NEW SEASON UNDER WAY AS DONEMANA TILT STRABANE’S CROWN

The North West domestic cricket season got under way in ideal conditions on Saturday and there were some tense finishes and the odd surprise to mark the opening day.

Top billing went to Donemana who travelled to Strabane Park and came away with the points despite being without their overseas professional and being set a huge victory target by their hosts. The Holm side’s overseas man Kamran Sajid continues to struggle to acquire the necessary travel paperwork but what a boost this win will provide to Richard Kee and his team.

Jonathan Beukes’ side took first use of a placid track and despite being forced to field without opening batsman Kevin Martin they got off to a really solid start. Niall McDonnell, returning to his old stomping ground after a season at Beechgrove, was soon out of the blocks as he and Barry Scott shared a 75-run first wicket stand.

McDonnell was in dominant form blasting 53 from just 35 balls his typically aggressive knock containing 9 fours and a six but that attacking instinct one again prevented him from going on to post a century. Scott and Peter Gillespie followed shortly after to leave Donemana in with a chance, Strabane reeled back to 116 for 3, before a 120-run partnership between skipper Beukes and Mark Gillespie seemed to take the game away from the visitors again.

The South African was in excellent touch, his 87 containing ten boundaries and a maximum whilst Mark Gillespie hit 9 fours in his contribution of 58 before both fell to Jordan McGonagle. The Red Caps finished on 264 for 8 in their 45 overs which looked like plenty, especially when Donemana were reduced to 104 for 5 in reply.

Martin Deans picked up three valuable wickets in two early spells after Phil Eaglestone had done for the dangerous Ryan Hunter and it looked like curtains for the visitors. As has been the case for 30 years however the Holm side is never beaten whilst the McBrine twins have still to play their hands.

On this occasion it was Junior with a defiant 60 and a wonderful knock from young wicket-keeper Ricky-Lee Dougherty that was to turn the tide. The latter hit 6 fours and a six in an excellent half century as that pair doubled Donemana’s total and at 208 for 5 it was game on.

Both were out in quick succession but the momentum was now with the visitors and James McBrine very quickly put the seal on matters with a lethal bit of finishing. The former Ireland International blasted 6 sixes in a cameo of 38 not out as Strabane struggled to find somewhere to bowl to him where he wouldn’t find the trees.

McBrine’s entertaining knock was the icing on the opening day cake as Donemana signalled their intent to be involved in the race for trophies this season and with Sajid still to come you wouldn’t bet against it.

Two of last season’s title challengers locked horns at Beechgrove on Saturday as Brigade entertained Fox Lodge in another game that threatened to go to the wire. The hosts batted first and a century opening stand between Chris Dougherty and David Barr seemed set to lay the foundations of a big total.

That said the pair were forced to be patient in the face of some excellent bowling from Gareth Heywood who was to finish with figures of 9 overs, 6 maidens, conceding just 12 runs in total. Dougherty went on to make an excellent 68 that contained 11 fours and a six whilst Brigade’s new signing Ata-Ur-Rehman silenced the doubters of his batting qualities as he blasted 46 from just 26 balls as the middle order upped the ante.

Mark Mooney put in an excellent bowling shift as well as he claimed Brigade’s top four batsmen and the Foxies would have been happy to restrict the visitors to 220 for 7 in their allotted overs.

Brian Allen’s side had worked themselves into a good position in the corresponding fixture last season but were unable to finish the job and it started to look bleak for them again when the lively Rehman removed the skipper and Andy Britton in his second over to leave them 12 for 2.

Jason Milligan was in much more resilient form however and with professional Darryl Brown at the other end, set about repairing the damage. Those two swung the game very clearly in their side’s direction before the South African misread one from Trevor Britton and was clean bowled for 25.

Milligan continued on his merry way but could find no willing partner as the visitors again struggled to take advantage of their Beechgrove opportunity and when the opener eventually fell to Graeme Moore for 74, the game was up. Brigade had 22 runs to spare at the end with the bowling honours shared between Graeme Moore (3 for 17) and Iftikhar Hussain (3 for 27) with Britton and Rehman claiming two each.

Bready and Glendermott also served up a high scoring encounter at Magheramason, the visitors’ top order all among the runs as they posted a daunting looking 280 for 6 in their 45 overs. Simon Killen was in good touch for a Glendermott side without skipper Gordon Montgomery who was sitting out the last match of a ban carried over from 2010.

Killen and new professional Roy Silva made 47 and 43 respectively before Stephen Smyth put his mark on the innings. The left hander, who only agreed to a new contract at the Rectory last week hit 9 fours and 6 sixes in a superb knock and such was his control that he went into the final over needing 15 runs to bring up his century and hit 3 sixes and a four.

We mentioned in our preview however that the loss of Gary Neely was a massive blow to the Glendermott attack and with Montgomery out temporarily, Bready looked around the options and fancied their chances. They made a really solid start to the reply, David Rankin hitting 32 in an opening stand of 42 before Mark Olphert and Steven Clarke took that to 159.

Clarke was run out for 43 but Olphert went on to hit 13 fours and a six in his 83 and with no cutting edge to the visitors’ bowling new professional Agha Sabir Ali was able to boss the run-in. The former Limavady made 62 not out and Jack Glenn was there with him at the end on an unbeaten 29 as Bready won comfortably.

Just as a footnote, the visitors certainly didn’t need to hear on the way home that Neely had started his Creevedonnell stint by picking up 8 wickets for 16 runs in their romp over Burndennett.

Closest finish of the day was at Eglinton where the Villagers and Coleraine went toe-to-toe in an excellent contest. Half centuries from former Limavady team-mates Ian McGregor and David Cooke as well as one from skipper Tim Chopra helped the Bannsiders to 235 for 7 in their 45 overs whilst Eglinton’s new professional Ryan Butterworth was the pick of the attack returning figures of 3 for 49.

The Zimbabwean looks a cracking find for Andy Christie’s men and appears equally at ease with bat and ball. He and the vastly improved Chris Pierce set about repairing the damage after the hosts lost Karl O’Doherty and Richard Wylie with just 9 on the board and a 132-run partnership put the home side right back in the contest.

Unfortunately, once that pair had departed, Butterworth having made 81 and Pierce 57, the resistance seemed to leave Eglinton until teenager Andy Millar and Johnny Gardiner gave it a go in the last few overs.

It nearly worked too, that pair adding an unbroken 41 at the end and only running out of balls with just 3 runs needed. Mind you, credit Coleraine youngster Rishi Chopra who was, not for the first time, entrusted with a key last over and not for the first time came up trumps. This was a big win for Coleraine, especially without their professional Mohammad Salman who is expected to be here in tine for next weekend’s fixtures but despite the defeat it was also a much better showing from Eglinton.

The final game of the day saw Bonds Glen make their first ever appearance in the top flight of North West cricket and despite defeat the Bee Gees made a real fist of this. Roy Robinson with 49 and Johnny Haslett with 43 set them off on the right track before an entertaining unbroken 60-run stand between Willie Jackson (39 not out) and Leslie Curry (29 not out) helped Gary Hamilton’s side post 211 for 7 in their 45 overs.

Limavady looked leggy in the field at times and didn’t get things their own way in reply either as David Robinson removed their top three batsmen and when Des Curry went soon after the Roesiders were 101 for 4.

Skipper Riddles then teamed up with Ricky McDaid to steady the ship however and the visitors never lost another wicket thereafter. Riddles was unbeaten on 57 and McDaid on 61 when the winning runs were scored and both sides will feel they have plenty to build on as the season progresses.