Shazhad Rafiq

position and only then could we consider for the first time winning the league.

“However, Ayr are still favourites and are only one game back. They have the best pro in the country and are playing good cricket.”

Prestwick kept up the heat with victory by 160 runs at home to Poloc in a match sponsored by life member Ian McKinnell.

Sachin Chaudhary hit 81 and Faisal Jawad 63 as Prestwick were dismissed for 245 in 47.4 overs.

Poloc were set 240 in 40 overs but were routed for 80 in the 30th over with Ross Patterson ( 3- 18) and Chaudhary ( 2- 18) leading the way.

Rafiq added: “We played really well but if I am being critical, we should have been more ruthless in the last 10 overs and should have scored 40 or 50 more although 245 was more than than enough.”

Meanwhile, St Ninians XI won the first silver of the season on Tuesday night when they beat Clydesdale 2nd XI in the Western Cup final at Titwood.

St Ninians hit 144- 5 off 20 overs with top scores from Jawad ( 65) and Richard Bartsch ( 24 not out).

In reply, Clydesdale were 96- 7. Phil Stafford took one for 11 off four overs at the start while Ross Paterson claimed two for seven off three overs.

Earlier, St Ninians won through to the final of the Greenwood Trophy by only one run away to Kelburne.

In a match reduced to 18 overs, St Ninians made 118- 5 with top knocks from Luke Smith ( 46) and Tom Fleet ( 39 not out).

Kelburne needed three off the last ball to tie the scores but would have won by virtue of losing one wicket less.

They ran two and were run out chasing the third to leave St Ninians as winners. Sixteen- year- old Euan McBeth bowled superbly to take two wickets.

St Ninians now meet either East Kilbride or Victoria in the final at Weirs on Thursday, August 10.

On Saturday, St Ninians beat Shawholm away by 20 runs on Duckworth Lewis.

Ross Kennedy ( 46) and Chris Millar ( 39) helped St Ninians to 1886. Fletcher Rao took two wickets as Shawholm’s reply ended short.