After a weeks break for the 12th July holidays, the season resumed with a big league clash down in Downpatrick between the two promoted clubs and Bangor looked to get back to winning ways after two tight losses in the league in the weeks prior. The hosts won the toss and elected to bat and what looked like a decent wicket at the former international ground.
Oversea’s player Connor Brown and returning pacer Michael Skelly opened the bowling and it was a great sight to see Skelly back in the 1XI side after university and injury delayed his return. Both bowlers were straight away on the money with numerous chances created and eventually the pressure told as Skelly picked up the first wicket. The score was 13-1 in the 4th over and come the end of the 10th over the score moved to a scarcely believable 21-8 as Brown & Skelly simply ripped through the Downpatrick order. The highly skilled bowling of Brown was phenomenal moving the ball both ways and constantly troubling the batters, asking serious questions of them all the time. Skelly from the other end was relentless in his line & lengths and at his pace gave the batters little time to deal with him never mind try and score. When the eighth wicket fell with a smart catch taken by Mark Hutchinson at gully off the edge of the bat, Brown had picked up a well deserved fifer, his first in Bangor CC colours. Raju the number 7 batter managed to get away the only two boundaries of the Downpatrick innings away in the the next over before Brown returned to remove him in his 7th over to finish with figures of 6-14 including 2 maidens. Skelly then in the final ball of his 7th over picked up the last wicket with Angus Farrell taking a typically cool catch running backwards and the ball dropping over his head grasped the ball securely. Downpatrick we’re all out in just a little over an hours play for 39 and Brown & Skelly took the acclaim of their teammates and supporters who had gathered by the sidelines as they walked off the field of play.
Such was the quickness of the hosts innings there was no need for the teabreak and the usual opening duo of Sam McMillan & Mark Hutchinson scampered out to finish off the job quickly. The pair got off to a good start before Sam unfortunately edged one behind looking to go big over the cover region. With the small total set a couple of the ‘lower down the order’ batters were promoted up the order and next in was youngster Myles McNaught. With license to thrill he scored 7 runs from his first two balls before maybe harshly adjudged to be caught behind the next ball. Spinner Farrell came and went before George Prince joined Hutchinson. The pair saw Bangor over the line to win by 7 wickets in the 8th over to complete as comprehensive a win as you can get which will boost the Net Run Rate nicely too. Hutchinson top scoring with 15*.
Such was the early finish, most of the squad travelled to Derriaghy to take in the Men’s 2XI’s league game. Bangor batted first and made a very competitive 207-6 from their 30 overs. Jonathan Keenan top scoring with 57 with significant contributions from Vishnu Jayakumar (45) & Nathan Belshaw (38). The Men’s 1XI squad turned up in time to take in the majority of the 2nd innings with two early wickets. A decent 3rd wicket partnership was materialising for the hosts before skipper Conor Cox dismissed Kenny for 20 with a great catch by Belshaw near the boundary. From then on, wickets continually tumbled for the hosts who were now in deep trouble at 81-8 in the 18th over. A significant 9th wicket partnership developed then and got some Bangor fans on the boundary slightly nervy as Bangor struggled to contain Chandrashekar who had passed the 50 run mark and was starting to find the boundary regularly. Derriaghy though needed two or three high scoring overs in the final stages of the match to make it a contest and were bowled out in the final over on 159 and Bangor the winners by 48 runs. Cox the pick of the bowlers with 4-42 with Josh Bates also chipping in with 3-24.
Livestream Replay on Derriaghy’s YouTube channel
It’s a significant weekend for the Men’s 1XI coming up, starting of with the visit of Armagh in the league this Saturday at Upritchard Park. Followed by one of the big days in the local cricket calendar as Bangor take on Cregagh in the T20 Trophy Final at Waringstown as part of Finals Day, with the match starting at 11am. All support very much welcome this weekend.
