

Saints in Tantalizing Winning Draw

Last Saturday DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s travelled to Paisley to take on Whitehaugh in pursuit of their vital winning points in order to gain the top position on the league table. After rattling out over 250 runs the travelling team had to settle with a frustrating winning draw.

On an overcast day the travelling team captain Ahsanul Kishore lost the toss and was asked to bat first. Top batsman Duncan Muir returned to the opening spot with Chris Brockwell and Saints were looking to get a strong start when Brockwell gave his wicket away cheaply in the first over of D. Campbell by edging an out swinging ball to the ‘keeper.

In came the Aussie pro Randal Hart and thanks to some good strokes from both himself and Muir, Saints quickly got off to a good run rate. After a quick 19 Hart flicked at one from Campbell and mistimed it to square leg for an easy catch. Then Muir was caught and bowled by the first change bowler T Allan for just 16.

With 3 wickets down for only a precarious 40 runs, Ahsanul found himself joining Aussie Pat Sullivan a lot sooner than expected. In desperate need of a partnership, he and Sullivan added twenty quick runs to his name by some great running between the wickets. A very long boundary and wet outfield forced the batsmen to push for every run they could and they actually ran fours a number of times.

Some great strokes from Sullivan and quick running from Kishore started to frustrate the Whitehaugh boys and at drinks Saints were back in control with 126 for 3. Ahsanul enjoyed some luck when dropped by the keeper to reach his fifty, but Sullivan, who was caught on 43 shortly after drinks did not enjoy the same good fortune.

Ross Marscheider immediately looked in good form and it all seemed very similar to the previous week’s game as he was soon scoring runs with picturesque drives and good running between the wickets. The ever cloudy sky kept producing drizzle on and off, making it harder for the batsmen but the partnership saw some good runs until play was stopped for rain when Saints was looking strong at 217 for 4.

The tea break was taken early at the 40th over after which Saints resumed their innings but unfortunately a tired Ahsanul ran himself for 88, pushing for an over ambitious third run. Although missing out on his first century for the team, the Captain had the pleasure of seeing Marscheider reach his 50 in some style. Farrukh Shah joined the fray and in his usual manner hit an elegant four and remained not out for 8. Ahsanul then called the batsmen off and declared at 251 with six overs to spare.

After a quick changeover the home team came out to bat, with skipper Mark Christian and Ogilne opening the innings. Fearsome pace bowler Graeme McKirdle had returned from holiday and took to the attack with his usual accuracy along with Farrukh Shah bowling at pace from the other end. But the openers started finding runs easily and soon reached double figures by the third over.

Just when the duo seemed to get comfortable, Farrukh dismissed Christian on just 13 by forcing him to edge one straight to keeper Sullivan who picked up the catch with ease. The run rate slowed down for a while as new batsman Cook played himself in but on 75 McKirdle struck, ending his 13 over spell with the well deserved wicket of Ogilne, who was caught at gully by Marscheider.

Brockwell and Marscheider then bowled very economic spells as each claimed a wicket for just one run. The pressure mounted as Marscheider’s aggressive bowling proved difficult for the middle order and soon Campbell gave a screamer to point where Kevin Kirkpatrick took it brilliantly on air to help Ross bag one more wicket for the team.

Saints did not have a particularly good day on the field as some of the most capable hands dropped a number of easy catches but Randall Hart made sure to hold on to a very high catch and send Donaldson back to the Pavilion, offering a great confidence boost to 16 year old bowler Hannan, who picked up a wicket in his first game in Scotland.

At this point overs were running out and Whitehaugh concentrated on securing a draw as the huge total put on by the Saints were proving difficult for them to pursue. Cook frustrated the bowlers by leaving practically every ball until one unavoidable delivery from Hart proved too good for him and was safely held by Shah.

With numbers 8 and 9 on the pitch and only nine balls left to bowl it became a nail biting experience to watch and all the expectators were on their feet adding to the pressure felt by the players on the pitch. In the same over Hart responded with even more fire power and dismissed both M Pollock and K Parrekh as the field came to life with great roar of excitement.

With one wicket to take Ross Marscheider came on to bowl the last over and the wheel of luck turned for the final time for Whitehaugh as the ball luckily went past the stumps from an inside edge and Allan and Aubucle survived leaving Saints with a less rewarding winning draw.

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s remain firmly in second place in the league table and play G U Staff away at Glasgow next week hoping to advance to the top with a good win.

The Border Frames Man of the Match Award went to Ahsanul Alam Kishore for a great captain’s innings of 88 runs and more importantly a vital partnership.

Scores: DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 251- 5 (Ahsanul 88, Marscheider 60 not out, Sullivan 43) : Whitehaugh 160-9 (Hart 3-21, Marscheider 2-24)

11/08/09

Saints Are Singing In The Rain

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s played host to Anniesland on a damp day at the Kingholm last Saturday and continued their winning ways with a comfortable 103 run victory.

On losing the toss yet again Derek Rankine's Saints were invited to bat and were soon in trouble when Randall Hart mistimed a pull shot and was caught for 3 and Duncan Muir was dismised in the sixth over for 11. Pat Sullivan and Chris Brockwell took the score to 50 before Sullivan was lbw for 6 to the impressive bowling of Guru. Farrukh came and went for a rapid 15 and soon after, Brockwell, who was playing a fine anchor role, also went for a valuable 31.

This left the home team on a perilous 77 for 5 after 20 overs. Fortunately Ross Marscheider and Ahsanul Kishore managed to rebuild the innings with a combination of cautious batting and sharp running between the wickets. Boundaries were hard to come by, but, helped by some indifferent groundwork by the visitors, the duo used the sensible approach of finding gaps in the field as Anniesland persevered with their spinners and by the 37th over they completed a half century stand, taking the scoreboard past the 130 mark.

With increasing confidence both started to play more aggressively in the latter overs before Marscheider was bowled for 41 after adding a vital partnership of 93 with his vice captain. Ram Narasegowda seemed to have little need to get his eye in and supported Ahsanul to a well made 50 as the pair maintained the high scoring rate. Ram was finally run out for 14 when his partner took one risk too many between the wickets but the score of 205 after 50 overs was much higher than might have been expected earlier, Ahsanul finishing on a great 60 not out.

Now confident that they had enough runs, Saints' emphasis after the break was on taking wickets. The opening attack of Farrukh and Rankine met some dour resistance but each took a wicket in consecutive overs to leave Anniesland on 25 for 2. The next partnership caused Saints frustration for the next dozen overs until there was a short break for rain with the away team on 70 for 2 after 22 overs.

After the brief interval and with more rain approaching, the change bowlers of Marscheider and Hart showed inspired form as they promptly removed the next eight batsmen in only ten overs for a further 30 runs. Marscheider finished with five wickets to cap a fine all round performance but much credit must also go to Anniesland who stayed on the field in less than favourable conditions.

With only four games remaining, DMPS St Michael’s are a close second in Western Union Divison II and pressing for promotion. They will hope to be able to call on all available players in order to field their strongest possible side as they try to overhaul the league leaders Titwood over the next two way fixtures.

The Chalmers Construction Man of the Match award went to Ross Marscheider for an excellent all-round display of batting and bowling.

Scoreboard: DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 205 – 7 (Ahsanul 60 n.o, Marscheider 41, Brockwell 31) : Anniesland 102 all out (Marscheider 5-27, R Hart 3 -27)

04/08/09

St Michael's Triumph in Local Derby

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s ran out winners against local rivals JMS Nunholm at the Kingholm on Saturday, when they won the local derby convincingly by 105 runs.

Nunholm captain R Johnston won the toss and elected to field, which paid early dividends when Ross Marscheider was out lbw to A Maskrey in the third over with the score on 10. But Chris Brockwell and Duncan Muir stayed together for most of the Saints innings to produce a match winning partnership. Brockwell played his best innings for the club to date and was the more dominant player at the start, playing shots all round the ground. Muir took the chance to build his innings more slowly after his six week absence as the pair brought up their 50 stand in the 15th over against some good early bowling from Maskrey and R Rennie.

As Muir gained more confidence he started matching the big shots of Brockwell and they added the next 50 runs in only eight overs, Brockwell being the first to reach his 50. With J Barnes bowling a useful spell at one end, the batsmen attacked the change bowlers and maintained the scoring rate at six an over as Muir also reached his 50 and continued with an onslaught of boundaries that took the stand to over 150 runs.

The return of Rennie paid off when he bowled Brockwell for a fine 89. Not long after Muir fell to Maskrey for 84 to bring the Aussie duo of Pat Sullivan and Randall Hart to the crease and the pair continued the attack by adding another 70 runs in 10 overs including 12 boundaries. At 253-3 after 44 overs, Saints skipper Derek Rankine decided to declare with Hart and Sullivan making 36 not out and 33 not out respectively.

Nunholm now had 56 overs to chase the total and Johnston got them off to a good start with some fine drives but in the fifth over his opening partner H Farries was brilliantly run out without scoring by a direct hit from Farrukh at fine leg.

G Dalziel was soon bowled by Rankine for 4 but Rennie and Johnston steadied the innings for several overs until the latter hit a catch straight to Farrukh at mid on to depart for 29 off the bowling of Marscheider. G Cross was then the next batsman to go, caught behind by Sullivan off Rankine to leave Nunholm on 52-4 after 18 overs.

The introduction of Farrukh piled more misery on the away team when he had M Richardson caught behind for 6 and in the next over T Williams was smartly run out by Marscheider for 0. Farrukh then dismissed Barnes for 1 and bowled P Johnstone first ball to bring the score to 78-8.

Rennie was running out of partners and decided to go for his shots, finding some support from Maskrey, who made 2 before being bowled to become Farrukh’s fourth victim. The last wicket stand of A Kyle and Rennie then realised Nunholm’s highest partnership of the day with a flurry of late boundaries during which Rennie reached his 50. For a while the pair looked like they were going to deny St Michael’s victory with overs gradually running out, but the gentle spin of Hart finally bowled Kyle for 19 to finish the innings on 148.

The Jardine’s Funeral Services Man of the Match went to Farrukh Shah for a great bowling spell and some fine fielding.

Scoreboard: DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 253-3 declared (Brockwell 89, Muir 84, Hart 36 n.o, Sullivan 33 n.o) : JMS Nunholm 148 all out (Rennie 64 n.o, R Johnston 29 ; Farrukh 4-29, Rankine 2-27

28/07/09

Saints Lack Cutting Edge

Last Saturday DMPS Financial Services St Michael's hosted Cambusdoon in a Western Union Division 2 fixture at Kingholm Park and were held to a frustrating winning draw.

Ahsanul Alam again stood in as Captain for an exhausted Derek Rankine and was asked to bat after losing the coin toss on what was a glorious summer's day with a fine looking Kingholm pitch.

Youngsters Brockwell and Marscheider were retained as opening batsmen and started the innings solidly enough against what looked a very handy opposition opening attack of McElla and Martin, who bowled very few loose deliveries and produced some good movement in the air and off the pitch.

Brockwell despatched what bad balls there was to the fence with some fine looking cricket shots and rarely looked overly troubled. Marscheider also played sensibly, picking up a couple of doubles with well placed shots through the gaps.

Things where going nicely enough for Saints with 11 overs gone and the score on 34, however in the twelfth over Martin bowled a well-disguised slower ball to Brockwell who played too early and gave a easy catch to Borland at gully. Aussie wicket keeper Pat Sullivan got off the mark with a nice single off his legs but unfortunately Marscheider inexplicably padded up to a well-pitched straight delivery the very next ball and left the umpire with no option but to give him out lbw.

With the score now 35 for 2 Cambusdoon looked to be in the driving seat. This was soon to change however with the arrival of Randall Hart. What was to follow was a lesson in batting from the Aussie pair. With a great combination of sensible stroke play and ferocious hitting, they put on 234 unanswered runs despatching the hapless Cambusdoon attack to the fence no fewer than 27 times between them including 11 sixes.

With still five overs left Sullivan reached his third century of the season, much to the delight of his team mates. In the 47th over Hart was unluckly caught going for a boundary that would have brought up his first ton for the club and was out for 96.

Farrukh Shah then added a useful quick fire 17 to take the score to 296 for 3 from 50 overs. Sullivan finished on 127 not out.

With so many runs on the board Saints set an aggressive field in attempt to get early wickets. They were to be frustrated though by Cambusdoon openers Mitchell and McLaughlin who batted sensibly and put on 50 in the first 12 overs , rarely looking troubled by the bowling of Shah and Marscheider.

A breakthrough finally came in the 14th over when Shah bowled McLaughlin for 22. After a few nice fours, Borland snicked one to Sullivan for 17 from the bowling of Brockwell. A handy contribution of 22 from McCrossan was to follow before he was well caught at cover, also from the bowling of Brockwell. Randall Hart was then thrown the ball and in a very aggressive ten over spell he took the wickets of Mitchell, McCella and Martin to finish with figures of 3-33.

With the score now on 125 for 6 from 32 overs, Saints really fancied there chances of killing the game off. They had not counted on Ayr youngsters Spiers and Stewart though, who batted with great poise and technique despite some very lively bowling from Marscheider to take the score to 153 for 6 from 42 overs, before Spiers was finally caught at slip by Heron from the bowling of Brockwell for an elegant 14 runs.

Cody Irvine then took the wicket of Cooper in his first over on Scottish soil. This left the score at 160 for 8 with only four overs left to get the last 2 wickets. A couple of chances fell agonisingly short of Matt Moss at slip, one of which he took and claimed as a catch only to be informed by the eagle-eyed and very sportsmanlike Sullivan that the ball had clearly touched the ground first. A couple of mistimed shots frustratingly found the gaps before the Cambusdoon innings came to a close on 169 for 8.

So it was a frustrating finish to the day for Saints, who will be desperately disappointed not to have taken maximum points after such a dominant display with the bat. As long as promotion is still attainable then they must stay focussed and work hard for every point from now until the end of the season.

The Chalmers Construction Man of the Match went to Randall Hart for his 96 with the bat and 3 for 33 with the ball. Special mention must also go to Pat Sullivan for a superb 127 not out, thereby completing his third century for Saints so far this season.

Scoreboard: DMPS Financial Services St Michael's 298-3 (Sullivan 127 n.o., Hart 96) : Cambusdoon 169-8 (Mitchell 33 ; Brockwell 3-44, Hart 3-33)

13/07/09

Saints Cruise to Victory

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s entertained bottom of the table Motherwell at Kingholm Park last Saturday and shook off last week's disappointment to notch up an easy nine wicket victory.

Captain for the day Ahsanul Alam won the toss and put the opposition into bat on a slighty damp Kinghom wicket. It was a decision that was immediately justified when Ross Marscheider clean bowled opening batsmen Greig with only the third ball of the match. After a tight first over from fellow opener Graeme McKirdle, Marscheider struck again in his second to take the score to 2 for 2.

This brought P. Keay to the crease and the youngster decided to take the attack to the so far dominant opening bowlers and with a certain degree of success, hitting a couple of well struck boundaries.

McKirdle was not to be outdone however, and picked up the wicket of Rajesh in the tenth over to a smart catch from Brockwell at slip. With the score now on 22 for 3, Saints were in a very strong position.

The fourth wicket proved to be the visitors’ most fruitful partnership, with McSween providing decent support for Keay who was clearly not hanging around. This pair took the score to 60 for 3 after 20 overs and it was obvious a bowling change was needed.

Up stepped Chris Brockwell to bowl what was easily his best spell of the season so far. The young spinner found some vicious turn and bounce from the Kingholm surface and clean bowled the dogged McSween in his second over for 5. Brockwell then went on to pick up another two wickets in his eight overs to finish on 3 for 12 including four maidens.

McKirdle also finished strongly, picking up his second wicket and was replaced by the ever-reliable Armstrong who dismissed the dangerous looking Keay with a typically accurate delivery. Much to the dismay of the young batsman, he returned to the pavilion one short of his fifty.

This saw the end of any real resistance from the opposition and they collapsed to a disappointing 96 all out after only 35 overs.

Saints didn't get off to the best of starts with the bat when Marscheider chased a wide one and was caught easily at point for a duck with only three runs on the board. But any concerns over a possible Saints collapse were soon quashed with the arrival of Randall Hart. The big Aussie put on a dominant display scoring a quick fire 67, which included 10 beautifully struck fours and huge six over square leg. Brockwell had been providing good support at the other end, and finished the game off with a fine cover drive to reach the required total off only 17 overs and for the loss of just one wicket.

It was important for Saints to get back to winning ways after last week and they will be pleased with such a comfortable victory. A much sterner test is expected at home to Cambusdoon next Saturday however.

The John Henderson and Sons Man of the Match award went to Chris Brockwell for a fine spell of bowling and a solid 29 not out with the bat.

Scores: Motherwell 96 all out (Keay 49 ; Brockwell 3-12, Marscheider 2-19, McKirdle 2-39) : DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 99-1 (Hart 67 n.o., Brockwell 29 n.o.)

Colin Taylor
05/07/2009

Saints Suffer First Defeat

DMPS Financial Services St Michael's travelled to Titwood for the top of the table clash last Saturday and were defeated easily by 75 runs.

On winning the toss, Captain Derek Rankine predictably put the opposition into bat. The Saints' opening attack of Ross Marscheider and Rankine made early inroads to the batting and Titwood were 37-3 after 10 overs. The home batsmen then put together a good fourth wicket partnership but once Randall Hart removed McArthur for 23, he and Farrukh quickly took another wicket each to leave the opponents 119-6 with 20 overs remaining.

The Saints players were then hopeful of bowling Titwood out relatively cheaply on a good wicket but this did not materialise as the lower order batsmen put on a further 100 runs. Rankine and Marscheider came back to take a wicket each and a good run out by Irvine left the home side at 218-9 at the end of their innings, a total not helped by the 20 wides conceded and some lacklustre fielding by St Michael's. The run chase also suffered a blow before it started as Randall Hart needed stitches in a hand wound which would delay his arrival at the crease.

The Saints batsmen were left with a similar job to that achieved a week earlier and the opening batsmen of Chris Brockwell and Ross Marscheider got off to a decent start. They added 29 before Brockwell was lbw for 14. Irvine then added a further two runs before being caught behind. With the in-form Pat Sullivan starting positively things were looking good for Saints.

The introduction of Z Ali soon changed all that by removing Sullivan for 27 with his second ball and in his next over he dismissed Marscheider for 20. Farrukh and Ahsanul Kishore departed quickly, leaving Hart to bat with the tail and with over 100 runs still needed. With wickets still falling regularly, Hart decided to try and win the game on his own and with some big hitting he raced to his 50 with 10 boundaries.

Unfortunately for Saints no one could stay long enough at the wicket with him and he was left stranded on 56 not out and St Michael's were all out for 143.

DMPS Financial Services St Michael's now face an uphill battle to gain promotion, and no more slip ups can be afforded starting with the home match against bottom of the table, Motherwell this Saturday.

The Alex Wilson TV man of the match award went to Randall Hart for a fine all round performance, even with an injured hand.

Scores: Titwood 218 – 9 (Rankine 3-53, Hart 2-42, Marscheider 2-53) : DMPS Financial St Michael's 143 all out (Hart 56 n.o, Sullivan 27, Marscheider 20)

30/06/09

Saints Win Semi-Final Place

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s played Kilmarnock at the Kingholm on Sunday and gained a semi-final slot away to Rossie Priory from Tayside, in the Scottish Small Clubs Cup.

On winning the toss skipper Derek Rankine again put the opposition in to bat. The opening attack of Farrukh and Rankine bowled tightly and with Farrukh bowling the two opening batsmen, Kilmarnock were 15-2 after the first 10 overs. This brought Weir to the crease, and with some clean hitting against the medium pacers, he added 70 runs along with Eleem in quick time. Saints' spinner Chris Brockwell promptly removed Weir when he top edged to Davey Fallas.

Eleem was then well caught by Brockwell off the bowling of Ross Dunlop to leave the opposition at 100-4 after 25 overs. Brockwell then bowled a great spell himself, quickly removing the next three batsmen to finish with 4 wickets for 10 runs in his 9 overs. Kilmarnock’s only resistance came from McFadzean and once Farrukh had him caught by Davey Armstrong for 20 runs the innings soon ended on 135 with Rankine and Armstrong claiming a wicket each.

The St Michael’s reply got off to a good start until Brockwell pulled a short ball on to his stumps after scoring 8. Ally Smith was soon back in the pavilion for 4 but this brought Pat Sullivan to the wicket fresh from his century the day before.

He continued in the same great form and dominated the bowlers by hitting shots to all parts of the ground. Along with steady support from Ahsanul Kishore Sullivan reached yet another half century as the pair added 88 runs in 15 overs. Sullivan was then bowled for 69, which included 10 boundaries, to leave Saints needing 30 runs from 25 overs. Farrukh then joined Kishore and they reached the required runs easily with 18 overs to spare.

The Chalmers Construction Man of the Match went to Chris Brockwell for his fine bowling.

Scores: Kilmarnock 135 – all out (Brockwell 4-10, Farrukh 3-14)

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 136 – 3 (Sullivan 69, A Kishore 18 no)

23/06/09

Saints Continue Winning Ways

DMPS Financial Services St Michael's travelled to Bothwell last week and gained a valuable win thanks to the batting of Australian duo Pat Sullivan and Randall Hart.

After winning the toss, Bothwell were asked to bat first on a fine looking wicket and fast outfield. The Saints bowlers knew that a tight line against the batsmen was needed and the opening pair of Ross Marscheider and Derek Rankine got off to the right start by keeping the run rate to around two an over for the first 12 overs. After a good spell by Marscheider he was replaced by Farrukh who gained the first wicket by bowling Baxter for 10.

The next batsmen then set about putting on a solid stand and wickets were proving hard to come by. Once Rankine finished his usual economic spell he was replaced by the spin of Chris Brockwell. The bowlers stuck to their task well but the Bothwell pair added 85 runs at a steady pace and a large total looked likely.

It was the introduction of Davie Armstrong that eventually made the breakthrough bowling Makwane for 45 and not long after he had McLeod stumped by Sullivan for 69. With two new batsmen at the crease the run rate dropped briefly. Randall Hart was also bowling well with Armstrong, and the pair took a further two wickets each despite some late attacking play as Bothwell finished on 219 for 7. Armstrong finished with four wickets to prove line and length bowling can reap rewards even on good pitches.

The St Michaels batsmen were confident of chasing the target, but their response got off to a bad start by losing Farrukh lbw for 2 and he was quickly followed by Brockwell who was caught behind for 3. This left Saints on 8 for 2 and with the Aussie pair of Hart and Sullivan at the crease.

What followed was a batting master class as the duo rebuilt the innings. With a combination of stout defence and powerful drives they put on their 100 run partnership in 25 overs. Sullivan was first to his 50 and was closely followed by Hart as they kept to the run rate needed but still requiring a further 100 runs in the last 20 overs. As confidence grew both players unleashed more boundaries and the rest of the Saints batsmen could relax until Hart was caught on the boundary for a great 81.

This gave 16 year old Cody Irvine a chance to play in Scotland while on holiday but he was unfortunate to be lbw without scoring. Sullivan then reached his well deserved century with a succession of boundaries and the winning score was in sight. Marscheider tried to follow Pat’s example but was promptly bowled for 6. This aptly left Sullivan to score the winning runs much to the delight of his team mates, and he finished his brilliant innings on 110 not out.

The AC Eggleton & Partners man of the match award went to Pat Sullivan for his second century for Saints.

Scores: Bothwell 219 - 7 (Armstrong 4-49, Hart 2-47) :
DMPS Financial Services St Michael's 220 - 3 (Sullivan 110 n.o., Hart 81)

23/06/09

Emphatic Win for Saints!

DMPS Financial Services St Michael's welcomed a weakened G. U. Staff XI to the Kingholm last Saturday and won easily by 10 wickets.

On winning the toss the opposition were put into bat on a fine looking wicket. But the Saints opening attack of Ross Marscheider and Graeme McKirdle bowled extremely well and the Uni batsmen were soon in trouble, losing wickets regularly and finding runs very difficult to come by against both bowlers.

The pair removed the top six batsmen for only 33 runs in the first 15 overs, one to a great catch by Pat Sullivan behind the stumps. If the G U staff batsmen expected easier pickings from the change bowlers, they were in for a shock as Farrukh Shah bowled his best spell for the club so far this season, taking the next 3 batsmen in his 4 overs. The last batsman fell to a sharp stumping by Sullivan off Derek Rankine and Saints were left needing 57 runs for victory.

Chasing such a small total, opening batsmen Randall Hart and Duncan Muir made easy work of it and finished the game in a whirlwind seven overs. Both hit several boundaries, Hart playing some glorious drives rarely seen at the Kingholm and Muir playing a cameo role before jetting off to Australia for the next few weeks.

Now second in the league, DMPS Financial Services St Michael's travel to play Bothwell on Saturday and on Sunday have a home game against Kilmarnock in the quarter finals of the Scottish Small Clubs Cup.

The Westcott Insurance Man of the Match Award went to Farrukh for his fine bowling

Scores: G U Staff 56 all out (Farrukh 3-9, Marscheider 3-20, McKirdle 3-24) : DMPS Financial Services St Michael's 57 - 0 ( Hart 27 n.o, Muir 21 n.o)

17/06/09

Victoria Vanquished by Regal Raj

Five princely wickets from medium pacer Raj Shyam helped DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s banish Glasgow side Victoria from the Scottish Small Clubs Cup at Kingholm Park on Sunday in a fixture that never looked like lasting the scheduled 90 overs.

Without Australian pro Randall Hart, who is ineligible for the competition and lacking several First XI regulars, Saints Skipper for the day Ahsanul Alam invited the visitors to take first knock on a wicket that looked to have survived the wet weather of the previous few days remarkably well.

Victoria are well-known for their aggressive batting and Sunday was no exception. Opener Butt was particularly harsh on anything wide of the off stump, hitting three glorious fours through the covers from Farrukh Shah’s first over.

Starting a little nervously on his Saints debut from the town end, Shyam took a few deliveries to find his length but, as the ball began to swing, induced Singh to play on in his third over. From then on the Dumfries doctor used the breeze beautifully to subject Victoria’s top order to a probing examination.

The dominant Butt was castled by a beautiful away swinging yorker for 27 and Jose and Ali quickly were taken behind by Pat Sullivan off similar deliveries, the latter to a sensational running catch by the Aussie ‘keeper, who sprinted thirty yards and dived flat out to take a top edge that was heading towards fine leg.

In the 14th over, Ahmed, who had been trying to shore up the Victoria resistance, became Shyam’s fifth victim when he drove firmly but was sharply caught by Chris Brockwell at silly mid off and his team’s lightning start had faded to a shaky 63 for 5. Shyam duly completed his nine over reign with figures of 5–27.

Alam responded by introducing Brockwell straight into the attack. He found immediate success when Dar played on and the Victoria top order must have wished they had played more solidly as the tail had no answer to the youngster’s left arm spin. Some lusty hitting from Ghafoor and Rashid restored some respectability to the Victoria total, but Brockwell claimed three further wickets as the visitors were finally all out for 117 in the 29th over.

With a barbecue warming, Saints openers Duncan Muir and Farrukh Shah clearly had thoughts of an early finish. Muir went on the attack immediately but did not last long when he played an aggressive square cut and got a faint snick behind off Ali.

Ali managed to find more life in the pitch than was previously apparent and combined with the pacey Siraj to form a potent strike force. Pat Sullivan’s response was classy, playing Ali forcefully through the covers then pulling him for six high up on the Kingholm Road banking.

Sullivan showed exactly the right approach, punishing the bad ball and avoiding unnecessary risks, but he had trouble finding a partner to stay with him. Brockwell was trapped lbw by one that nipped in from Ali and Alam managed to deflect a ball from Jose onto his stumps from well outside off. When Kenny Wilson and Sullivan himself, who had just reached an impressive 51 were also lbw, Saints were in more than a spot of bother at 92 for 6 and this quickly became 93 for 7 after Kevin Kirkpatrick edged behind off Siraj.

Salvation came in the perhaps unlikely form of a partnership from Davey Fallas and in particular Davy Armstrong, who had loyally agreed to stand in very late in the day after a call-off by another player. As the top Victoria bowlers gradually ran out of overs, the two Davies finally scraped together the necessary runs and, much to the delight of the Saints faithful, it was Armstrong who drove Jose on the up through the covers for four to finish the game.

In the end it was the better application of the DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s batsmen that saw them through … but only just. Having had a bye in the first round, the team are now through to the quarter finals of the competition, some consolation for more bad luck in their Western Union Division II campaign when last Saturday’s opposition Whiehaugh had to call off because three of their players have had contact with swine flu!

The Kirkton Stores Man of the Match Award went to Raj Shyam for his clinical spell of bowling.

Scores: Victoria 117 all out (Butt 27, Rashid 27 ; Shyam 5-27, Brockwell 4-24) : DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 118 – 7 (Sullivan 51, Fallas 19 n.o., Armstrong 14 n.o. ; Siraj 3-37; Alis 2-30). DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s won by three wickets.

08/06/09

Saints Suffer in Losing Draw

Last Saturday DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s travelled to take on Anniesland on a glorious summer’s day but could only manage a losing draw in a nerve-tingling finish.

After winning the toss, Saints skipper Derek Rankine put the opposition into bat on a perfect batting track. Opening bowlers Ross Marscheider and Derek Rankine started well and the Anniesland batsmen found early runs hard to come by. The result was a sharp early run out by Duncan Muir and soon after Rankine claimed a wicket thanks to an outstanding one handed catch by Randall Hart at slip. No further wickets fell before the half way stage but Anniesland were marooned on only 45-2.

The situation changed quickly after the drinks interval as the home batsmen decided to attack every ball and thanks to lot of good fortune and some sloppy catching by Saints, another 100 runs were added quickly. Ross Dunlop made a vital breakthrough, bowling Zai for 52 and Milne soon after for 15. However, the Anniesland batsmen continued their assault past the 200 mark as only Dunlop found further success, claiming another two wickets.

Set 228 to win, the Saints batsmen would have felt reasonably confident after scoring over 300 the week before, but events conspired against them. Randall Hart and Chris Brockwell started well against a good bowling attack until Hart was caught behind after scoring 15. Muir was bowled soon after for four and Alan Coulter also departed quickly for two, leaving St Michael’s on a precarious 47 for 3.

Fortunately, last week’s centurion Pat Sullivan was soon back in the run groove, striking a flurry of boundaries. Another 50 runs were added before Brockwell was stumped for a steady 27. Sullivan’s bright innings ended on 44 when he was bowled by one of several deliveries that came through low. Marscheider started his innings well but was out caught to a rare delivery above knee height for 9, leaving Saints 120 runs short of the target with only 20 overs to come.

Farrukh Shah and Ahsanul "Gunner" Alam decided to up the tempo and a great combination of big hitting and fast running between the wickets added 70 precious runs. It was now Anniesland’s turn to drop some takeable chances. The home side were duly rattled and an unlikely Saints victory was on the cards until Farrukh was caught for a fine 40. With overs now running out the Saints batsmen had to settle for a draw just ten runs short of victory, Alam unlucky not to complete a well-deserved 50.

After a close game that could have been won by either side, DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s are still undefeated in the League and with two consecutive home fitures coming up will be confident of returning to winning ways.

The Border Frames Man of the Match went to Ahsanul Alam for his picturesque innings of 48 not out.

Scores: Anniesland 227-6 (Zai 52 ; Dunlop 4-58, Rankine 1-7) : DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s 218-7 (Alam 48 n.o, Sullivan 44, Shah 40)

02/06/09

Saints Denied Derby Victory

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s travelled to local rivals Nunholm last Saturday and had to settle for a winning draw, despite two of their players scoring centuries.

After losing a crucial toss in damp conditions, Saints were asked to bat first and the opening pair of Randall Hart and Chris Brockwell got off to a quick start with a flurry of boundaries. They quickly put on a stand of 50 in only nine overs but soon after an impatient Brockwell was bowled by McCutcheon.

Hart was punishing anything short of a length and reached a well deserved half century before pulling a ball onto his stumps. Pat Sullivan joined an in-form Duncan Muir to build a steady partnership and took the score to 108 - 2 at the drinks break.

After a rain interruption the Saints pair began to dominate the home attack, Sullivan hitting some glorious boundaries and Muir happy to play a supporting role. After the century partnership was achieved, it turned into a riot and Sullivan hit three sixes in an over, going on to complete his first century for Saints before he was caught on the boundary for a magnificent 114 including seven sixes and a stand with Muir of over 170.

As the remaining batsmen tried to push the score on, wickets fell regularly but Muir now took on the big hitter role to bring up his own great century with six sixes of his own and leaving Saints on a huge total of 314-8.

The Nunholm batsmen got off to a slow start. Rankine bowled Richardson for 3 and Brockwell removed Potts to a fine catch by Muir off a full toss to reduce the home side were 39 for 2 after 15 overs.

National League batsman Corbett-Byers and the steady Farries took Nunholm to 57 at the halfway stage, surviving a very economical but luckless spell from Graeme McKirdle, and even the draw total looked a very long way off.

However Nunholm passed the 100 without losing further wickets and Saints Skipper Rankine, having only 15 overs left to get the last 7 wickets changed the bowling on a regular basis.

Some hope was gained with Hart and Farrukh Shah taking the next 3 wickets in a short space of time, including Farries and mainstay Corbett Byers for 58. The experienced Williams with R Rennie put on a valuable sixth wicket stand as Saints set an attacking field to induce vital wickets.

In the end Saints' only consolation was running out both players in the dying stages thanks to Ahsanul Alam and Muir. A wicket with the final ball of the game from Rankine wasn’t enough to claim a much deserved win.

The Saints players were disappointed not to win a match which they dominated but can be happy with the contribution of the batsmen to give them a total they could only dream about last season.

The Cairndale Hotel Man of the Match Award went was shared by Pat Sullivan and Duncan Muir for their outstanding batting.

Scores: DMPS Financial Services St Michael's (20pts) 314 for 8 (Sullivan 114, Muir 102 no, Hart 52)

Nunholm 167 for 8 (7pts) (Corbett-Byers 58, Farries 39, Rennie 29 ; Shah 2/24, Rankine 2/29)

30/05/09

Saints Beat Weather - and Win

DMPS Financial Services St Michaels finally overcame the weather last Saturday when they completed their first Western Union League fixture at the fourth attempt, defeating Albert Park by a healthy eight wickets at the Kingholm.

The opposition were put into bat by Skipper Derek Rankine and soon lost wickets two wickets to the lively bowling of Ross Marscheider. In showery and windy conditions, which made bowling and fielding difficult, the Albert Park middle order then put on a couple of useful partnerships.

But once Graeme McKirdle removed the dangerous Raza for 37, the away team subsided to 76 for 5 at the halfway stage and a low score looked likely. McKirdle bowled a great spell of fifteen overs at one end and, with good support from Rankine at the other end, further wickets fell at regular intervals. The lower order batsmen decided to attack in the last few overs with some success but Rankine mopped up the tail in the 48th over to leave Saints chasing 147 to win.

Saints' opening partnership was broken in the tenth over when Chris Brockwell was bowled by Shah. Then Duncan Muir and Randall Hart both batted sensibly against a very good bowling attack, adding a valuable 50 runs before Hart was caught for a patient 23. This left St Michael's with wickets to spare on 70 for 2 at the halfway stage of the innings.

Pat Sullivan and Muir continued the steady progress until the change bowlers had to be introduced. An increase in the run rate resulted and Muir secured a well-deserved half century. With the winning runs in sight Sullivan and Muir went for some big hits, including one huge six that landed high on the embankment as Saints got home with ten overs to spare.

DMPS Financial Services St Michaels will be happy with their bowling and fielding in the wet conditions and the way in which the batsmen successfully knuckled down to chase the total set by their opponents. They will hope to continue this success in their next away match against local rivals Nunholm this Saturday.

The Chalmers Construction Man of the Match award went to Duncan Muir for his electrifying innings of 61 not out.

Scores: Albert Park 146 all out (Rankine 4-20, McKirdle 3-35, R Marscheider 3-38) : DMPS Financial Services St Michaels 147 -2 (Muir 61 n.o, Sullivan 36 n.o, Hart 23)

19/05/09

Saints Thwarted by Downpour

Last Saturday DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s took on a strong Titwood side for the first league game of the season at Kingholm Park.

Saints were asked to bat first after losing the toss and the opening partnership was soon broken when Chris Brockwell fell leg before for 5. This brought Duncan Muir to the crease to join Randall Hart but after scoring 11 runs, Muir was also out lbw. A big partnership between Pat Sullivan and Hart looked likely until Hart ran himself out after scoring a valuable 50.

With the score now 83 for 3 after 30 overs, Saints needed some quick runs to post a good total to defend. Ross Marscheider and Sullivan batted sensibly in a 55 run stand before Sullivan was bowled for 28. In the last five overs Marscheider decided to go for big shots and played some glorious hits including 5 huge sixes, taking him to a total of 61 and Saints to a respectable 183 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs.

The Saints team was confident of a win after the interval but during tea the heavens opened and no further play was possible.

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s will be happy with the patient approach to their innings, which showed a huge improvement from last season and will hope it continues in Saturday’s game away at Motherwell. Meanwhile, Second XI outfit John Pagan and Son Kingholm will face Moorcroft at the Kingholm, commencing at 1.00 pm.

28/04/09

A friendly start to the season...

Last Sunday DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s welcomed some ‘kent faces’ from Galloway CC to the Kingholm for a pre-season friendly before Western Division II Fixtures start in earnest this Saturday. Unfortunately the visitors were not able to field a full strength team so early in the year but it was a much-needed opportunity for all players to have a decent workout.

On a glorious spring day St Michael’s were asked to bat first and the opening partnership between Chris Brockwell and Australian professional, Randall Hart got Saints off to a solid start with a stand of 53 in 10 overs, Brockwell playing some majestic drives in his 23 runs. Hard hitting Duncan Muir joined Hart at the crease just as he was finding top form, and the boundary rate increased as the pair added 100 runs in only 12 overs. The two then fell quickly, Hart for 68 and Muir for 44, both to the bowling of Davidson after being asked to raise the pace still further. This allowed overseas amateur Pat Sullivan to get some valuable time at the wicket and good partnerships with Ahsanul Alam (19) and Ross Marscheider (11 not out) took the total to a healthy 242 after 40 overs.

St Michael’s opening attack of Marscheider and Farrukh Shah made early inroads into the Galloway top order batsmen, as yet still short of their own overseas players. When Shah took the vital wicket of former Saint Pat Druce, who was well taken at slip by Hart, Galloway were reduced to 17 for 3. This allowed Saints to give the rest of the bowlers some match practice, including new player Ram who took a tumble early in his spell and went on to bowl 5 good overs without realising he had a broken shoulder! Wickets fell steadily to most of the bowlers and only Will Gorman showed any prolonged resistance. But with some lower order support Galloway eventually reached a total of 82.

DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s will be happy with all aspects of the game. Saints fielding was sharp and all catches were taken. Sullivan also showed he is a fine wicketkeeper and contributed a smart stumping. The batting looks good for the season ahead with Hart and Sullivan showing their class, as well as encouraging their team mates to better performances.

On Saturday, DMPS Financial Services St Michael’s have their first League fixture when they face Titwood at Kingholm Park, starting at 1.00 pm.

Scores: St Michael’ s 242 – 6 (Hart 68, Muir 44, Sullivan 35 n.o., Brockwell 23) : Galloway 82 all out (Gorman 22 : Hart 3-5, Marscheider 2-8)

21/04/09

St Michael's Cricket Club Website by Colin Taylor

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