From the Dressing Room: Confident cup victory
Our latest guest writer Allied Vehicles West of Scotland captain Sam Page gives us his review of West’s Scottish Cup second round victory at home to Renfrew.
Coming into the match full of confidence after defeating Renfrew in the league the previous day, West were nevertheless forced to reshuffle their batting line-up due to the absence of several key batsmen.
After winning the toss on a glorious Sunday morning, West elected to bat first and immediately made their intentions clear. The opening three deliveries disappeared for 6, 4 and 1 as our openers (Sam Page and John Strachan) launched an aggressive start against some wayward bowling. The pair capitalised brilliantly in the powerplay, racing West to 60 after the opening 10 overs.
Following the loss of a couple of wickets, overseas player Mekyle Pillay arrived at the crease and transformed the innings with a composed and mature knock. Mixing clever strike rotation with punishing loose deliveries, Pillay expertly controlled the middle overs while valuable contributions from Junaid Malik and Dave McNulty ensured West maintained momentum throughout.
With two overs remaining, Pillay reached a magnificent century, etching his name into Scottish Cup history with a superb innings under pressure. West eventually closed on an imposing 262-4, leaving the visitors with a daunting chase.
With the ball, West made the perfect start as Pillay struck in the opening over. At the other end, McNulty maintained a disciplined line and length, keeping Renfrew under constant pressure and making scoring difficult.
Despite some resistance from the visitors, West soon tightened their grip on the game and then came the decisive spell from Graeme Etheridge. Fresh from taking four wickets in Saturday’s league victory, Etheridge went one better this time, claiming an outstanding five-wicket haul. Bowling with accuracy and control, he ripped through the Renfrew top and middle order with apparent ease.
With the game all but secured, Tony Hullat stepped in to mop up the tail, claiming the final three wickets as Renfrew were dismissed for just 91.
The convincing victory sends West through to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Clydesdale Cricket Club on 24 May.
