Yes, two days - the first one-day decider of the competition turned into a two day final after all, thanks to the intervention of the weather.
For North Down skipper Peter Shields I suspect it was a particularly poignant moment for a number of reasons. Firstly it the 150th anniversary for the Comber club and Shields wanted his team to take the first available opportunity to ensure some silverware in the trophy cabinet.
Then there was the joy and despair of last year, winning the Ulster Bank Premier League on the pitch only to have it awarded to arch rivals Waringstown in the committee rooms long after the season had ended in the wake of the Peter Connell registration affair. Perhaps it was the ultimate irony that the trophy was presented to Shields by Ivan Anderson in his role as NCU President, but a Waringstown legend with 15 cup final winning appearances to his name.
Whilst it was not a one man show by any stretch of the imagination it was indeed a Man of the Match performance from North Down’s David Kennedy that ensured the cup now resides in The Green. His was by far the classiest innings on either side.
In total there were 17 boundaries in the North Down innings 10 of them down to Kennedy. Until his departure Kennedy had looked completely unruffled, all elegance and seemingly having more time that any that had gone before or after as he caressed the ball to both sides of the wicket.
Play began 30 minutes late on Friday with Waringstown winning the toss and electing to bat, with the thought that they never are as good chasing a total as setting one. First blood to North Down as with his first ball of the match and in the second over Marty Dalzell bowled a snorter to the unfortunate Lee Nelson who got a tickle and Peter Shield took a regulation catch behind.
Michael Scott looked completely out of sorts and in the seventh over Peter Connell did him for pace and he edged once again to Shields. Waringstown 5 for 2 and in all sorts of trouble who better to stride to the middle than Irish international Kyle McCallan.
In company with James Hall he set about repairing the damage and soon the memories of last years final when the pair added 176 for the third wicket were flooding back. For the next 56 minutes and 91 balls it was effectively all Waringstown.
McCallan had made 34 in 37 balls with 7 boundaries when he played his first and last false shot an ugly swipe at the NCU’s top wicket taker Marty Moreland; Moreland gleefully accepted the leading edge and the congratulations of his teammates.
Three overs later in the 24th with drinks approaching Coetzee tempted James Hall into a wild swing and David Kennedy held on to a steepler. 97 for 4 and North Down had the edge. Johnny Bushe and Simon Harrison took the score to 121 before the rain forced the abandonment of play for the day in the 33rd over.
