Ayr hoping to cap exciting weekend with title glory

AN EXCITING week for Ayr Cricket Club could become even more memorable this afternoon as players briefly abandon their ground-staff duties and get down to the real business of playing the game – and perhaps winning a title!

Such is the volume of work involved in staging major matches that Andi McElnea and his team have been mucking in to ensure that Cambusdoon is in good nick for the ongoing one-day series between Scotland and New Zealand A, which started yesterday and continues tomorrow.

However, this morning they will turn their attentions to a potentially pivotal clash with West of Scotland at Hamilton Crescent when, if results go their way, the Alloway side could be champions. Ayr should have little to fear from a West side who are second bottom. Until a few weeks ago, the outcome might even have looked like a formality as West, without a single victory, propped up the table.

However, West have won their last two matches and now represent a serious obstacle to Ayr’s title ambitions. Skipper McElnea said: “We’ve got to focus on a really tough game. Every time we get a step closer to clinching the title something seems to happen to keep us waiting and we know West will be another really hard game.”

West expect to be boosted by the return of Stewart Murray Jon Newell and Stewart Leggat, while Steve Liburd, Ayr’s replacement professional from the Leeward Islands, will make his second appearance after impressing on debut.

At Titwood, second-placed Clydesdale host third-top Renfrew in a last-chance saloon encounter for both, the loser likely to be ruled out of contention regardless of the outcome at Hamilton Crescent.

East Kilbride will start favourites against Drumpellier, while Dumfries could be forgiven for having one eye on tomorrow’s challenge when they host an Uddingston side who could move into the top three.