THERE were smiles all round for Helensburgh’s cricketers on Saturday after both the club’s teams recorded fantastic wins.

Alex Todd stole the show for Ardencaple, the Burgh second team, with an outstanding bowling performance at home to Stenhousemuir, taking six wickets for just 13 runs to restrict the visitors to 57 all out – while returning Helensburgh great Duncan Williams steered the team to victory inside 13 overs, scoring an unbeaten 39.

In Stirling, meanwhile, Helensburgh’s first team put on a superb performance to beat East Renfrewshire by eight wickets and with nearly 20 overs to spare.

Having lost the toss, Helensburgh were asked to field first, and things didn’t get off to the best of starts: Helensburgh were a fielder down, and some unorthodox batting from the opposition, coupled with some inconsistent bowling, meant runs flowed freely at first.

But things changed almost from the moment captain Marc Christensen brought Jerry Smith into the attack, the wily veteran bowling an outstanding spell with one for 27 off his 10 overs.

Handing Luke Smith the ball proved another masterstroke – Smith is normally the wicketkeeper, but with Stuart Adams available to stand behind the stumps, Smith made the most of his opportunity with a superb four for 26 off his allotted overs, while Christensen himself took three for 17, including two wickets in two balls.

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That left Helensburgh chasing 211 to win, and from the off Adams and Smith were aggressive yet composed, taking runs at will and dispatching every bad ball to the boundary.

Adams was quickest to reach his 50, and soon after the pair put on a 100-run partnership it was Smith’s turn to complete a half century of his own; sadly, hopes of chasing the target without losing a wicket were dashed as Adams fell for an impressive 79 after the duo put on an impressive 147 runs.

Raj Kodithuwakku Arachci came in at three to support Smith, but was expertly run out with just 24 runs needed, but Duncan Stephens stepped up to the supporting role as Smith put his foot to the floor with some hefty blows that brought up his first 100 for Helensburgh in just 95 balls as the visitors closed out a convincing win.

Sadly Helensburgh were unable to take their winning form into their McCulloch Cup tie against Renfrew CC on Wednesday night, falling just six runs short of Renfrew's tally of 111 runs in the 20-over tie.

Helensburgh host East Kilbride in the league on Saturday in the first in a run of four tough fixtures and then travel to Glasgow Accies on Sunday in the Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile Ardencaple head to Clydesdale CC on Saturday to take on the Bees.

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