Stirling suffer cup loss to Clydesdale
Stirling County’s cricket season ended in disappointment when they lost in the final of the Western Union Cup to Clydesdale on Saturday.
The New Williamfield side went into the match with confidence having clinched promotion to the Premier League but there was an early glimpse of the task ahead of them next season when they faced the team which finished fourth in the top division.
The match - played at Clydesdale’s Titwood ground - saw County bat first having lost the toss. With regular opener Graeme Taylor unavailable, Kiwi amateur Kevin Loggenberg started with skipper Matthew Tweedie but the move failed to pay off when he was bowled for four.
Gavin Anderson and Tweedie consolidated but found runs difficult against a tight Clydesdale bowling unit featuring Scotland internationals Con De Lange and Richie Berrington.
Anderson went for 30 and wickets then started to fall at regular intervals with Tweedie reaching 50 before being run out and teenager Tom Bradburn hitting a quick 30 not out before the County innings ended on 141 for eight off their allotted 40 overs.
Stirling needed a good start but didn’t get it as Loggenberg and Ali Mubarak were hit to all parts of the ground by Awais and Barbour in between a host of wides and no balls.
Clydesdale raced to 84 for no wicket after 10 overs with Awais reaching 50 and although he went soon after - caught by Akash Rawal off Tom Jones – the writing was on the wall for Stirling.
Jones took another wicket – that of De Lange, caught by Loggenberg – but Barbour finished off the game in style to end with an unbeaten half-century.
On Sunday, the Development side ended their season with a three-wicket loss at St Modans.
Rukman Hewage made 42 in Stirling’s total of 122 and despite three wickets for Alasdair Morton, the Saints squeezed home for the loss of seven wickets.