by Chris Pyper
Cregagh vs Bangor – 27th July
Bangor travelled to Cregagh for their latest encounter in the Northern Cricket Union Senior League One.
After winning the toss, Cregagh elected to bat, aiming to put a score on the board that would potentially put their visitors under pressure.
This was not to be. Pyper and Farrell both claimed wickets in their opening overs. Pyper produced an away-swinging delivery that feathered the edge of Moore and was taken by Kirkpatrick, while Farrell forced a loose shot that was taken low to his right by Pyper at backward square leg.
Cregagh were 2-1 after two overs and required a rebuild. Nelson and Read led that rebuild, but Bangor were steadfast in their efforts, not flinching in the face of boundaries, blocks, and briskly taken singles.
Farrell gained his second wicket, a just reward for his efforts, in the tenth over. Nelson tried to find a release in the face of relentless bowling from the Bangor off-spinner and, instead of finding the boundary, found the grateful hands of the overseas player, Brodie Harrison. This display from Angus proved, once again, that his best performances come after trips to party towns on the Mediterranean.
Best entered the attack and bowled doggedly, showing no let-up in his pursuit of the next wicket. The local hero had recently rescued a dog from the waters off the coast of our seaside resort and was intent on offering his side the same security with precise line and length. Opportunities came and went, but to no avail, as the half chances failed to stick. Enter George Prince.
His Royal Highness provided the breakthrough in almost the exact same way Farrell had. Bowling into the pitch, Read skied the ball towards the leg-side boundary and, once again, into the hands of the blasé Harrison, who took the catch in the most facile fashion.
A few balls later, Prince removed Watt, who thundered the ball into the hands of Best at cover. Best impressively held onto the catch, which otherwise may have cut right through him. Cregagh were now reeling at 95-5.
Immediately after drinks, Prince picked up where he had left off, bowling a beautiful delivery between bat and pad to dismiss Davison for 3. Three crucial wickets in quick succession and Prince was in full throttle, daring the batsmen to take him on.
Another over, another Prince wicket. This time it was one befitting a king, as the off stump was clattered by the white pill, leaving the opposing batsman to join the rest of Prince’s victims and consider just how magical a performance they were witnessing from the Bangor admin.
For a most glorious five-for, the messaging from the Cregagh pavilion was clearly not adequate. Henry attempted a booming drive that had been the undoing of multiple clubmates previously, resulting in the dislodging of the bails once more and a famous five-for for Prince.
Brodie Harrison, feeling somewhat left out, got in on the act, bowling Nelson with a yorker-length delivery for just one run. In the very next over, the pièce de résistance was secured on Prince’s day. Another wicket, another bowled dismissal. This time, Bullock was removed by a sumptuous bail trimmer. Cregagh were all out for 126 and helpless in the face of Prince’s onslaught.
You may think this report has been monotonous. Bowled after bowled dismissal. But familiarity must not breed contempt for Prince’s incessant line and length. Making the stumps his home and forcing the batsmen into poor decisions that resulted in their demise, Prince deservedly picked up some NCU crystal and set his teammates up for success.
Seb Yeates and Sam McMillan set out to begin Bangor’s assault on the scoreboard, bringing up a fifty partnership in a mere 40 balls, a pace which seems to be a relative canter for the young pair. It was a partnership filled with poise and panache, as well as McMillan displaying his typical penchant for the lofted cover drive.
McMillan was tragically bowled in the eighth over by a low, skiddy leg-spinner from Henry that sent him packing for 27. Brodie Harrison then faced the same fate at the end of the over as Bangor slumped to 59-2. Was this wobble to continue and prove fatal, or was there still defiance within their ranks?
Mark Hutchinson entered and performed his classic steadying act. There was no breaching his defence, no loose shots to be found. Every ball was a new chance to test his fortitude. The equally determined Yeates partnered with him to steady the ship to 92 before Yeates, aiming to work the ball around the corner, could only float it to square leg, much to his dismay, ending an excellent innings of 33.
Ian Butler joined Hutchinson and showed instant intent, clattering a ball for four over extra cover and giving the side an immediate boost. However, he met an unfortunate end. Blocking a ball routinely, it somehow rolled on after hitting the deck and clipped the stumps just enough to dislodge the bails, removing him for 8.
Finally, Andrew Kirkpatrick joined Hutchinson, and the two made light work of the remaining target as Bangor romped home to a six-wicket victory.
Unbeaten in the league and firing on all cylinders, the ceiling is high and a habit of winning is developing. Youth and experience, power and precision, pace and spin are all present throughout a side that is as balanced as any Bangor team in recent memory. Who will stop them? Only time will tell, but for now, the Bangor train keeps on rolling.
Cregagh 126 (37.5 overs, J Read 30, A Watt 32, A Farrell 2-33, G Prince 6-20)
Bangor 127-4 (20.4 overs, S McMillan 27, S Yeates 33, D Henry 2-40)
Bangor beat Cregagh by 6 wickets
Bangor Men’s 2XI vs CSNI 3XI – 27th July
by Gareth McCullough
After 8 weeks of the season the 2’s finally got a run out at Upritchard and what a day it turned out to be!
It started well with the skipper actually winning the toss and without hesitation put the opposition into bat. In what were difficult conditions to bowl due to a ferocious wind blowing down the ground we didn’t get off to a great start conceding boundaries aplenty. The breakthrough came in the 3rd over with Bates castling the young Hull and it wouldn’t be until the 10th over until the next wicket fell, this time Max Escott removing Khan. The visitors continued to score freely up to drinks and looked on for a score in excess of 200. We dug in after the break, restricting the run rate and when Thompson fell to Pyper we set about removing the tail with Bates & Walker back into the attack. At tea we had been set a target of 199 which was well within our reach considering the batting line up available.
Play resumed with the visitors looking to record a first league win of the season and what followed was quite simply a McMillan masterclass!
Having put them to the sword 2 weeks ago at Stormont young Felix picked up where he left off and destroyed the CSNI attack with a blistering 128 of 61 balls, JK at the other end was merely a spectator! We did lose one wicket and Patto came in with some useful runs to see us reach the winning target in 21.3 overs. With 9 wickets in hand.
Thinks it’s fair to say CSNI won’t want to see us again anytime soon!
CSNI 3 198-9 (30 overs, G Lutton 21, G Thompson 40, J Semple 23, J Bates 3-32, M Walker 2-45, M Escott 2-22)
Bangor 2 203-1 (21.3 overs, F McMillan 128*, J Keenan 27, J Patterson 30*)
Bangor 2 beat CSNI 3 by 9 wickets
Lurgan vs Bangor – 28th July
by Chris Pyper
All roads led to Lurgan for the top-of-the-table clash between Bangor and Lurgan in NCU Senior League One. The two sides began the day level on points, with the victors destined to establish clear daylight at the summit of the table.
Bangor won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to gain an early foothold in this crucial fixture and heap pressure upon their opponents’ chase.
The innings began shakily for the visitors. Sam McMillan departed early when a short ball held in the surface, inducing a mistimed pull that was comfortably taken at mid-wicket. A few overs later, Yeates met a similar fate, playing too early at a delivery before chipping it back to Babu, who accepted a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance. Bangor were suddenly 14-2 and in need of a partnership to restore equilibrium.
Brodie Harrison and Hutchinson duly answered the call, accumulating runs by punishing anything remotely loose while batting in contrasting yet equally effective styles. Hutchinson unfurled sumptuous on-drives that would not have looked out of place from cricket’s luminaries, while Harrison bludgeoned hook shots with an almost rapacious appetite for boundaries.
Their partnership of 81 revived Bangor’s fortunes before Hutchinson, having compiled a valuable 28, mistimed an attempted lofted stroke to mid-on, bringing an excellent innings to an end.
Butler joined Harrison and the rebuilding began anew. Harrison continued to display dogged determination, looking in the sort of imperious form that leaves bowlers scratching their heads, wondering what earthly stratagem might succeed. At the other end, Butler offered no respite either, producing a fluent innings containing two maximums and five fours.
During their stand, Harrison reached his century from just 105 deliveries. An outstanding tempo for any batsman, but even more impressive was the maturity and control underpinning the innings. He dismantled anything remotely loose while respecting the better deliveries, producing what must surely rank as the knock of the season thus far.
Butler was eventually bowled for an excellent 47, departing with Bangor 205-4. A brief cameo of nine from Andrew Kirkpatrick followed before Harrison found himself increasingly bereft of partners. Skipper Jonny Parker was unfortunate to be dismissed caught and bowled courtesy of a stunning one-handed return catch from Maxwell. Best and Farrell were unable to trouble the scorers, while Michael Skelly ran industriously for a useful six.
Throughout it all, Harrison remained utterly unflustered by the bowling attack, continuing to harvest runs with almost metronomic consistency. He laughed in the face of the short ball, greeted fuller deliveries with evident relish, and unfailingly delivered for his side. He finished unbeaten on a magnificent 172, ably supported at the end by Chris Pyper—surely the finest number eleven in NCU cricket.
It was the highest individual score recorded in Senior League One this season and one that will take some eclipsing. His innings featured eight towering sixes and fourteen crisp fours, a veritable apotheosis of controlled aggression that everyone fortunate enough to witness will remember for years to come.
Bangor closed on an imposing 287, leaving Lurgan with a formidable chase.
Farrell and Pyper shared the new ball, applying immediate pressure. Farrell made the breakthrough by dismissing Johnston for 9, bringing together the dangerous pairing of Doddrell and Oliver.
The accomplished duo steadied the innings with a partnership of 88. Amidst this resistance, Mark Best remained indefatigable, charging in repeatedly with his nagging line and length. Having just bowled a dot ball, Best appeared to display remarkable prescience. An overthrow conceded a seemingly innocuous single, but the very next delivery brought reward as Oliver chipped the ball back to the bowler, who gleefully completed the caught-and-bowled chance.
Best continued to toil with admirable discipline, while Michael Skelly built pressure from the opposite end. Best collected his second wicket with the final ball of his ten-over spell, Grieve edging through to Sam McMillan.
Maxwell joined Doddrell and, together, they accelerated the scoring. Maxwell rotated the strike expertly while Doddrell increased the tempo, adding 90 runs despite Bangor’s disciplined bowling to carry Lurgan to 217 before the visitors wrestled back control.
Returning to the attack, Angus Farrell produced a spell of immense discipline and fortitude. Refusing to deviate from his plans despite sustained aggression, he tempted Maxwell into a miscued lofted stroke that nestled safely in the welcoming hands of Brodie Harrison.
An over later, Farrell was involved again, taking a superb catch at square leg to dismiss Iqbal Khan.
Doddrell, now joined by Sinovich, continued to press forward. Having passed his century, he looked poised to produce his second match-winning innings in as many days until Farrell intervened once more. Once again standing resolute, Farrell trusted his methods. Doddrell launched another towering stroke, only to find Harrison underneath it once again. Bangor were jubilant as the prized wicket of the Lurgan overseas player fell, and suddenly they sensed the initiative was theirs.
Farrell’s work was not yet complete. In the following over, he bowled Sinovich, capping a magnificent second spell that firmly placed Bangor in the ascendancy.
Pyper returned for the closing overs, assuming a role that has become almost second nature over recent seasons: bowling at the death with the outcome hanging delicately in the balance.
The target remained attainable, and what followed was cricket of the most enthralling variety.
Several appeals that Bangor considered clear-cut went unanswered, while Babu profited from a top edge that raced away for four. Lesser sides might have succumbed to frustration, but this Bangor team is battle-hardened, possessed of uncommon sangfroid.
In the 49th over, Butler also returned admirably, conceding just five runs from the penultimate over. Lurgan now required 12 from the final six deliveries.
Bowling intelligently into the pitch and forcing the batsmen to generate all the pace themselves, Pyper held his nerve magnificently. Every Bangor fielder responded in kind, handling each chance with composure under immense pressure. The innings concluded with a run-out as Bangor sealed a pulsating two-run victory.
Embraces were shared as this band of brothers had toppled their fellow table-toppers, moving into sole possession of first place in Senior League One.
This was a contest that tested every ounce of resolve, and Bangor demonstrated they possessed it in abundance. Gutsy innings, heartfelt partnerships, diligent bowling, clutch fielding, and bowlers who simply refused to wilt beneath the pressure of determined opposition combined to produce a famous triumph.
Days such as these will be remembered long in the annals of Bangor Cricket, as this eclectic blend of youth and experience marches onwards with a spring in its step and an unmistakable glint in its eye. A trip to Armagh now awaits and another opportunity to rise to the challenge that wearing the jersey demands.
One thing, however, seems abundantly certain: you would not wager against this lot.
Bangor 287-9 (50 overs, B Harrison 172*, M Hutchinson 28, I Butler 47, L Doddrell 3-46, N Babu 2-29, J Maxwell 2-52)
Lurgan 285-8 (50 overs, J Oliver 36, L Doddrell 118, J Maxwell 38, N Babu 25, A Farrell 4-62, M Best 2-31)
Bangor beat Lurgan by 2 runs
Bangor 4XI vs BISC 4XI – 27th July
A high-scoring thriller in the NCU Minor Qualifying Cup saw BISC 4th XI claim a 31-run victory over Bangor 4th XI on Saturday, June 27th. In a match defined by relentless boundary-hitting, BISC’s massive first-innings total ultimately proved just out of reach for a valiant Bangor side.
Winning the toss and batting first, BISC found themselves in early trouble at 23 for 2 after dismissals by Daniel McIlwaine and James Monaghan. However, a monumental partnership completely shifted the momentum. Nanjundaswamy played a jaw-dropping innings, blasting an unbeaten 159 off just 70 balls, including 18 sixes. Supported solidly by Kallol Sarkar (55*), BISC posted a formidable 246 for 2 from their 25 overs.
Faced with a daunting target, Bangor 4XI launched a spirited response. Groundwork was laid by openers Iain Chapman (39) and Stephen Hamilton (25), but the true highlight of the innings belonged to Matty Quinn.
Quinn put on an absolute masterclass in aggressive batting, anchoring the chase with a sensational, unbeaten century. Scoring 101* off just 57 deliveries, he cleared the ropes 6 times and hit 9 fours, keeping Bangor’s hopes alive until the very final over. Alongside Phil Greenwood (21*), Quinn ensured the team batted out their overs with pride.
Despite Quinn’s heroic efforts, the initial asking rate proved too steep, and Bangor finished their 25 overs at 215 for 3. While BISC walks away with the victory, Bangor can hold their heads high after a phenomenal batting exhibition led by Quinn’s brilliant ton.
BISC 4 246-2 (25 overs, K Sarkar 55*, M Nanjundaswamy 159*)
Bangor 4 215-3 (25 overs, I Chapman 39, S Hamilton 25, M Quinn 101*, P Greenwood 21*)
BISC 4 beat Bangor 4 by 31 runs
