GREENOCK'S league fate is now all but out of their hands as the Glenpark side face a vitally important home match tomorrow against Stenhousemuir.

With just three Western Premiership One matches remaining, the local side badly need wins to try and secure a place in the top league again next season.

Stenhousemuir were promoted along with Greenock at the end of the 2022 season from the First Division but have performed much better than the Glenpark side and are currently sitting very comfortably in fourth position.

A disappointing result against Clydesdale at Titwood last Saturday returned Greenock to the foot of the table and only wins from the remaining three matches against Stenhousemuir, Stirling County and Uddingston will do.

Even with two wins, Greenock will be dependent on the outcome of the matches played by Dumfries and Stirling County who occupy the positions immediately above them.

Greenock show just one change for tomorrow from the team which lost last weekend. Harry Briggs is unavailable and is replaced by Cammy Calder.

Calder, who has been unavailable in recent weeks due to work commitments, will provide an extra pace bowling option for the team, plus he is a powerful attacking batsman once he gets settled in at the crease.

The Glenpark side’s batting form has been inconsistent throughout the Premiership One programme and so players in the top six in the batting order will need to do their best to find form, not just this coming Saturday, but in all three of the matches to come.

Whether batting first or chasing the opposition’s total when batting second, it is getting runs on the board by building good partnerships that Greenock need to be able to create.

A few good partnerships on Saturday will put Greenock into a position to win the match.

A key player for Greenock will be Indian professional Rahu Dalal. He is the second highest run-scorer across all sides in the Premiership One league with 716 runs.

Dalal will likely bat at number four in the order. If he can come in to bat with a good score already on the board, and then be supported by the remaining batsmen, he could well be the means by which the team scores well.

Greenock’s 1st XI team for the match against Stenhousemuir at Glenpark on Saturday will be: GJ McDougall, C Calder, GM Chambers, RR Dalal, CJK Hempsey, N Kadyan, U Mansoor, SS Prabhu, T Polkinghorne, A Sanghera, S Sanghera.

Scorer: R McGregor The match on Saturday at Glenpark will start at 12noon

Greenock’s 2ndXI ‘Glenpark’ travel through to Larbert on Saturday to play Stenhousemuir 2ndXI ‘The Tryst’. The Glenpark XI has been thwarted by wet weather in recent weeks with three out of their last four matches unable to be completed.

The team for the match will be: E Ahmad capt., M Ahmadzai, PJ Bryceland, T Forrest P Hempsey, I Khan, L McCahill, E Norris, C Prabhu, H Safi, V Yadav. Reserves : S Safi.

The match on Saturday against Stenhousemuir 2ndXI ‘The Tryst’ at Larbert will start at 12noon.

On Sunday, a Greenock XI will play against the Forty Club (Scottish District) at Glenpark. The Forty Club is reputed to be the largest wandering cricket Club in the world. As a wandering or nomadic Club it does not own its own ground, and so always “plays away”. The Forty Club (Scottish District) draws players from across Scotland including from Greenock. The match at Glenpark will be the first time that the Forty Club has played against Greenock.

The team for the match will be from: G McDougall capt., M Ahmadzai, PJ Bryceland, S Chaudhary, R Dalal, T Forrest, P Hempsey, R Mountford, U Mansoor, E Norris, C Prabhu, A Sanghera, V Yadav. 12th Man S Safi.

Sunday’s match against the Forty Club at Glenpark will be a 40 overs per side game and will start at 1pm.

Greenock Cricket Club is sponsored by Cleaning Supplies 4U