Bangor Progress to the Next Round in Two Cup’s
7 min read
Laurelvale vs Bangor – T20 Trophy
Bangor began a double header of cup fixtures in the LVS T20 Trophy away to Laurelvale on Friday night. The sun was scorching as the Bangor men arrived with the ground being a picture for some thrilling T20 cricket.
Bangor lost the toss and Laurelvale elected to bat first. Local heartthrob, Connor Brown, got the boys off to a flyer by collecting a wicket with his second ball caught at mid-off. Brown and Chhabra continued to toil away in the early stages, as all the runs came from one end with Malik’s agricultural striking off the ball.
The next wicket would come in the 7th over as Speers skied one off of Pyper’s bowling to the welcoming grasps of George Prince. Laurelvale were now 53-2. Just an over later, the dangerous Malik aiming to deliver another devastating strike found himself removed caught from the bowling of Prince, as Connor Brown showed great composure in snaring the catch. Just an over later, a deft yorker from Pyper brought another wicket. Laurelvale were now 66-4.
The middle period was tough for Bangor. Chances went begging, opportunities just fell safe and Laurelvale built a total. Amidst the drama, Bangor skipper Parker made a great yard to retrieve a catch and snatch momentum back for his side. However, having overrun the ball, he wore the shot to the face which immediately began to swell. He battled on bravely for a period of time until U13 star Teddy McIlwaine bravely stepped in to help the boys out as sub fielder. McIlwaine even managed to save a boundary in the process, a great advert for young cricketers to take their opportunities.
After the middle overs drama, it wasn’t until the 17th over when Will Simpson removed Sinton for 35 and Subhani the next ball that wickets came leaving Laurelvale 137-6 after 18 overs.
The remaining batsmen continued to hit hard and take on the short straight boundary, but with wickets taken by Brown and Chhabra and a run out by Adam McCusker, the Bangor men held Laurelvale to 157-9 after their 20 overs.
With light fading and a high total to chase, not many would have backed the away side. But this is a Bangor team and what’s more, a Bangor team with belief.
The belief took a hit in the first over as Kirkpatrick was removed without scoring in the first over in an eerily similar fashion to the Laurelvale opener before him. This brought the familiar pairing of Hutchinson and McMillan to the crease. McMillan displayed his typically alluring strokemaking, as the coeliac-Sachin was the early aggressor. In a cruel twist of fate, a mix up between the two, who are so regularly in sync, led to McMillan being run out for the third time in as many innings. Farrell now took to the centre; he and Hutchinson showed great application in punishing the bad balls. Farrell added four boundaries, including a six, as his typically nonchalant style was on display. Ultimately, he met his end caught whilst continuing to bring impetus into the game. Bangor were now 92-3 – 65 runs required in 7.4 overs
McCusker and Hutchinson were the new partnership, two men who you would want in a dogfight. Pushing singles hard to turn them into twos, seeking out buzzers and applying themselves diligently, both intent on leaving their own indelible mark on the game. Hutchinson rightly attempted to up the run rate through the use of his feet but ended up out stumped.
This brought Will Simpson to the crease, the hero of last weeks chase. In what was the most apt advert for cricket ever seen, Simpson was bowled first ball, bringing him firmly back down to Earth. Now Chhabra was at the crease and was soon joined by Brown as McCusker was removed bowled by leg spin.
Bangor were in dire straits, requiring 36 runs in 20 balls. If there was time for heroics, the time was nigh. Chhabra and Brown started picking off the balls in their arc. Where you can bowl to Chhabra you can’t bowl to Brown and vice versa, leading to confusion amongst the bowling ranks. Crash, bang, wallop was all that was on their minds, as the Bangor travelling crowd became more vociferous with every glorious strike. At last, the game was done, Bangor running out 3 wicket victors as Chhabra and Brown showed the guts of true Bangor men, in spite of their imported status.
Bangor now move on to the next round against Derriaghy, but their weekend was not done. They had a national cup tie with Limerick the next day at the home of cricket. Celebrations must be stifled, a task is at hand.
Bangor vs Limerick – Irish National Cup
Bangor welcomed Limerick to the typically salubrious surroundings of Upritchard Park for an Irish National Cup clash. With Parker ruled out after an injury the previous night, the Bangor side were under the sagacious leadership of Andrew Kirkpatrick, whose first act as captain was to lose the toss. Bangor were sent out to bowl first and were licking their lips at the prospect of a National Cup Run that stood before them.
Brown and Chhabra picked up from their heroics the previous night and restricted the Limerick batsmen. Chhabra claimed an LBW shout in the second over followed by clean bowling the next man in leaving Limerick 15-2 after 5 overs. Bangor were operating as a team, bowling tightly in partnerships. The next payoff came in the 15th over as Prince tempted a rash shot from the batsman after consistent dot ball pressure, resulting in Hutchinson cooly snaring the catch. One over post drinks, Simpson gained a wicket as his spin bowling partner Farrell, snared the ball at long off, preventing a momentum gaining boundary as Bangor sought to suffocate their opponents.
There was a clear change of gear from the Limerick batsmen for the next 19 overs as they recognised the road they were playing on. Boundaries became more frequent and they put pressure on the fielders. Multiple chances went down at different parts of the ground as Bangor began to slide out of the game. A quick regrouping at the death aimed to restrict the Limerick batsmen as Bangor switched on, recognising that every run was precious. In the final over, Bogavelly brought up his ton before being removed by Pyper a couple of balls later. With some canny bowling at the death, Limerick finished on 228 after 40 overs.
Some may look at that and think what a formidable score. Bangor had slipped off in the middle section of the game, would it now cost them? Bangors batters sat at the tea break, no doubt with the verse of Theodore Roosevelt passing through their minds “Believe you can and you’re halfway there”.
The next 141 runs, words do not do justice. Imperious, sumptuous, virtuosic, analogous with the work of Lara, Tendulkar and Bradman, pick whatever superlative you please and it would fit the billing of what the Upritchard Park faithful we’re treated to.
McMillan and Hutchinson picked apart the bowling never seeming to leave second gear. With every stroke, leave, block and lusty blow destiny beckoned them. Blades operating as extensions of themselves, uproarious applause for every boundary, it was the sort of innings one dreams of at night. The 100 partnership came off of a breezy 101 balls with McMillan scoring fifty in 46 in the process. After drinks, Hutchinson brought his own half century up off of 65 balls and Bangor seemed steady. As the balcony was rocking, the barbecue grilling and drinks a flowing the two seemed to be cooly moving towards the target. Alas, all good things must come to an end as McMillan was removed caught behind for 80 in the 25th over. McMillan left the field and was greeted by his adoring public after a stellar knock which consisted of nine boundaries altogether.
Lord Byron writes “The heart will break, yet brokenly live on”. For now, our broken hearts lived on through Connor Brown who joined Hutchinson at the crease understanding there was a task at hand. The two ran hard for a few overs, Brown sweeping and scooping his way to 16, until he met his end caught, bringing Gareth McCullough to the crease. It was now down to the old heads, who recaptured some youthful spirit running hard between the wickets and battling as if their lives depended on it. This continued until the 30th over when a most noble knock by Hutchinson came to an end for 67. After Hutchinson anchored the innings so maturely, it was fitting that another old soul would arrive at the crease in the form of Andrew Kirkpatrick. The two batsmen had been Ulster schools teammates decades (yes decades) prior and the chemistry showed as they never broke sweat in pursuit of their goal. The game went to the final over, when McCullough hit the winning runs as Bangor crossed the line at a canter in a perfectly timed chase with 4 balls remaining.
Sweet victory is an enticing seasoning to one’s weekend which cannot be sourced anywhere else but the field of battle. When victory comes round there is nothing else quite like it; when it comes in style, you can’t help but thank your lucky stars that you have received such a blessing. Alas, there is always another victory to be claimed, another battle to be had, more heroes to be made. Cup cricket suffices that every round is do or die, it just so happens that the word “die” does not find itself in the Bangorian vocabulary.
