Ferguslie Cricket Club end season on a high note with McCulloch Cup victory

dailyrecord.co.uk:

By Bill Elliot Ferguslie Cricket Club ensured their topsy-turvy season ended on a high note after lifting the McCulloch Cup.After failing to defend their Western District league title, the Paisley club were determined to make the most of their chance to bag some silverware in Sunday’s final against Prestwick.With home advantage on their side, Ferguslie also had an extra 24 hours to prepare after their final league game fell foul of the weather on Saturday.The hosts batted first but had to overcome the shock of losing professional Mo Mayet, playing in his last match of the season before returning to South Africa, in the first over.However, they recovered from the surprise loss and quickly set about raising the run rate, chiefly through David Stafford, and had reached 51 for three in only the seventh over.The run rate was maintained as the opener continued to hit out and he reached his second successive 50 in the 14th over with a strike which took the ball into the adjoining hospital’s car park.When he was eventually out for a critical 58, skipper Haroon Tahir took up the chase.He notched a quickfire 21 not out from only 12 balls received and, in spite of losing three late wickets, the Paisley side reached 141 for eight at the end of their allotted 20 overs.Prestwick simply had to get off to a good start in their quest to reach 142 for the win, but a brilliant catch by Adam Tahir – running backwards to cling on acrobatically –caused them to lose an early wicket in the third over.In the sixth over it was 27 for two as skipper Tahir held on to a skier off the bowling of Taimoor Ahmed.Wickets continued to fall while the required run rate climbed as the Ferguslie captain changed his bowlers at regular intervals to unsettle