Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
A weekend of rain hinders Drumps
Match abandoned as second XI lose out to Ferguslie
Drumpellier lost five wickets for just 45 in their 205 run chase against Ferguslie in Saturday’s WDCU Premier Division match.
David Stafford scored fifty for the hosts in a rain affected first innings which saw the match reduced to 39 overs per side while Gregor Preston-Jones, Paul Venter and Michael English all passed the thirty-run mark.
But in return, Drumpellier were struggling at 45-5 before the umpires called time on the match with 19.2 overs gone, four deliveries short of a result.
Drumpellier remain in the relegation zone but now sit thirty points adrift of Uddingston, while Stenhousemuir collected nine bonus points in their loss to Prestwick to close the gap at the bottom to just four points.
But despite the disruption, Drumpellier and Ferguslie’s second teams were able to play to a finish at Langloan.
Batting first, Drumpellier hit 163-7 from their fifty overs with Gordon Shaw’s 24 and Mark McKay’s 22 the highlights.
The hosts found it tough going in the field with light rain starting to fall, with Craig McDonald and Zeeshan Aziz taking one wicket each.
But Dean Kennedy accelerated to 57 not out and James Cook’s 48 not out pulled the visitors to an eight wicket win chasing a revised 153 run total.
Fin Stuart’s men sit mid table in the WDCU Premier Reserve League with four wins and four losses.
There was a feeling of deja vu as rain struck on Sunday in the Citylets Scottish Cup tie between the two teams. Drumpellier were 77-2 in the first innings before the weather set in with Mat Goles and Will Leslie the men dismissed.
The teams will meet again in the replay this Sunday for a place in the Citylets Scottish Cup Semi-Final.
But Drumpellier’s success in the shorter form of the game continued last midweek with a resounding seven-wicket win over Stirling County in the Murgitroyd Rowan Cup at New Williamfield.
A quick fire 48 from Saleem Sajjad put Drumpellier in the driving seat while overseas amateur Mathew Goles was given out legbefore-wicket on 49 as the visitors charged home by seven wickets, progressing to the semi-finals of the Rowan Cup, where they will play Ferguslie at Meikleriggs on Thursday night.