TOP FOUR ALL WIN AS BATTLE HEATS UP IN SENIOR TITLE RACE

It has certainly been a very busy weekend for the regions cricketers with a second full programme of games in Division 1 of the Billy Henderson Properties league due to finish last night after four matches on Saturday. The game between Glendermott and Eglinton had to be postponed as the Rectory had already been scheduled to host the Intermediate Cup final this weekend and that one now joins a list of senior games still outstanding.

Donemana had moved two points clear at the top of the table on Thursday night when their game with Limavady was finally played and the cup finalists will now no doubt be eyeing up a double in this season's race for silverware having recorded a 3-wicket win over their nearest challengers. Richards Kee's men were then much too strong for a Fox Lodge side that has hit the buffers in recent weeks as they maintained their cushion at the top of the table on Saturday. A 117-run second wicket partnership between Ryan Hunter and Kamran Sajid set Donemana on their way to a big total before the Pakistani professional was out for 40. Hunter was then joined by Andy McBrine and the two Ireland Under-19 players who will miss next weekend's cup final because of the World Cup qualifiers set about the Foxies bowlers. McBrine hit 9 fours and 4 sixes in a thoroughly entertaining 87 from 66 balls while Hunter fell just 6 runs short of his century having hit 15 fours and a six. The damage was well and truly done at that stage but any hope the visitors had of keeping the leaders below 300 ended when James McBrine's 17 ball cameo of 33 not out saw Donemana close on 315 for 6. Johnny Robinson and Andy Britton both claimed 2 wickets but neither of them were particularly cheap.

Fox Lodge lost early wickets as they began their vain chase but Garvan Heywood stood firm at the top of the order and received good support from Johnny Robinson. The former hit 10 fours in making 58 while his partner blasted 6 sixes and 3 fours in a 29-ball half century. It was nowhere near enough however as Robinson's dismissal by Junior McBrine was to be the first of five for the Donemana stalwart. Andy Britton resisted with an unbeaten 21 but McBrine ripped through the tail as the Foxies ended on 186 all out. The win sends Richard Kee's side into next weekend's cup final in top form and top spot, not something that can be said about their opponents.

Bready played host to Strabane on Saturday needing to get a win of any sorts under their belt before heading to Eglinton on Friday. They started well too, Ian Young and Brian Crumley teaming up to get rid of the dangerous trio of Peter Gillespie, Kevin Martin and Niall McDonnell with just 52 runs on the board. They couldn't find a way past Jonathan Beukes however and with scoring appearing somewhat difficult the South African dug himself into the trenches. Andy Lynch joined his skipper with the Red Caps on 129 for 5 and that pair did really well to get their side up to 217 in their 50 overs, Beukes' unbeaten 84 containing just seven boundaries while Lynch finished with 30 not out. Ian Young's 3 for 33 was easily the pick of Bready's bowling and Trevor Hamilton must be thinking how he could be doing with Young in this form next weekend.

That said there was no trouble with runs at the start of Bready's innings as David Rankin and Brian Scanlon raced to 81 without loss while Strabane wondered what all the fuss was about. And then a strange thing happened as the hosts lost their first wicket, and froze. They added just 37 runs in 23 overs in the middle of their innings meaning that the clock was now against them as well and from 81-0 they were soon 112 for 7. It's been a factor in Bready's season so far and you just can't see the remedy ahead of their two-innings date with Donemana and when the champions got them down here they weren't going to let them back up. Mark Gillespie with 3 for 18, Tommy Barry (3 for 27) and Mark Roulston (2 for 23) ensured no tail wagging as Strabane clung on to their title defence chances while for Bready still no sign of the form that took them to the senior final.

Brigade wasted little time in keeping their hat in the championship ring after they disposed of Bonds Glen with the minimum of fuss. The Beechgrove side's bowling was too hot for most of the Bee Gees' order and it took a composed 47 from overseas professional Gihan Dilruk to help the home side over the three-figure mark. Unfortunately the Sri Lankan could find few willing partners and in the end the hosts had to settle for 119 all out. Ata Ur-Rehman with 3 for 22 and Mark Simpson (3 for 34) were the pick of the visitors' attack while Trevor Britton's 10 overs yielded a return of 2 for 19. The Beechgrove side's openers didn't stand on much ceremony in reply; Mattie Moran and Chris Dougherty putting on 95 for the first wicket before Moran fell to Richard Hepburn for 44. Dougherty though has been in a rich vein of form this season and he wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity to help his averages here, blasting 7 fours and 4 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 60 in a facile 9-wicket win.

The final game of the day on Saturday was a cracker as Limavady had just 10 runs to spare over Coleraine at Sandel Lodge. The Roesiders batted first and it was in-form pair Adnan Akmal and Stuart Thompson who were at the centre of a very good display, following up their efforts in defeat at Donemana in midweek with a 145-run partnership here. Akmal hit 9 fours in his 91 while Thompson added 7 boundaries in his 77 as Limavady posted a daunting 267 for 8 in their 50 overs. Opening bowlers Stephen Dunn (3 for 36) and David Cooke (3 for 43) did best for the Bannsiders who have proved many times already this season that they don't fear a chase. Father and son pair Ian and Calum McGregor again opened the reply but scoring was proving very difficult particularly for the youngster. That hampered the pace of the Coleraine innings but a solid knock from Mohammad Salman who hit 8 fours and a six in his 87 as well as McGregor senior's 59 put them right back in it. David Cooke chipped in with 37 but the rate was catching Coleraine out as wickets fell regularly while they tried to claw it back. Andrew Riddles and Simon Dunn both claimed 2 wickets apiece as the home side ran out of time just ten runs behind and lamenting their slow start.

There were three games in Division 2 on Saturday; two semi finals of the Sammy Jeffrey and one league match and any betting man would have done his money in style after some surprising results. Sion Mills picked up their third win of the season when they had two wickets to spare over title chasing Drummond while Creevedonnell reached yet another Sammy Jeffrey final when they beat Ardmore for the third time this summer. Closest finish of the day was at The Nedd where chasing St Johnston's 143 all out, the home side's number 11 Keith Burns smashed a six and a four to close out a last wicket win for the Kings Lane side and spark a real party for Vinny O'Hara's men.


BILLY HENDERSON PROPERTIES DIVISION 1

At Bonds Glen, Brigade 120-1-13.1 (C Dougherty 60*, M Moran 44) beat Bonds Glen 119-10-42.3 (G Dilruk 47, A Ur-Rehman 3-22, M Simpson 3-34) by 9 wickets.

At Sandel Lodge, Limavady 267-8-50 (A Akmal 91, S Thompson 77, S Dunn 3-36, D Cooke 3-43) beat Coleraine 257-7-50 ( M Salman 87, I McGregor 59, D Cooke 37, S Dunn 2-42, A Riddles 2-43) by 10 runs.

At Magheramason, Strabane 217-5-50 (J Beukes 86*, A Lynch 30*, I Young 3-33) beat Bready 148-10-46 (B Scanlon 45, D Rankin 29, M Gillespie 3-18, T Barr 3-27, M Roulston 2-23) by 69 runs.

At The Holm, Donemana 315-6-50 (R Hunter 94, A McBrine 87, K Sajid 40, Jas McBrine 33*, J Robinson 2-52, A Britton 2-72) beat Fox Lodge 186-10-38.5 (Garvan Heywood 58, J Robinson 51, Jun McBrine 5-18, G Boyd 2-22) by 129 runs.

SAMMY JEFFREY SHIELD SEMI-FINALS

At Creevedonnell, Creevedonnell 94-5 (A Duddy 51*) beat Ardmore 89 all out (G McAuley 28, N Cooke 3-19, E McGarrigle 2-0, G Falconer 2-24) by 5 wickets.

At The Nedd, The Nedd 144 for 9 (M Mehaffey 46, K Singh 4-28, D MacBeth 3-18) beat St Johnston 143 all out (S Dixit 38, C Wilson 3-24, G Burns 2-16, J Murray 2-32, K Burns 2-41) by 1 wicket.