ULSTER SCHOOLS CUP By Alex McDonald

FOR the fifth successive year, Foyle and Londonderry College the current holders of this trophy for the last two years, are once again through to the semi final of the Ulster Bank Ulster Schools Cup.

At a very sunny Springtown the home School had a convincing win over Grosvenor Grammar by 136 runs, and the Grosvenor Coach Kyle McCallan the former Ireland star, rates Foyle as the favourites once again, with possibly Campbell College being the only challenge.

Foyle batting first lost Matthew Gillespie and Chris Campbell for 0 and 5 respectively, to Alastair Shields and Adam Beattie, but opener Jack Glenn set about the visitors attack, and he raced to 48 hitting seven fours and a six, being third out bowled by Shields, with the score on 63 in the tenth over.

Skipper Graeme McCarter saw two wickets tumble as Beattie had Alastair Clarke caught and bowled for 8, along with Thomas Way who scored 14, as half the Foyle wickets had fallen for 98 in the 17th over.

When Foyle lost their sixth wicket in the 20th over with the score on 118 the match was finely balanced. This all changed when Andrew Fleming 22 aided his skipper in a 34 run stand, and then Jordan Austin who was unbeaten on 17 at the finish, along with McCarter added a further 51 runs for the eighth wicket.

McCarter who batted sensibly throughout reached his fifty with a four and six in the 32nd over, and was eighth out caught off Michael Martin for 57, with his knock including three fours and two maximums, as Foyle finished on 206 all out in 34.4 overs.

Beattie was the best of the Grosvenor attack finishing on 3-32, with Shields, Martin and Carl Rae having a brace apiece.

Gloucester bound McCarter reaped havoc in his opening over, bowling Stuart Smyth with his second ball, and three deliveries later he removed the dangerous Shields in similar fashion.

Clarke had Scott Irvine caught for 10 as the visitors reached 22-3 in the 10th over, and with the score on 33 a double bowling change brought on Fleming and Campbell, and with his second delivery the latter bowled Aaron Johnston for 15.

Two more Campbell dismissals along with Fleming bowling Beattie for 4 left the visitors rocking on 52-7, and in the 22nd over Austin finished off the tail taking two wickets for 6 runs, as Grosvenor only reached 70 in 22 overs.

Campbell�s tidy spell of five overs harvested three wickets for 15 runs, with McCarter finishing on 2-16 in his 30 ball spell.