In their first league match of the season Galloway 2nd XI produced a spirited performance before succumbing to a ten wicket defeat against their generally more youthful visitors from East Renfrewshire.
New skipper John Goodenough won the toss and opted to bat on a good pitch at Gatehouse. The match began with a wide then a four to Andy Naylor, who soon moved into double figures with well-placed off side shots.
He was dropped at gully off Khurshid, but his luck ran out against the same bowler when a defensive shot caused the ball to trickle onto the stumps with just enough power to dislodge a bail. The total was 22-1 after 6 overs.
In the next over Paul Swift hit Tariq for four but was then bowled, and Alex McMenemy soon went the same way playing an attacking shot across the line to Khurshid.
The other opener, Alan Clark, had been becalmed by the opening bowlers but after a double change he began to open up, taking three boundaries off Iqbal, and Sufyan Afzal greeted Ali with a huge six over long on. The pair featured in a fourth wicket stand of 25, the best of the innings.
After Afzal was bowled by Iqbal for seven, Callum Sinclair helped Clark add another 18 runs, though the bowling was now more accurate and wides became a rarity. Sinclair was stumped off Sabir for a patient eight.
John Goodenough hit one cracking boundary but was surprisingly caught at deep mid off in the next over by a fielder who had recently let the ball through his grasp to give Clark another leg side four. The opener’s innings finally ended when he was caught at square leg for a watchful 40 from 108 deliveries, making the score 96-7 after 35 overs.
Another good catch at second slip accounted for John Locke for two, Stephen Roberts was bowled and Kelly Rees LBW, leaving Louise Cumbley nought not out.
Although the home side had started a few promising partnerships none of them developed into one sizeable enough to worry Woodfarm. Nevertheless, early wickets could still have put them under pressure.
In the event an early catch to square leg was put down, and a more difficult chance was missed at mid on. Both times the unlucky bowler was Alex McMenemy, and the beneficiary was Sachin Badhan, who went on to score most of his side’s runs.
Sufyan Afzal was the pick of the three bowlers used, but neither he nor Paul Swift could make the breakthrough. Badhan hit eleven fours in his 62, clinically punishing any loose delivery, and he was well supported by the left-hander Tahir Azad, who scored 18.
On Saturday Galloway 2nds host Glenpark, the second eleven from Greenock CC.
