In spite of the torrential downpours throughout the week, one of which ended the First XI’s clash at Templepatrick as a no result, Upritchard Park was the inviting setting for Bangor’s latest Senior League One clash against Saintfield.
Bangor were unbeaten in the league thus far and intent on maintaining that record against a visiting side who were ticking along nicely, having claimed three wins in the early stages of the season.
Saintfield won the toss and elected to bat, meaning the opening pair of Pyper and Farrell would once again aim to make early inroads.
Despite a first over that went for nine, tight bowling led to Saintfield only being on 11 after four overs. This pressure told when Pyper nipped the ball back between bat and pad to bowl the Saintfield overseas player, Brand, with a bail-trimmer. The Bangor men rejoiced at the breakthrough of the danger man and were intent from this point on not to release the pressure.
Tight bowling continued. Discipline, line and length were the order of the day and are how good teams maintain pressure. Farrell claimed his first wicket with a tricky off-spinning delivery. The ball hit McCavera on the pad, yet the revolutions were so great that the ball gripped on the UP wicket and shunted in the direction of the stumps to dislodge the bails. Saintfield were now 16-2 after eight overs.
Pyper claimed his second shortly after with a delivery that swung away late, finding the edge of Harrison and being taken in salmon-like fashion by George Prince. Shortly afterwards, with sustained pressure from Farrell’s end as well, Pyper gained his third wicket.
Boultwood reached for a ball outside the off stump, claiming the faintest of edges that was gleefully taken by Kirkpatrick behind the stumps. The whole ground was awoken with a sense of anticipation that Bangor were “on for one” today. More chances were to come. All were to be involved, each Bangorian hero frothing at the mouth at the prospect of helping his team out.
Pyper’s next over claimed another wicket as one was chipped to the left of Sam McMillan at mid-off. The determined McMillan snared the catch and Pyper ran over in ebullient spirit as he claimed his fourth thanks to his “wee mate”.
Both openers were rested now, with the score 41-5 after 15 overs. Alas, the job was not yet complete. McGuire came into bat for Saintfield and quickly had his way, finding some early boundaries to the shorter boundary on the houses side of the ground.
Harrison and Prince toiled in the face of this mini-rebuild until Harrison claimed his first. Floating the ball into the danger zone, Harrison stared at McGuire as if to say, “Play me at your peril. I have delivered a stellar ball. I bet you can’t hit it. Go on, go on.”
Obviously, Brodie is a man of few words and rarely employs full sentences, so he did not actually say these things. Nonetheless, he is a heck of a cricketer and did McGuire with a straighter one, leaving Saintfield in a slump at 64-6.
This quickly became 64-7 as Will Simpson left a ball just wide enough that it was tempting for Krishali, who chopped on off the Bangor man’s first delivery.
Connelly entered the batting line-up and looked strong, showing great intent and clearing the rope on occasion. Drinks, as it can so often be for a batsman, would be his downfall. The first ball afterwards found him bowled by Simpson on leg stump.
With this, Pyper re-entered the attack in search of his five-for and claimed it with his very first ball. Another nip-backer bookended his wickets as Sofley was beaten and the match ball was confirmed as one for Pyper’s personal collection.
You’d have thought it would end there and you would be wrong. With one final wicket to claim, Pyper, assisted by some unsportsmanlike chat from the churlish Yeates, claimed a sixth wicket as Caves chipped the ball to Hutchinson for the easiest catch you will ever see.
This display brought Pyper career-best figures of 9.2-3-6-24, which are also the best figures in Senior League One so far this year, not that anybody is counting.
The target set for the Bangor batting line-up was a modest 93. McMillan and Yeates strode out confidently to pursue the total and both found early boundaries to settle themselves. However, McMillan was somewhat over-exuberant in his pursuit of the target, not connecting with an attacking shot that was claimed at cover off the bowling of Krishali.
This brought Brodie Harrison to the crease, and he and Yeates applied themselves with the utmost professionalism. Picking off the loose ball and defusing the good one, time was on their side and they were composed in performing their duty that the Gryphon required of them. Yeates was progressing well on 22 when Sofley bowled a stellar delivery to remove him.
As Bangor fell to 49-2, Mark Hutchinson arrived at the crease and was never going to give his wicket away. Hutchinson ably supported Harrison, who at this point accelerated.
Harrison’s screen time was reported to be 12 hours per day this week, but that has not hampered his ability to score runs. Brodie found the boundary at will, putting the visitors to the sword in what has become a trademark innings for him. To finish the game, Harrison hit a four and a six to end up on 45 not out from just 34 deliveries as victory was Bangor’s in the 17th over.
This is as clinical as victories come. Bat, ball and field unified into one concoction of excellence to which there is simply no reply. Cricket can be a cruel mistress, but sometimes it clicks, and that mistress rewards you with days such as this.
A triple game week approaches for the First XI, a crucial one that will take similar professionalism and gusto. However, with five from five in the league, who would bet against them?
Saintfield 93 (28.2 overs, C Pyper 6-24, W Simpson 2-12)
Bangor 95-2 (16.4 overs, S Yeates 22, B Harrison 45*)
Bangor beat Saintfield by 8 wickets
Elsewhere over the weekend, it was a mixed one for the 3XI with a win & loss, but with their win they advance to the next stage of the Cleaver Black Minor Lindsay Cup and they did so in fine style with a Zach Kerr ton and Daniel McIlwaine continuing his fine form with 4 Wickets. The Women’s 2XI also recorded an excellent victory over Lisburn 3XI to make the next round of the Gallagher Women’s Challenge Plate.
