Bangor hosted Laurelvale at Upritchard Park last Saturday in the latest round of league fixtures. Bangor, in spite of great cup form, had only managed a solitary win in the league to this stage, but the boys had been grafting behind the scenes and there was a sense amongst the group that their next win and indeed a string of them were just around the corner. Having already played Laurelvale in the T20 Trophy and won a thriller, spectators rolled into the ground, enticed by what was sure to be a thrilling encounter
Bangor lost the toss and were sent out to field, the wicket was rock hard, but with a bit of green on top, setting up a battle between bat and ball on a scorching hot day with a welcoming on-shore breeze.
It was a slow start for the visitors as the opening pair of Brown and Chhabra bowled with great skill and temerity, attacking the stumps and piling on the pressure. The pressure would tell in the fifth over when Khan attempted a second successive hoick over the leg side and edged it through to Prince at first slip above his head. Brown had found his stride and God help anyone who stands in his way, as with his next ball he removed the Laurelvale danger man Malik for a golden duck. The hat trick ball was arrowed in at the stumps but blocked away and the score was now at 11-2.
Chhabra and Brown continued bowling in a partnership, collecting dots, building pressure, inviting the next chance. The pressure would tell as Brown claimed his third wicket removing the other opener Thornbury, also caught behind. At the end of the power play the visitors found themselves 33-3 and struggling in the face of a determined bowling attack. Speers and Henry, the incumbent Laurelvale pair, toiled on, scampering runs, accessing third man and trying to regain a foothold. The Bangor attack became frustrated, as the ball found its way into gaps and it seemed as though the luck in the game had switched hands, but Bangor remained strong in the face of adversity and discipline won the day. Pyper claimed the wicket of Henry in the 20th over, caught at mid-off by McMillan. A few overs later, a new Speers arrived and departed from the crease caught by a galloping Connor Brown, like a dog in hunting season, tearing across the field in pursuit of his target and claiming for Farrell his first wicket.
This wicket acted as something of a catalyst for the Bangor side, Laurelvale were now on 110-5 after 25 overs with the game teetering on a knife edge. From the boundary walked into bowl a young spinner, donning shades and a focused expression. This young spinner, was Daniel Rayner.
The “Doctor”, went at the batsmen with unflinching execution. When he would go to the boundary he would float another one towards the batsmen and dare them to hit him once more. This tactic prevailed as he claimed the set batsman Speers for 61, caught excellently at mid wicket by Sam McMillan, who shook the bullet of a shot off as if it were a tennis ball that stuck in his hand. A few overs later Rayner returned to the wickets column, this time it was daintily floated to McMillan at mid wicket. This was a welcome catch for McMillan, who struggles to deal with catches taken without his trusty fielding mits on to protect his golden hands. Another guileful, dipping and deceptive ball by Rayner tempted Burns into floating the ball to Prince at mid-off as Rayner claimed his third. There has been a brief cameo from the Laurelvale captain Sinton to this point, finding the boundary multiple times, until Rayner spun one through his defences to bowl him. You’d be forgiven for thinking this game was taking place in the subcontinent as Rayner returned figures of 4-30 off of his 7 overs. All the while, Farrell had been building pressure at the other end and gained his due reward as the final wicket was his. Laurelvale ended their innings 159 all out and Bangor headed into the sheds confident that they could get the job done.
The familiar pairing of Hutchinson and his young padawan McMillan opened the innings, aiming to produce a platform that would allow the rest of the team to succeed. They achieved this through great discipline in the early stages, picking space in areas where others simply couldn’t fathom the precision required to hit. McMillan was the typical early aggressor of the two, batting as if the ball owed him a favour. McMillan was unfortunate to nick off in the 11th over, not without moving the score to 57-1. Brown now arrived at the crease as he and Hutchinson continued to battle, the two men understood that if they batted time the runs would come and the game would be theirs. A few overs later, Hutchinson was removed bowled by an in dipping yorker, Bringing another experienced head Kirkpatrick to the crease.
Brown and Kirkpatrick brought the score to 97 and then disaster struck, as Brown was removed LBW by the bowling of Burns. This brought young Felix McMillan to crease who was making his league debut and was tasked with batting alongside Kirkpatrick to see the boys home.
What ensued was a joy to behold, as Seneca once said “While we teach, we learn” and this is true of Kirkpatrick’s experience, as he mentored the young man through the innings. Kirkpatrick of course was the aggressor, taking the fight to bowlers. He was like a boxer with the grace of a dancer and he propelled Bangor forward with the sweet science only found in the middle of the bat. At the other end, McMillan displayed to all around a lesson in persistance, showing unyielding determination to support his partner and do what the team required. Before the end of the game, Kirkpatrick claimed his half century and at last, he and his young batting partner walked off of the field victorious by 7 wickets in what was a dominant Bangor performance.
Labor Omnia Vincit – hard work conquers all. This is the mark of this Bangor side. Unlucky on a few occasions over the preceding weeks, today their luck had cashed in. Few will know of the hours spent bowling at cones, facing the bowling machine, taking catches. This was a game which, of course, was won on the field of play, but equally so was won in the weeks gone by in the quiet of an empty Upritchard Park, where true heroes are made and victories won.
