UDDINGSTON savoured the joy of last-over success to hit the summit of the Premier table – a week after enduring the misery of last-ball defeat.
The Bothwell Castle side produced a thrilling run-chase at Henry Thow Oval to end Prestwick’s unbeaten start to the campaign and, with West of Scotland also losing their 100% record, it was enough for Uddy to claim pole position.
Just seven days earlier Uddingston had lost off the last ball to West and skipper Bryan Clarke revealed: “That defeat gave us an opportunity to regroup and have another look at how we are setting-up.
“We took that into the Prestwick game and have got the reward at the end of a really tough game.”
Clarke’s men were up against it when the home side’s top order flew out the blocks to reach 100 in just 12 overs.
However, Uddy’s slower bowlers applied the brakes with Amir Gul claiming 4-16 from ten overs while Ross Lyons, later to star with the bat, took 3-33.
Gurupreet Singh top-scored for the hosts with 55no while Mitchell Rao (33), Fraser Macdonald (31) Tom Fleet (30) all made valuable contributions to a total of 253-9.
Anwar Hafeez spearheaded the reply with a brilliant century from 130 balls but when he was out, hit wicket off the bowling of Sachin Chaudhary, Uddingston still needed to score at more than 8 runs an over.
With fourteen then required from the final six deliveries, former Scotland star Lyons rose to the challenge with two mighty sixes as Uddingston won with two balls to spare.
Clarke added: “Prestwick should probably have been looking at 300 so our bowlers did a brilliant job to contain them.
“Anwar then set the game up for us – he’s found some form and rhythm at the right time and played beautifully for his hundred before Ross finished it off with a great knock, sticking to what he does best.
“It’s a great win but this is a very competitive league which was always going to open up.”
Meanwhile champions Ferguslie ended the only other unbeaten record with a 91-run defeat of West at Hamilton Crescent.
In a match reduced to 42 overs, Ferguslie openers Gregor Preston-Jones and Taimoor Ahmad paved the way for a competitive total with 33 apiece before professional Nkosana Mpofu cashed-in with a fluent 80 as the visitors posted 203.
Mpofu was one of Rory Kleinveldt’s three victims, the South African international then hitting 53 in vain as a solid all-round bowling display fired the champions firmly into title contention.
Elsewhere, half-centuries from Paddy Barbour and Angus Guy were the highlight of Clydesdale’s 102-run win over Drumpellier at Titwood, the home side posting 246 despite three wickets each for Josh Allison and Darren Pryde.
Sri Lankan Gayan Maneeshan responded with 53 but lacked sustained support as wickets were shared among the home bowlers.
Poloc’s recent revival continued with a 9-wicket success against action-starved East Kilbride at Torrance House. In a low-scoring encounter, Yasar Arfat claimed 4-25 and Habib Safi 3-15 as the hosts were bowled out for 145.
A century stand between Muhamad Dar (63) and Ameen Ramzan (57no) then drove the winning run-chase.
Like EK, Greenock are still searching for an elusive first victory after falling six runs short against Stirling at Glenpark.
Set a revised target of 129 from 26 overs in a match reduced by rain, Greenock were stranded on 123-6 despite 37 from Neil Flack and 30 from Saurabh Bandekar.
Earlier Amir Shahzad top-scored with 50 in Stirling’s total of 144.
