Above: Big Kerwin overseeing some late night cricket at The Green, what a sight!
There has been so much cricket in the last three days I’m not sure one website update is enough, but here goes!
Check out the galleries for all the contributions from our photographers HERE
On Friday night what has been a pretty miserable T20 campaign ended with defeat at The Green against Woodvale but a couple of things happened that are worthy of note (and you’ll have to excuse the author taking liberties at the end of this article).
17yo Josh Corbett bowled his most impressive spell to date for the club in the face of a Pretorious onslaught, keeping his nerve to return figures of 2 for 28 after bowling through the middle of the innings.
The game itself was close and although over-simplifying things, the old adage that ‘catches win matches’ certainly could be applied as we dropped a couple of important ones that could have been the difference. 167 was a good target and at 80 without loss we were well set – unfortunately wickets at regular intervals leaving us just off the pace, and just short at the end. Scorecard HERE
Saturday was D-day in terms of team selection with all five teams playing on the same day for the first time. The demons of the past though are nowhere to be seen as the reserve list of club veterans ready to answer the call and ‘help out if stuck’ wasn’t even necessary – it is brilliant to see the number of kids wanting a game at the minute, how refreshing!
Weekend teams:
The M1s travelled to East Belfast to tackle Section 1 Cregagh in the Challenge Cup and returned fairly comfortable 4-wicket victors despite a batting wobble – chasing a very modest 112 things were mixed up a bit to give guys a taste of the action – but it required the experience of Ally Shields and Ani Chore to get us in the hat for the quarter finals. Shields took the MOM honours as he scored 23 to go with his 5 for 16 with the ball earlier in the day. Scorecard HERE
The M2s enjoyed a productive weekend with two wins from two, to continue their good progress. Gavin Anderson was the star of the show on Saturday against CIYMS with an undefeated century, assisted by his skipper Ryan Galway who made 41 in an 89 run win. The wickets were well spread around a youthful bowling attack who completed a comfortable victory and took another step towards J1 league safety. Scorecard HERE
On Sunday a rare home draw in the Ulster Plate was rewarded with a fighting win against Bready 2s and a place in the quarters. Ryan Haire showed all his experience to make a vital 66 with the bat and helped guide James Shields through to 31 in a stand worth 75 and a total of 199, probably just around par.
Jaxon Dines opened the bowling and took his wicket tally for the weekend to five with two more scalps against the North West visitors and completed what was an excellent weekend for the improving young seamer. Haire was also the pick of the bowlers but the game was made safe when Shields Jnr held on to a good boundary catch off the bowling of Shields Snr, less said about the actual quality of the delivery the better because as always, its the outcome that matters. Scorecard HERE
Ardmore (away) is the reward in the next round on Sunday July 7.
The M3s came up short against Cooke Collegians 2s in the Lindsay Minor on the top ground despite 75 from Iain ‘Dudley’ Arthur and 42 not out from young Callum Wilson – the 203 chase was just a few too many for the young side. Scorecard HERE
Both the M4s and 5s booked their spots in the next round of the Development Cup with victories on the road.
At Campbell College Lewis Dugan inspired the 4s to 200+ against CIYMS and it proved to be 30 too many for the hosts whilst at Banford Green, things were more straightforward for the 5s who dealt a heavy defeat to their hosts. Aaron Macrory made a welcome return to club colours and marked it with a century and he was supported by Nathan Lamont with 37. The wickets were shared around a youthful bowling lineup with two apiece for Lamont, Thomas Atkinson, Issac Webster and Thomas Barr. Scorecard HERE
On Sunday morning the W1s entertained Holywood on the main ground and ran into an inform pair in 16yo South African Karabo Meso who scored an unbeaten century and former Irish International Lara Maritz who made 55. Honourable mention to Alexis Macdonald who took 3 for 21 but the visitors 174 always looked like a tough ask and so it proved, with 18 from Laila Juul-Dam being the only meaningful contribution in a heavy defeat. Scorecard HERE
One final footnote to the weekend – when James Shields made his competitive debut in the 1stXI game on Friday night, in doing so he became the fourth generation of Shields’ to do so, following in the footsteps of William (Billly), his great-grandfather who was a Challenge Cup winner in the 1930s, his granda Ian (former 1stXI stalwart and club historian) and his dad Peter who is still knocking about on the 2nds after a few years as firsts skipper, well done James!
Fixtures this week:
Mon 3rd
W2 vs Holywood (a)
Fri 7th
M2 vs CIYMS (h)
Sat 8th
M1 vs Muckamore (a)
M2 vs BISC (a) Junior Cup 2nd Round
M4 vs Cliftonville Academy (h)
M5 vs Cregagh (h)
Sunday 9th
M1 vs Balbriggan (a) Irish Cup 2nd round
W1 vs Waringstown (h)
M3 vs Drumaness (a)
M4 vs Ardent Blues (a)
And as if all that isn’t enough, the long awaited job of giving a serious trim to the conifer trees around the ground is now underway – what a transformation that will be once complete!
