…and right from the start of the 2008 season there was one team to beat in section two, and that was Ballymena.
Prior to the start of the season there was plenty of anticipation that the section two battle would be more exciting than the premier section, but whether it was the rain or the overpowering batting of the brilliant Kennedy brothers, the outcome was settled some distance from the finish. Ballymena may have or have not benefited from their reluctance to play Sunday cricket, but let’s give credit where credit is due and not demean their outstanding play, as without any doubt, it was their cricket that emphatically won the league this season. A lot of doubters also felt big Davy Kennedy would find the adjustment to section two a huge dropdown from his halcyon days at North Down, but there again the pundits were proved wrong, as the big man and his brother James, plundered runs at will throughout the season.
The anticipated challenge from Woodvale, Muckamore, Lurgan and Downpatrick flattered to deceive. Woodvale eventually won this race, also by a distance, but Muckamore and Lurgan should have done much better, while Downpatrick had a horrible season and were fortunate to avoid relegation in a season they will surely want to forget. Outside the top two teams virtually every other club was in relegation contention, and the fact that five finished tied for 3rd place and just one place above relegation says much for their mediocre seasons. Laurelvale might feel otherwise, after a late burst of wins took them soaring up the table.
The real drama came after the season was over when Dundrum appeared to be relegated withArmaghon net run rate, only to find this was incorrect due to some errors in their reporting. Saintfield subsequently took their place after thinking they were safe. Understandably this caused uproar in some quarters, but these things happen when you deal with statistics. It was unfortunate, but at the end of the day the correct call was made.
There was plenty of hype in the South Down area prior to the Downpatrick, Saintfield and Dundrum local derby exchanges, but the poor weather robbed the matches of their full potential, and for little Dundrum, their fairytale first season at this level ended with a huge slice of fortune. The sight of their ground under four feet of water at the worst of the rains, shows the spirit and endurance required to bounce back by a small club, and to their credit they gave everything on and off the field to give everyone whotravelledto the foot of theMournesa special memory of their 2008 season. Perhaps the same could be said for visitors to the Mall, as the setting is amongst the most beautiful in Irish cricket, but sadly the performances on the field didn’t quite measure up this season, and once again Armagh will have to fight back as they have done on previous occasions.
Holywood retained their section two status, but they were never far from the relegation zone, and they gave no indication that things will be much different going forward.
There were plenty of major talking points regarding section two cricket this season, some which had a bearing on results, but others that were red herrings. The mistakes surrounding the application of the Duckworth-Lewis system exposed the difficulty many people experience when applying artificial rules to a rain-affected game, while the refusal of Dundrum to concede home advantage to Holywood when their ground was unplayable, was within their rights if not a practical solution to an impossible situation. At the end of the day neither matter settled the main decisions, but the thorny issues of re-arranged matches and Sunday cricket were much bigger thorns in the flesh.
Both Ballymena and Lurgan chose not to play Sunday cricket and that inevitably means they have to play midweek cricket when matches are rained off and need to be re-arranged. There’s no point in complaining about player availability and the hardships of playing on Friday afternoons, as there’s no real alternative if you don’t play on Sundays, and therein lies the dilemma for both clubs and union. Can conscientious objectors continue to veto a Sunday re-arrangement and at the same time not fulfill a Friday re-arrangement because they can’t field a team? Admittedly it was a difficult season, but Ballymena not only fulfilled their fixtures, they won them. Lurgan however, created some controversy when they failed to field a team and conceded points off the field at a time when they were safe from relegation, yet their opponents and several other teams were fighting for survival. The club publicly apologized for their predicament, but a serious precedent has been set if situations like this are allowed to develop. After all, this is senior cricket, and you don’t expect clubs to be unable to field a team.
Well done Ballymena and Woodvale, but one senses that although they proved the best of the section two pack, their fight for survival in the premier section is going to be just as tough as Saintfield and Armaghfound to their cost in section two cricket this season.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
