Men’s 1XI vs Laurelvale – 13th June
by Chris Pyper
Upritchard Park was once again the glorious setting for Bangor’s Challenge Cup fixture against Laurelvale. The previous week had been bested by the rain, but there would be no danger of that today, with clear skies illuminating the ground.
Bangor won the toss and inserted the visitors, aiming to make early inroads into their top order.
Early inroads were indeed made by the opening pair of Farrell and Pyper. Pyper claimed the first wicket of John Speers, caught at mid-on. Building on the pressure that had been created and hitting a hard length to induce the stray bunt, it was debutant Mark Best who charged forward to claim the catch — an excellent first action for him in a Bangor shirt.
Farrell claimed the wicket of Babar Khan in the next over, who chopped on while searching for a change of tactic in the face of Farrell’s tight lines.
Laurelvale had to rebuild from 9 for 2, but the recovery received another blow as Pyper claimed his second wicket — and second Speers of the day — as Adam Speers threw his hands at a hard-length delivery on a fourth-stump line, with the ball duly caught by Seb Yeates.
Mark Thornbury came to the crease, and he and Malik set about trying to gain a foothold in the game.
Thornbury had a large trigger movement that proved difficult to deal with until it became his undoing. Pyper bowled a full delivery on leg stump that Thornbury chose to leave, possibly unaware of how exposed his stance had become, and he departed for 20.
Henry joined Malik at the crease and the two shared the defining partnership of the match. Their stand of 88 came in the face of disciplined bowling from Harrison, Best, Simpson and Yeates.
Yeates would eventually end the partnership by having Henry stumped, thanks to the rapid gloves of Andrew Kirkpatrick, who removed the bails during the split second that Henry’s back foot was elevated.
Yeates gained a second breakthrough in peculiar fashion, as Malik left the pitch after hitting his own wicket for 81. Yeates finished with outstanding figures of 10-1-29-2, displaying a level of discipline far beyond his years. David Sinton batted admirably with the tail as the Bangor spinners closed out the innings, bowling Laurelvale out for 232.
Despite periods of resistance in the chase, Bangor never truly threatened to overhaul the total, with wickets falling at regular intervals and pressure steadily mounting.
Bangor’s innings never gained sustained momentum after an early setback saw Samuel McMillan dismissed for just 2, caught by Babar Khan off the bowling of Adam Speers.
Sebastian Yeates attempted to steady the innings with a composed 19, striking two boundaries before also falling to Speers, leaving Bangor struggling to establish a platform.
The innings was anchored briefly by Mark Hutchinson, who top-scored with a determined 41 from 69 balls. Hutchinson struck five boundaries and looked capable of leading a recovery, but with little substantial support around him, Laurelvale maintained firm control.
Brodie Harrison departed for 5 before Ian Butler offered Bangor a glimmer of hope with an aggressive 25 from 36 deliveries, including a six and two fours. At the halfway point of the innings, Bangor stood at 94 for 4 after 25 overs, with Butler and Andrew Kirkpatrick at the crease and hopes of a fightback still alive.
However, Laurelvale’s bowling attack tightened its grip after drinks. Michael Burns proved particularly influential, removing key batters at pivotal moments. Butler was bowled by Babar Khan shortly after threatening to accelerate, while Kirkpatrick’s brief contribution of 8 ended when he edged to Alex Webb off Burns.
The lower order was unable to mount meaningful resistance. Angus Farrell made 11, but Bangor slipped quickly through the gears as Babar Khan and Burns shared the bulk of the wickets. Jonathan Parker was controversially trapped lbw, while William Simpson’s late boundary provided only brief entertainment before he too departed.
This was a disappointing end to Bangor’s cup campaign, but there is no need to be down in the dumps on this occasion. There were many promising snippets from this game and, over the course of a long season, defeats are inevitable.
The great teams are defined by their response to defeat and, if this side’s past form is anything to go by, they will learn, they will grow, and they will be back.
Laurelvale 232 (47.5 overs, A Malik 81, D Henry 44, C Pyper 3-27)
Bangor 132 (36 overs, M Hutchinson 41, I Butler 25, A Speers 2-28, M Burns 4-47, B Khan 3-13)
Laurelvale beat Bangor by 100 runs
Third XI vs Instonians 3XI – 13th June
Bangor 3rd XI delivered a dominant all-round performance to secure a comprehensive 198-run victory over Instonians 3rd XI at Ward Park on Saturday.
Batting first, Bangor piled on an imposing 302 for 6 from their 30 overs, with several players contributing to a powerful total. After an early setback, Felix McMillan led the initial charge with a fluent 67 from 51 balls, striking six boundaries and clearing the ropes on six occasions to set the tone.
He was well supported by Mark English, who anchored the innings superbly with an unbeaten 68, combining composure with controlled aggression. Patrick English matched that intent at the other end, producing an excellent 67 from just 40 deliveries, including five fours and five sixes, as the pair accelerated the scoring through the middle overs.
Despite a steady stream of wickets, Bangor maintained momentum throughout, aided significantly by a large extras tally, as they pushed beyond the 300 mark—an imposing total in a 30-over contest.
In response, Instonians never recovered from a difficult start against a disciplined Bangor bowling attack. Daniel McIlwaine was the standout performer with the ball, producing a devastating spell of 5 for 22 from his six overs to dismantle the top order.
Early breakthroughs left Instonians struggling, and although James Nelson offered some resistance with a well-made 45 not out, he found little support from the other end. Bangor’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout, with Andrew Pyper, Joshua Walker and Patrick English all contributing wickets.
Instonians were eventually dismissed for 104 in 25.3 overs, sealing a convincing win for the home side.
The result highlights Bangor’s strength in depth, with both bat and ball firing to deliver one of their most complete performances of the season.
Bangor 3 302-6 (30 overs, F McMillan 67, Z Kerr 21, M English 68*, P English 67, P Saran 2-33)
Instonians 3 104 (25.3 overs, J Nelson 45*, D McIlwaine 5-22)
Bangor 3 beat Instonians 3 by 198 runs
CSNI 3XI vs Men’s 2XI – 14th June
by Gareth McCullough
After a couple of defeats in the league and cup the 2’s finally got a chance to put things right at Stormont on Sunday afternoon.
Skipper McCullough’s dreadful record with the toss continued and we were put into bat on a damp wicket that looked like it would offer something to the bowler.
Opening the innings Felix McMillan & Johnny Keenan got Bangor off to a very good start putting on 106 for the first wicket. Angus Farrell in at 3 continued to put pressure on the fielding team and contributed a quickfire 38 runs in a partnership of 70 for the second wicket.
Then came the highlight of the day as the end of the innings neared as Irish U15 batter McMillan managed to get over the line to his century with a ball left in the innings to relief of his joyous teammates and those following on proceedings at the ground and online!
After 30 overs we posted 213/3 which was to prove far too much for the opposition. Following the interval, Josh Bates opened the bowling and quickly got rid of their opening batsmen, Farrell held it tight at the other end before Max Walker entered the fray and picked up 2 wickets in a fine spell of bowling. Will Simpson got some prodigious turn taking another 2 wickets before Andy Pyper and Max Escott finished everything off with 2 wickets a piece.
A fantastic win on the road by 124 runs sets the team up well for our first home fixture of the season against BISC on Thursday night.
Bangor 2 213-3 (30 overs, F McMillen 100*, J Keenan 44, A Farrell 38)
CSNI 3 89 (24.1 overs, M Khan 24, M Walker 2-11, W Simpson 2-19, A Pyper 2-11, M Escott 2-5)
Bangor 2 beat CSNI 3 by 124 runs
Fourth XI vs Larne 2XI – 14th June
by Matt Pitts
Bangor 4th XI claimed a thrilling cup victory over Larne 2nd XI on Sunday in a sun-soaked contest at Upritchard Park, decided on wickets after both sides finished level on 156.
Stand-in captain Rich Carson won the toss and chose to bat first on a fine day for cricket, a decision that was rewarded with an impressive all-round batting display.
Bangor’s innings was built around a fluent knock from Josh Donnelly, who struck an entertaining 51 from just 35 balls, including a huge six that sailed out of the ground. He was well supported by Nathan Belshaw, who compiled a steady 41, while Iain Chapman (20) and Reuben McDowell (17) added valuable contributions to keep the momentum going.
The home side closed on a competitive 156 for 4, setting Larne a challenging but achievable target.
In response, Larne matched Bangor stride for stride in a tense chase that ebbed and flowed throughout. Bangor’s bowlers kept things tight, with Sunil Chatekar (2 for 36) leading the attack and Ben Pitts (1 for 27) providing solid backup.
Fielding proved decisive, as two sharp run-outs by Chapman and McDowell checked Larne’s progress at crucial moments.
With the scores locked at 156, the match went down to the narrowest of margins, with Bangor emerging victorious on the basis of losing fewer wickets, Larne finishing on 156 for 5.
The final over was packed with drama, but captain Carson held his nerve superbly under pressure, guiding his side through a tense finish to seal a memorable cup win.
On a day blessed with sunshine and played in great spirit, it was a fittingly dramatic contest that showcased the very best of local cricket.
Bangor 4 156-4 (25 overs, I Chapman 20, N Belshaw 41, J Donnelly 51*, T Evans 2-13)
Larne 2 156-5 (25 overs, T Evans 27, A McKinley 42, S Chatekar 2-36)
Match Tied – Bangor 4 beat Larne 2 by losing fewer wickets
