Still sprightly this morning after disappearing over the top of a New Anniesland cover last night and looking forward to a more tranquil time in Tuscany over the next seven days. Here are the planned Senior Fixtures for that time:
McCrea FS West:
Sat 18/5 v Ayr (A) CSL;
Sun 19/5 v Stirling County (H) CSL40Cup. This is the first of 3 group matches (the only home game). The winner of the group qualifies for the semi-final in early July.
Wed 22/5 v Drumpellier (H) WLCup; Sat 25/5 v Uddingston (A) CSL.
Partick:
Sat 18/5 v Cambusdoon (H) CSL RL; Sat 25/5 v Bothwell (H) CSL RL.
Development XI:
Sun 19/5 v GU Staff (A) I understand this game may be cancelled as GU are short on numbers.
Hamilton Crescent XI:
Tue 21/5 v Queens Park (H) Glasgow Cup. This is the first of 4 group matches. The winner of the group qualifies for the semi-final in early July.

McCrea FS West beat Glasgow Accies by 9 wickets tonight. Accies scored 96 for 4 in their 20 overs. Dave McNulty 2 for 15 and Spegsy 1 for 22.
In reply West scored 97 for 1 in 16.4 overs. Stewart Murray 28, Ross Brown 12 not out and a splendid effort by Gurjit Sandhu of 45 not out produced a comfortable victory. Run getting proved difficult with boundaries at a premium due to the heavily sanded outfield but at least the rain stayed away to allow West to progress to the next round. Your correspondent did his best to provide a good cover story!!

West U13s progressed to the quarter finals of the ECB National Qualifying Cup after defeating Greenock CC by 10 wickets at Hamilton Crescent this evening. Wickets were shared around the bowlers with Greenock eventually reaching 50 runs mainly due to a brave, well executed knock by Ware reaching 30.

In reply West reached their target in 4.5 overs with Robbie McCallum 26no and Callum Coats 21no.

West will play away to the winners of East Kilbride v Clydesdale in their quarter final.

Special thanks are due to the Hamilton Crescent groundstaff for preparing a good pitch particularly after the awful weather earlier in the week.

Next game up for u13s is WDJCU League Cup Final v Stirling County CC at New Williamfield on Monday.

Cup and League Cup fixtures are coming at us thick and fast (at least in theory). It remains to be seen if the rains will stop long enough to allow any matches to be played.

Wed 15th May U13s v Greenock (ECB National Cup)
Fri 17th May U15s v Clydesdale (ECB National Cup)
Mon 20th May Stirling Co. v U13s (WDJCU League Cup Final)
Wed 29th May Ayr v U15s (Scottish Cup)
Thur 30th May Ferguslie v U18s (Scottish Cup)
Fri 31st May 1st Round U18 FST (tbc)
Thur 6th June U13s v Prestwick (Scottish Cup).

....Rain!!

A quick update on junior progress this season.

U10s
Sadly our first 2 kwikcricket fixtures have fallen foul of the weather.

U11s
See above!

U13s.
WDJCU league cup.
Clydesdale (away)- won by 9 runs.
Glasgow Accies (home)- won by 132 runs.
Helensburgh (home)- 13th May
Finals day- 20th May. Venue and opposition tbc. All dependent on our final qualification position, NRR and the hailstone forecast for Monday.

ECB National Cup
Helensburgh CC (home)- won by 9 wickets.
Next round v Greenock CC on Wed 15th May at Hamilton Crescent.

U15s.
WDJCU league- After their 1st game to Uddingston was cancelled due to rain our u15s kicked off their league campaign on Friday in a rain delayed 14 over home match against Prestwick CC. The boys won by 6 wickets chasing down 54 runs in 8 overs.

U18s
Still in their beds and due to kick off the season 27th May at home to Kelburne CC. Summer will be over by then.

Finally congratulations to our Angus Barrett and Angus Guy who have both been selected to play for WDJCU u12s against Cumbria in Carlisle tomorrow. Well done boys, and to the many junior players who have got the season off to a winning start when allowed to do so by the weather.

Avid Herald Readers TA and CDRM have alerted me to the following notice from The Herald 150 years ago.

Courtesy of The Herald

"The second annual opening match and promenade of the West of Scotland Cricket Club took place, on Saturday last, on the grounds of the club, Hamilton Crescent, Partick. In the morning the weather was overcast, but, towards the afternoon, brightened up, and at one o'clock (the hour at which the match commenced) was all that could be desired. The match was, as usual, "First Eleven v Next Sixteen" and resulted in favour of the latter by 24 runs in the first innings; want of time preventing the second innings being played".

It should be clarified that the said TA and CDRM read this in The Herald last Saturday and NOT 150 years ago!!

On Friday (10th) Under 15s are at home to Prestwick while the Under 11s travel to Ayrshire to play Prestwick by the sea.
Saturday (11th) is the start of the League season. McCrea FS West play Renfrew at Hamilton Crescent and Partick play Dean Park (Renfrew 2s) away. Both games start at 12 noon.
Sunday (12th) sees the Development XI play Poloc at home in the Sunday League while on Monday (13th) the Under 13s entertain Helensburgh at 6pm
More cricket at Hamilton Crescent on Tuesday (14th) with the 3s playing Clydesdale in the Evening League.
On Thursday (16th) McCrea FS West make the short journey to New Anniesland to take on Glasgow Accies in the Murgitroyd Rowan Cup.

All we need is some weather!!

Congratulations to Lynne Dickson who captained The Scottish Wildcats for last weekend's games against Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Another international captain from West!!

I am delighted to confirm that Douglas McCrea is continuing his sponsorship of West in 2013. As always, his involvement is greatly appreciated. How can we reciprocate?
Firstly - contact Douglas or his team on 0141 572 1340 at McCrea Financial Services Ltd (Address below) for ALL your financial needs.
Secondly - Douglas has a marvellous record of raising money for excellent causes. 2013 is no exception - so please read Dougie's message below and support his efforts financially by following the donation links.

Here is the message from Douglas McCrea:

"Well not quite running.

As most of you will be aware over recent years I have clearly hit a mid life crisis and started doing various fund raisers which involve far more physical effort than I am used to.
We have now successfully climbed the three biggest mountains in the UK – The glorious Ben Nevis, Snowdonia in Wales and Scafell Pike in the Lake District raising a good few quid for various excellent charities.
Last years event was a 14 1/2 mile walk( more like a sprint the speed he goes at) with Sir Ian Botham which was going fine until mile 10 and my (as I thought) groin strain reappeared. I hobbled round the last section and 2 weeks later discovered I had osteoarthritis in my right hip.

After my op on the 20th December I now have a full new right hip and have a ball at security every time I go through an airport.
The last few months have been getting back to fitness and trying not to climb the walls in the early weeks.
The West Highland Way has always been a stroll I wanted to do and when better than this year ,the doc says I am good to go (sort of) and as long as I don’t try and run it ( no chance of that) I should be fine.

This year’s charity is again the wonderful Leukaemia and Lymphoma research http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/ and I am hoping to raise a healthy sum to add to the fantastic amount we have raised since 2008. http://www.mccreafs.co.uk/charity.html for further details.

Unfortunately I have lost a few good pals to cancer over the last few years and any monies raised will go to a great charity.
We will be setting of in the first week in July and I believe the locals, in particular the midges are very welcoming.

If you would like to donate this can be done online at http://www.justgiving.com/DouglasMcCrea2013 alternatively if anyone would like to send a donation by cheque this can be sent payable to Leukaemia and Lymphoma research via our office.

It is a great cause and any donations will be put to good use in the fight against Leukaemia.

Thank you.

Regards Douglas

Douglas McCrea DipPFS
Managing Director
McCrea Financial Services Ltd, Moncrieff House, 69 West Nile Street,
Glasgow G1 2QB (Telephone: 0141 572 1340)