Scottish Cricket: Baird inspires Ayr to Cup triumph (16 August 1999)

16 August 1999

Scottish Cricket: Baird inspires Ayr to Cup triumph

Keith Graham

Australian Graeme Rummans guided Ayr to a surprise victory over Premiership leaders West of Scotland in yesterday's Scottish Cup final at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow with a gritty unbeaten innings of 61.

But it was medium pacer Andy Baird who turned the game Ayr's way after West's captain had decided to take first use of his home pitch.

It was a toss Ayr were probably glad to lose and the game was only into its second over when another Australian, Matthew Smith, struck a crucial blow by bowling West's prolific opener Corey Richards for five.

If that represented a bad start, Baird made it worse with a burst of accurate bowling which sent West into crisis by taking three wickets in successive overs, sending West to 28 for four.

Alan Williamson's brief resistance ended when Baird bowled him and his straight 10-over spell gave him the remarkable analysis of 10-7-7-4.

A defiant Jon Williams staged another brief recovery but his effort came too late as his team were eventually all out for 135 in the 49th over, with Stephen Gilmour last out for 15.

Ayr, too, started badly when Bruce Patterson pulled Roden hard to Williams at square-leg with four on the board. And when, in the 13th over Alan Simpson fell lbw to Wright with the score on 38 for two, the game was by no means over. There followed a composed stand between Rummans and Johnstone which added 59 for the third wicket and although Colin McCrossan was soon trapped lbw, Rummans and David Simpson saw Ayr safely home by six wickets.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)