Bready maintain top spot while Killyclooney win League 2 Cup

There was plenty of rain around the North West on Saturday however there were results in all but the Newbuildings v Donemana fixture in the Long’s SuperValu league as Bready cemented their place at the top of the table with a 35-run (DLS) win at home to Fox Lodge.

It was far from comfortable for the leaders and it took an epic collapse from the Ballymagorry side who themselves are in the hunt for one of those all-important top eight places.

Chasing the home side’s 153-9, the Foxies were swinging on the bridle at 81-1 in reply before Ian Young intervened.

The next seven overs saw the visitors lose 7 wickets for the addition of 14 runs as the Bready bowler helped himself to figures of 6-22. Irosh Samarasooriya chipped in with 3-16  as Travis Nicholl’s 36-ball 50 and 21 from Craig Doherty was all the Ballymagorry men had to show for their efforts.

Earlier in the day, Irosh and Gavin Roulston had both scored 53 in an 86-run stand that got them over the 150-mark and with something to bowl at.

Gayan Maneeshan (3-25), Jonny Robinson (3-35) and Aaron Heywood (2-25) were best with the ball for their side before their batting gave way to give Bready the points.

Brigade recovered from a really poor start at Coleraine before they too rallied late to claim the points.

Early wickets for Gareth Burns (2-21), Stephen Hutchinson and Scott Campbell had the Beechgrove side struggling on 35-4 before a 69-run partnership between Cameron Melly and Andy Britton put Brigade back on track.

Skipper Britton made 40 but after that Melly (62 not out) and Ryan Macbeth (29 not out) added an unbroken 59 as their reduced 36 overs closed on 163-5.

The cup winners soon had the Bannsiders on the ropes in their reply as David Barr (3-12), Josh Wilson (2-14) and Ryan Macbeth (2-30) combined to reduce the hosts to 46-5.

Scott Macbeth (2-26) got in on the act as well; Ravi Karunaratne (36) the only Coleraine batsman to score more than 10 in a total of 86 all out.

Third placed Ardmore and Killyclooney in fourth both came unstuck as they had looked to confirm their top eight positions, with defeats against Eglinton and St Johnston respectively.

Ardmore were another side to suffer from the batting jitters- Rachit Gaur’s 30 much the best of their effort in a disappointing total of 99 all out.

Robbie Millar (4-23) and Mike Erlank (3-13) did the damage before Liam Doherty with 29 and Jamie Millar 26 not out steered the villagers to a 6-wicket success.

This was Eglinton’s fourth win on the bounce after a very shaky first few weeks and few would bet against them going on to finish in the top half now with the wind in their sails.

Killyclooney lost by 108-runs (DLS) at home to St Johnston after Jack Macbeth and Blayde Capell swapped centuries for their respective teams.

The young Donegal ‘keeper/batsman hit 12 fours and 9 sixes in a brilliant 124- sharing in a 125-run opening partnership with his uncle David (41).

Graeme McCarter added 32 in the middle with Ian Macbeth (31 not out) and David Anthony (22) steering the Saints to 295 all out.

Jason Wallace was again on the money with the ball as he picked up 5-43 for the Tyrone side.

South African Capell was soon going through the gears in reply- he smashed 10 fours and 13 sixes in his 135 as he gallops towards a record-breaking season.

Unfortunately for him however, the next highest score was 12 as McCarter, David Anthony and Nathan Cole all picked up three wickets each for St Johnston as ‘Clooney’s reply closed on 188.

The win moved the Donegal men on to 99 points- 22 off the top eight with a game in hand, so they will be starting to believe they’re in this race too.

Strabane and Burndennett are both out of the Premier Division reckoning now but it didn’t stop them serving up a low-scoring thriller in a rain reduced 20-over contest.

Nasir Nawar top scored with 19 and Kevin Gallagher made 18 as the Red Caps posted a modest 84-8 batting first.

Corey Roulston claimed 3 wickets for 2 runs with Derek Curry adding 2-13 as ‘Dennett chased their first win of the season.

Their reply was very much along the same lines however; Marty Mehaffey doing best with 20 and Niall McDonnell and Conan Pollock both chipping in with cameos thereafter.

Nawar claimed 2-11 and Rhys Logue 2-17 but the home side gave the hosts a real scare late in the game.

With 12 needed to win off the last three deliveries, young Roulston hit Usman Azhar for a six and a four before being run out off the final ball to secure Strabane’s first win in eight.

In the day’s remaining senior fixture- Bonds Glen recorded a thumping 9-wicket win at home to Ballyspallen.

Kyle Morrow made 45 not out, Stuart Kennedy 32, 21st birthday boy Luke Gilfillan 31 and Jake Wenlock 29 as the Roe Valley side scored 178-8 in 30 overs.

Heinrich Roberts (3-23), Matty Barr (2-31) and Kenny Kincaid (2-52) were best with the ball for the Bee Gees who made absolutely no mistake with the bat.

Roberts hit 15 fours and 5 sixes as he made an unbeaten 114 with Steven Barr keeping him company with 46 not out as Bonds Glen won comfortably.

The final of the League 2 Cup was played over the weekend at Ballyspallen and it saw Killyclooney IIs lift the trophy with an 88-run success over Glendermott.

Truth to tell it didn’t feel there was that much in it over the two days but the biggest difference was in the field where ‘Clooney were much better than the Rectory side.

Giles Moan made 82, Cody Mehaffey 34 and Aaron Parke 30 as Killyclooney posted 217-7 in their first innings with Gordon Montgomery hitting 69, Arshad Ahammed 35 not out and Ian Cooke 20 as Glendermott replied with 190-6.

The Bonds Street side would have been happy enough to restrict their opponents to 179-9 second time around with Cooke and Mark Adair picking up three wickets each, however the ‘Clooney bowlers and fielders bossed the last session.

Needing 207 to win, Garth Watson with 29 and Arshad (23) was as much as Glendermott could summon in their last dig. Dylan McDonald and Craig Campbell picked up two wickets each, with Giles Moan and player-of-the-match Cody Mehaffey adding a couple apiece for the winners.

 

LONG’S SUPERVALU SENIOR LEAGUE- CURRENT STANDINGS

TEAM	PLAYED	WON	LOST	NO RESULT	BONUS PTS	TOTAL PTS
1-Bready	10	9	1	0	27	207
2- Brigade	9	7	2	0	36	176
3-Ardmore	9	7	2	0	30	170
4-Killyclooney	9	7	2	0	26	166
5-Newbuildings	10	6	3	1	29	149
6-Eglinton	9	5	4	0	26	126
7-Coleraine	9	5	4	0	21	121
8-Fox Lodge	9	5	3	1	21	121
9-Donemana	8	4	4	0	30	110
10-St Johnston	8	4	4	0	19	99
11-Strabane	11	3	7	1	24	84
12-Bonds Glen	9	3	6	0	15	75
13-Ballyspallen	9	1	7	1	8	28
14-Glendermott	10	1	9	0	3	23
15-Burndennett	9	0	9	0	20	20