...in the double header that saw the joint league leaders lock horns in Friday’s NCU Challenge Cup Final and then return to the same venue for a vital league game two days later.
At the end of the two games it was one win each, but Instonians will feel better rewarded after their emphatic eight wickets win in the cup game. It was the Belfast Club’s third cup win and their performance was as emphatic as the scoreline suggests after the North Down batsmen failed to come to the party. Only Andrew Sutherland (58) produced the goods and it was thanks to Sri Lanka professional Gayan WiJekoon (27) and skipper Peter Shields (29) that they reached 182 and gave their bowlers an outside chance of a win. That appeared to be within their reach after left arm seamer Gavin McKenna removed both openers, but it was a false dawn for the partisan home supporters and all the speculation of a slow track disappeared when Shannon and Andrew White took the North Down attack to task. Shannon (99no) was belligerent and brilliant while the canny Whitey did what he needed to do and applied an experienced head to a winning position that he never relinquished. It was shades of 2009 and skipper Eugene Moleon once again received the magnificent Senior Cup from the NCU President, this time former Bangor and Ireland opener Chris Harte. It was a fitting finale as Moleon had bowled superbly at the start of the North Down innings to assert a dominance that was never conceded. Shannon was the clear Man-of-the-Match and the only disappointment was that he had failed so narrowly to reach the century his batting deserved. But 99 not out in the cup final is certainly not a failure!
In the aftermath of defeat North Down skipper Peter Shields stood down, not because of the result, but because he is about to move house and the business demands of running his sports shop at the same time require his full commitment. Vice-Captain Ryan Haire stepped into the breach on Friday evening, but few people expected anything other than a repeat performance in Sunday’s league encounter. But there are no ‘certs’ in sport and a much more resolute North Down turned the tables on their great adversaries and at the same time put a severe dent on their league aspirations even with only a third of the matches completed. Haire (70) led from the front after John Stevenson (71) and the cup winners Shannon (56) and White (37) set a formidable 230 to win. Russell (39) gave the home team the impetus missing on Friday and they set aside the negatives and boldly took the game to their opponents and reaped the rewards with a narrow, but satisfying two wickets win. It is a long way to the end of the season, but it remains to be seen how important this result is to each team given their league aspirations. But when all is said and done, one trophy was up for grabs over the weekend and it sits proudly in the Instonians camp for the next 12 months.
The two matches showed the ups and downs of competitive sport and with some better weather hopefully August and September will see this intriguing Senior League chase produce an exciting finish. Waringstown and CIYMS are breathing down North Down’s neck, while Ballymena and Instonians have a little to do to get on level terms. That said, in the midst of some poor weather in recent weeks the “Costa del Eaton Park” seems to have been the best place to play cricket and Ballymena have seized the opportunity to mount their challenge so they are not to be underrated. If the weather continues to play havoc with the season the league trophy could well end up down Kennedy Way!
Clarence Hiles.
Editor
