Dwayne keeps Donemana on the winning trail
Saturday’s fixture list in the Long’s SuperValu senior league promised to provide a highly competitive afternoon across the North West, and so it proved as Ardmore and Fox Lodge claimed headline wins over much-fancied Newbuildings and Brigade respectively.
Individual performance of the day however definitely goes to Dwayne McGerrigle as Donemana edged out Eglinton in a cracking game at the Holm.
The former Ireland International was in sensational form with both bat and ball as the hosts made it two wins from two matches at the start of their campaign.
Having seen his side reduced to 39-6 batting first; McGerrigle teamed up with William McBrine to add a 167-run stand for the seventh wicket as Donemana managed to wrestle back the initiative in the second half of their innings.
The new skipper smashed 11 sixes and 10 fours on his way to an 80-ball 123 and with McBrine chipping in with a vital 58, the hosts posted a target of 234.
Scott Adair (3-27) had put the villagers on top early on with Andy Millar and Liam Doherty chipping in with a couple of wickets each and Doherty was also to the fore with the bat as the Eglinton reply started brightly.
Tommy Orr made 51 and Doherty 34 as the visitors reached 90-1 before McGerrigle picked up the ball and again turned the contest on its head with a stunning spell of 6-45.
Several middle order cameos were as much as the batting side could manage after that- Robbie Millar’s 22 the best of them as the reply closed on 192.
It was no more than Donemana deserved after a truly superb showing from their captain.
Ardmore were making their seasonal bow after sitting out Week 1 and they certainly sent out a statement of intent with a six-wicket win over the current champions.
Batting first, Gareth McKeegan’s men were restricted to 163 all out- Hanu Viljoen with 35, Jason Dunn 28, Ryan Hunter 27 and the skipper 21 in a fairly modest effort by their standards.
Ardmore’s overseas man Aviwe Mgijima picked up 2-18 from his 8 overs and he was well supported by Harry Zimmerman (2-19) and Dharm Singh (2-40).
Singh and Zimmerman them combined with the bat; their 67-run stand for the second wicket breaking the back of the target. The Warriors batsman hit 9 fours and 3 sixes before finally being out for 77 with Zimmerman unbeaten on 39 despite Charlie Downey’s 2-19 for the visitors.
Fox Lodge can count themselves unfortunate to have been bowled out for 102 at St Johnston last week, but they bounced back in great fashion at home to Brigade.
Cameron Melly followed up his half century for the Beechgrove boys last weekend with 62 here (6 fours, 2 sixes), but support around him was thin on the ground.
A 62-run stand for the sixth wicket between Melly and Ryan Barr (24) was the best of it for Andy Britton’s team who were all out for 171; cameos from Scott Macbeth (20) Ryan Macbeth (18) and Adam McDaid (18) accounting for most of the difference.
Adam Walker (3-25) was best with the ball for the home side although there were two wickets apiece as well for Levi Kerr, Jason Milligan and Gayan Maneeshan.
The Foxes’ new overseas man had no issues with the bat this weekend- he hit 7 fours and 2 sixes in his unbeaten 78, sharing an unbroken 68-run partnership with wicketkeeper/batsman Jonny Robinson (in case anyone was wondering why he hadn’t bowled).
‘Bap’ hit 3 fours and 3 sixes in a typically agressive 44 not out against his former team and despite two wickets each for Iftikhar Hussain and Ryan Macbeth, the hosts were good value for their 5-wicket win.
Bready were pushed all the way too before finally wearing down Coleraine by 28-runs at Sandel Lodge.
Jordan McCorkell top scored with 35 with Irosh Samarasooriya adding 34 and Davy Scanlon 31 not out as the Magheramason outfit posted a total of 159-6 in their 40 overs.
A 50-run opening partnership between Marcus Poskitt (27) and Scott Campbell (17) gave Coleraine hope early on, as did some wayward bowling from Bready, who didn’t help their cause in a fairly low-scoring game with the concession of 26 ‘wides’.
Rory Knox (15) was the only other batsman to get into double figures after that however as Conor Olphert (3-16), McCorkell (2-11) and Gavin Roulston (2-21) saw the Bannsiders bowled out for 131.
Bonds Glen proved too strong for Burndennett despite a superb 109 not out from the visitors’ opener, Mark Pollock.
Pollock carried his bat, hitting 12 fours and four sixes while Corey Roulston added 59 and Ross McCay 25 in ‘Dennett’s 224-6.
Stephen Dunn (3-23) and Kyle Moore (2-47) were best with the ball for the Bee Gees who rarely looked troubled to chase down the target.
Matty Barr made 80 and Simon Killen 66 not out in an opening stand of 137, with David Cooke (31 not out) ensuring a bloodless victory for the home team.
Strabane were just a bit hot for Glendermott at the Park as well; runs for Aaron Gillespie (42), Usman Azhar (34), Navid Nawar (33), and Vadivel Moorthy (26) as the Red Caps reached 197 in their 40 overs.
Skipper Ben Mills bowled really well for his 3-19 while Jason Lynch chipped in with 2-34, however the Rectory men’s batting failed to fire.
Jordan Curry’s 19 and 17 from Alan Johnson was the best of their 84 all out with Usman helping himself to 5-16 in an excellent day for him.
Ryan Gallagher picked up 3-30 and Nawar 2-19 in a solid showing from Strabane.
Killyclooney completed proceedings in the senior league with an emphatic 105-run win at home to Ballyspallen.
Blayde Capell top scored with 46 while Alan Colhoun added 41 (5 sixes and 2 fours) and Kenzie Hall 38 as ‘Clooney made 233 all out.
Stephen Kennedy also helped himself to a 5-wicket haul (5-53), but the visitors were to come up well short with the bat.
Skipper James Thompson made 58 (10 fours, 2 sixes), but apart from 20 from Jamie O’Brien, no-one else got to double figures in a final total of 128.
And just before finishing our round-up today, a special mention to Sion Mills skipper Andy Lucas who scored a superb 140 (10 sixes, 9 fours) as his side beat Bready IIs by 4 wickets.
Chasing 223, the visitors got there with two overs to spare after Lucas had also taken 3 wickets in the first innings.
