Above; team captains and Day 1 umpire, club President Billy Dale
Okay, so it was a bit of a contrived result. The Hills chasing 159 in 30 overs might have been labelled a ‘generous declaration’, especially considering it took North Down 40 overs to post 158 — but that was the scenario agreed upon by the skippers, and that’s what played out. In the end, The Hills fell just short, closing on 155, but got what they needed out of the exercise.
You can view the scorecard HERE
Captain Tyron Koen will have been pleased with the efforts of his youthful attack. The bowlers looked noticeably sharper than the batters had on Saturday, showing good discipline and intent throughout. Fifteen-year-old Jaxon Dines was probably the pick of the bunch — wicketless, yes, but he created a couple of chances that went begging.
On what was a very decent April pitch, the home side didn’t quite show the application required with the bat the previous day — with the notable exceptions of the skipper and Tom Crothers, who both made it into the 40s in an otherwise forgettable effort.
Time in the middle will be key for some in the remaining warm-up games.
The Hills enjoyed the hospitality, and even with a few key committee members unavailable, those present ensured the first weekend of the season was a success.
Up top on Sunday, the Ladies also grabbed a win in their own pre-season run-out. A ‘fifty’ from skipper Gracie Keenan and 25 from Sophie Bourne were the highlights with the bat, while there were two wickets apiece for the same pair and Amy Boyd.
