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MUCKAMORE 1st XI v DUNDRUM 1st XI
On Saturday Muckamore entertained Dundrum at Moylena in another vital League match as the end of the season draws ever closer. Muckamore Captain Andy McCulloch won the toss and chose to bat first.
Wayne Horwood and Indrajeet Kamtekar were the opening batsmen and they faced the speedy bowling of Bassett and Craig and for 10 overs they were restricted to scoring only 30 runs. Maguire replaced Craig and his tight bowling forced the frustrated Horwood into playing a rash shot and he was easily caught by backward square fielder McNerlin. Jason Van Der Merwe joined Kamtekar and in 27 overs they took the score to 152 runs before the former was caught by ‘gully fielder’ Rayes. Jason had scored 6x4s and 1x6 in his 57 run innings.
Ralph Coetzee was the new batsman and in 4 overs another 43 runs were added, off what was very poor Dundrum bowling. Kamy reached his century in the 42nd over and he added another couple of runs before he was caught by wicketkeeper Watson in the same over. Kamy had faced 137 deliveries, hit 14x4s and 1x6 in his 102 run innings.
Brian Dunlop was the next man in but 2 overs later his partner Coetzee was caught on the square leg boundary by Craig. Next man in was Craig Drummond and they took the score to 229 runs into the 50th over before Dunlop was run out. Neill Gill added another run to give Muckamore a final total of 230 runs for 5 wickets.
Hazzard and Maguire opened the batting for Dundrum and they quickly saw off Gill and Gary Nicholl the wayward Muckamore fast bowlers. David Cardwell replaced Nicholl and Kamtekar replaced Gill and the scoring rate dramatically slowed down. In his second over Cardwell had Hazzard caught behind by Dunlop bringing McNerlin to the wicket to join Maguire. Another 64 runs were added in just 11 overs before Coetzee replaced the unusually expensive Kamtekar and it took him just 10 deliveries to bowl McNerlin and trap new batsman Watson to leave Dundrum on 107 runs for 3 wickets in the 23rd over.
Andy McCulloch had replaced Cardwell at the other end and the Dundrum professional was the new batsman at the wicket. He scored just 3 runs before he mishit a McCulloch delivery high into the air to fall into the safe hands of Trevor Neill, fielding at deep mid on. Tourney joined Maguire at the wicket and as the latter reached his half century, the score progressed to 125 runs into the 30th over. Then a big hit from Maguire off a McCulloch delivery was brilliantly caught on the boundary by Neill to turn the match in the home side’s favour.
Bassett was next and with Tourney they added another 29 runs before the latter was brilliantly run out from a lightening combination of a Van Der Merwe return throw and a Dunlop stumping to leave Dundrum on 154 for 6 wickets. Then suddenly, within 3 overs the game was won. Kamtekar returned to trap Bassett lbw and bowl Rayes in consecutive overs. J Calvert was run out by another accurate Horwood, Dunlop combination and Neill returned to bowl Symington for a duck to clinch this 70 run win for Muckamore giving them top spot in the League following Bangor’s surprise defeat by Woodvale.
This week Muckamore are at home to Laurelvale in a League match with a 12 noon start.
MUCKAMORE v BONDS GLEN – ULSTER SHIELD FINAL
Following the win on Saturday, their confidence boosted knowing that they were now the League leaders, Muckamore travelled, with a bus load of keen supporters, to the Fox Lodge Club in Ballymagorry Co Tyrone to play Bonds Glen in the 40 over final of the Ulster Shield.
Captain Neil Gill won the toss and chose to bat first, sending Wayne Horwood and Indrajeet Kamtekar to open the innings in perfect batting conditions on what was a gloriously sunny summer’s day. They quickly set about the opposition bowlers, seeing off five of them as they took the score to 184 runs; into the 27th over before Kamtekar was trapped lbw off a delivery from Hall’s third over. Kamy had faced 136 deliveries and hit 15x4s in his 93 run innings.
Jason Van Der Merwe was the new batsman and as Horwood sailed through his century, another 60 runs were added in just 6 overs until the former was run out going for a risky second run. In the next over Horwood’s fine innings finally ended when he was bowled by Curry. Wayne had faced 129 deliveries and hit 10x4s and 11x6s in his magnificent 142 run innings.
Ralph Coetzee and Brian Dunlop were now at the wicket and with just 6 overs remaining they took risks adding 11 runs before the former was caught on the square leg boundary to leave Muckamore on 283 runs for 4 wickets. Craig Drummond joined Dunlop and they advanced the score to 314 runs before the Drummond was unluckily run out going for a quick single. After driving the ball straight it then ricocheted off the non-strikers stumps and was returned to the keeper to leave Drummond well short. Neil Gill was next and in the few deliveries remaining they added another 9 runs to give Muckamore a final total of 332 runs for 5 wickets and set Bond’s Glen a formidable target of 8 runs per over to win the match.
Hamilton and Robinson opened the batting for Bond’s Glen and they took the score to 40 runs in 7 overs to quickly force the removal of Gill and Nicholl, the Muckamore opening bowlers. Kamtekar and Trevor Neill took over and the run rate slowed as the next 7 overs only yielded 13 runs. Wicketkeeper Dunlop injured a finger from a Kamtekar delivery and had to retire for treatment. Van Der Merwe stood in his place and in the next over he caught Robinson off a Kamtekar delivery. Two wickets in consecutive overs followed when Neill bowled Hamilton and Hall fell to a Nicholl square leg catch of Kamtekar to leave Bonds Glen on 57 runs for 3 wickets after 15 overs.
Now well behind their target Rodgers joined Haslett at the wicket and they could only add 15 runs in 5 overs before the former was bowled by Neill as he tried to up the run rate. Hepburn was the new batsman and with Haslett they took the score to 88 runs before the accurate Neill bowled the former as he frantically tried to score some more runs.
Hamilton joined Haslett, McCulloch replaced the bowled out Neill and in the next 4 overs the score progressed to 107 runs. Then the despairing Haslett swung and missed a McCulloch delivery to be easily stumped by the patched up Dunlop who had returned to his wicket keeping duties. Coetzee took over from Kamtekar at the other end and in his fourth over new batsman Robinson boundary bound shot was brilliantly caught by long on fielder Neill, much to the delight of the vociferous Muckamore supporters. Two deliveries later Coetzee bowled Hamilton leaving the North West team on 116 runs for 8 wickets in the 27th over.
The coupe de gras wasn’t long in coming when Nicholl took a fantastic catch at deep square leg, looking right into the sun, of a McCulloch delivery to dismiss L Curry and in the next over D Curry lobbed a Coetzee delivery into mid on fielder McCulloch’s hands to win his team the Ulster Shield and the 197 run victory.
Ralph Coetzee took 3 wickets for 16 runs, Trevor Neill took 3 wickets for 36 runs, Indrajeet Kamtekar took 2 wickets for 20 runs and Andy McCulloch took 2 wickets for 20 runs. Niall McCulloch was the busy 12th man who had to deputise several times during the game. Joe Doherty the Irish Cricket Union representative presented the Shield and trophies to Muckamore. He also presented the Man of the Match Award to Wayne Horwood for his 142 run innings which gave his team such a good start in the match.
MIDWEEK v 120th OLD BOYS
The team travelled to Saintfield to play their last match of the season against League leaders 120th Old Boys. Muckamore batted first and seemed very comfortable with the Saintfield attack, scoring 161 runs for 3 wickets of the allotted 20 overs. G Jenkins (30 runs retired), J Gordon (34 runs retired), C Weir (31 runs retired) and M Kennedy (29 runs) were Muckamore’s top batsmen.
The home team looked nervous at the crease and seemed to get the rub of the green on many occasions, with every edge seemingly splitting the fielders for 4. 120th Old Boys replied with 164 for 5 wickets to win by 5 wickets. C Simms (30 runs retired,) I McGowan (31 runs retired) and (A Graham 30 runs) were their best batsmen. P Bates took 2 wkts for 33 runs, S Jayaprakash took 1 wicket for 37 runs and M McNeill took 1 wicket for 41 runs bowling for Muckamore. Some poor bowling along with giving away 28 extras could well have cost Muckamore the match and the chance of winning the League.
CSNI 5th XI v MUCKAMORE 4th XI
The Fourths travelled to Blanchflower Park in Belfast to play CSNI 5th XI in a League match on Sunday. Captain Raj Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first but the team quickly lost their first three wickets. Moonsun ‘Triggger’ Stephenson came to the wicket to steady the team and he top scored with 69 runs. Then a stand of 41 runs between Raj Sharma and Keith Falls boosted the Muckamore total and helped them to finish with respectable 195 runs. The home team replied strongly against the poor Muckamore bowling as S Ross (60 runs not out) and M Grove (41 runs not out) carried the home team easily past the visitors total to clinch a 4 wicket victory.
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