Buoyant Ferguslie gear up for Grand Final with crushing victory over Prestwick

Jamey Carruthers, the Ferguslie skipper, says his team will head into Saturday’s Grand Final against Grange in high spirits after completing their triumphant Western Premier campaign with a comprehensive win over deposed champions Prestwick.

Having been asked to bowl first at the Henry Thow Oval, Ferguslie, inspired by the “unplayable” Riyaad Henry, produced a dominant display to rout the hosts for just 55.

Scotland A seam bowler Henry led the way with five top-order scalps for just 16 runs before Haroon Tahir weighed-in with three for nine.

It left Ferguslie’s batsmen with little opportunity to spend time in the middle as they quickly knocked-off the runs to win by eight wickets.

The Paisley team will surely find Grange more demanding opponents at Lochlands on Saturday but Carruthers said: “The match seemed to sum-up our season – in a game where we could have let standards slip quite easily with nothing to play for, we put in one of our best showings of the season.

“Riyaad was unplayable and after his early wickets [Tahir brothers] Hamza and Haroon were a class above.

“We’re happy with the game in preparation for next week as it keeps confidence levels high. We’ll train as normal this week and hopefully put in one more good performance to top off a great season.”

Having won the title with a bit to spare, Ferguslie may be tough to catch next season but Clydesdale, this season’s runners-up, may be the team to watch.

They finished-off their campaign in style with a 113-run win over Uddingston at Titwood where Dale’s increasingly potent blend of experience and youth was evident.

Scotland stalwart Richie Ber- rington, pictured, led the way with the bat, scoring a superb 119 in a total of 234 before teenager Junaid Rauf marked his league debut with a fourwicket haul, the young leftarm spinner’s victims including former Scotland cap Ross Lyons and overseas star Jimmy Sholto-douglas.

Clydesdale manager Colin Mitchell said: “Ferguslie are clearly worthy champions but we are content with the way our season has gone.

“Having lost key players and having no overseas pro or amateur we would probably have settled for anything from fifth to eighth so to finish second is an achievement.”

Elsewhere, Dumfries and

Ayr bowed out of the topflight at Nunholm where the home side’s Alan Davidson claimed season’s best figures of eight for 19 in a 168-run win.

Ian Young’s century for West of Scotland was in vain as

Stirling claimed third place with a five-wicket win at Hamilton Crescent, while Greenock’s Glenpark clash with

Poloc was abandoned.