Bangor made it two local derbies in two games with a visit to The Green on Saturday to take on North Down IV. Winning the toss, Bangor batted first with Houstoun and Aicken leading the charge with a first wicket stand of 61 in less than 10 overs. Houstoun thrashing anything loose to the boundary and some not so loose bowling, while Aicken found the gaps with fine placement. Aicken (13) was trapped in front by the old fashioned left arm through and round bowling of Grant for the first wicket. Jack Irwin (5) followed soon after to a good yorker from Adams. Enter the ever enterprising Muhammad Moazzam, continuing his good form with a rapid 27, the highlight another of Mo’s towering sixes off Grant. Houstoun brought up a dominant half century, including 8 boundaries before falling late in the innings for 66. The run rate continued to rattle along with the arrival of Matt Pitts who wasted little time in finding the rope in an ever entertaining 24 not out, helping Bangor reach an impressive 165 for 6 in their 25 overs.
North Down began the chase facing up to the fierce pace of Josh Walker, who produced a super spell of tight bowling beating the bat regularly, with 12 dot balls in his first 3 overs. At the other end Andy Hare’s wobbly medium pace asked questions of Maini and Adams too and the captain was rewarded after two close (and vocal) appeals with the wicket of Maini LBW for 2. The big hitting McCartney looked to lift the rate after the tight start from Bangor with some powerful striking. The introduction of Stephen Cumper got the break-through in his second over bowling the frustrated Adams for 22 in the 14th over. Then the wickets began to tumble, Cumper cleaning up Corbett (1) in his next over with his every threatening in-swinger. Pitts kept up the tight bowling with his fizzing off breaks, while James Nuttall bowling through some serious discomfort had an instant impact getting Parker (2) smartly caught by Walker at deep mid-wicket. James conceded just 4 runs from his spell. Max Escott produced four tidy overs asking plenty of questions, but not quite getting the answers he deserved. Walker returned to the attack beating the bat with even greater regularity and was rewarded for a superb spell when he ripped through Mowbray for 8. Nesbitt appeared somewhat relieved to see the end of Walker, a tree trunk would’ve had more chance of getting an edge. Credit to Jack Irwin for his keeping to such a variety of bowlers on a rare return with the gloves after his move into fast bowling. McCartney’s wicket was the sixth and final one to fall to a splendid catch in the deep from Nuttall to give Pitts a well-earned scalp. Bangor produced a supreme display to strangle North Down for 25 overs, winning by 65 runs. Next up another local derby, Holywood at Seapark, two out of three wouldn’t be bad at all!
