Above: 2s progress in Junior Cup
Washed Out Saturday
Saturday was a total wipeout, with persistent rain across the region putting paid to all scheduled matches. With a growing backlog of fixtures, expect games to come thick and fast — keep an eye on our socials for updates.
2nd XI On Fire – Junior Cup Progress & T20 Drama
The 2s made it a weekend to remember with two thrilling performances and remain unbeaten in four across all competitions. Quite the turnaround for a squad that lost its first five league games.
Friday Night T20 Thriller
North Down 2s tied with Woodvale 2s in a dramatic T20 Plate clash at The Green. After restricting the visitors to 151, the run chase ebbed and flowed before Andrew Haire was caught going for the winning run off the final ball — scores level, honours even.
Hamilton Coulter anchored the reply with a composed 56.
Earlier, Joel Parker (2-33) and Jaxon Dines (1-19) kept things tidy with the ball.
Sunday Cup Classic
Sunday’s Junior Cup win over Ardent Blues was nothing short of heroic. Reduced to 10 for 3 and later 107 for 7 chasing 163, the 2s showed serious bottle to edge home by just one wicket.
15-year-old Luke Crothers starred with a mature 56, and Jacob McClure-Dalzell added 18 at a crucial time. But it was Ben Ewart who was the hero — hitting a pressure boundary in the final over to seal the deal.
Credit too to the bowlers: Tom Crothers (2-27), Drew Parker (2-23), and Jaxon Dines (6 overs for just 23). And hats off to the ground team, especially Neil Dalzell, for producing a playable surface after Saturday’s deluge.
Youth Learning Curve for 4s
The 4th XI were also in action on Sunday, taking on a seasoned Amigos side. It was quite literally men vs boys — but the NDCC youngsters will have taken plenty from the contest. Every over counts for experience at this level.
Ulster Schools Recognition for Josh and James
Josh Corbett and James Shields represented Ulster Schools against the MCC on Tuesday at the picturesque Campbell College — the traditional home of this long-running fixture and a fitting stage for the latest NDCC involvement.
Although well beaten by a strong MCC side, both players emerged with credit. Josh returned figures of 1 for 17 from 6 overs, showing his now customary control with the ball. James, fielding in the unfamiliar territory of the outfield, held two excellent catches before joint top-scoring in the Schools’ innings — enough to earn him the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket cap as Player of the Match.
Both boys, who attend Grosvenor Grammar, have done their chances of selection for the Schools Interprovincial fixture no harm at all.
More Rep Action for NDCC Youth
Also on the representative scene this week, Tom and Luke Crothers played for an NCU U19 side against MCC at Stormont today (Wednesday). Neither batted, but both got through four steady overs apiece to help restrict the visitors to 185 — a total the NCU side chased down with ease.
Looks like it’ll be a busy summer keeping track of all the youth rep action!
Regent House Dominate at ‘Lords’
On Monday, The Green (affectionately known as ‘Lords’ in local cricket circles) hosted a special fixture as Regent House U15s — stacked with NDCC talent — destroyed Strabane to reach the Schools Junior Cup Final.
Skipper Jaxon Dines was unplayable, returning jaw-dropping figures of 5 overs, 6 wickets for just 6 runs. Good luck to the boys in the final tomorrow!
📊 All scorecards and live data available via the NV Play Hub on our website.
📸 Matchday images from are now live in the Galleries section.
