'DONNELL LIFT ANOTHER SAMMY JEFFREY, DRUMMOND BACK IN TITLE RACE

No doubting the big match of the weekend in Division 2 as Creevedonnell and The Nedd locked horns in the Sammy Jeffrey final at Eglinton on Saturday. The 'Donnell of course have this amazing record in the competition and went into the showdown having contested 6 of the previous 11 finals, winning five of them. Their recent record hasn't been so hot mind, this was their first final appearance since they beat Ardmore in 2007 but they didn't let slip the opportunity to make it six wins in 12 years.

The Nedd were appearing in the decider for the first time and they got off to a decent start with Kyle Morrow playing his shots at the top of the order. There seemed little danger for the first half hour before Nicky Cooke and Leighton McGarrigle turned the game on its head with an excellent spell of bowling. Danger man Morrow was dismissed for 35 and after that the Ballykelly side imploded as Creevedonnell stamped their authority. An hour later the innings was over; Cooke returning figures of 6 for 12 and McGarrigle 4 for 29 as The Nedd were all out for just 76.

Sometimes chasing a small total can be very deceptive of course and three early wickets breathed some life into the game before skipper Scroggie calmed things down. He may have only made 22, but that was plenty to get his side back on track and despite losing another three wickets in the final stages, Creevedonnell always had this under control. Brian Dougherty showed that sportsmanship isn't finished just yet as he trooped off having edged one that no-one else heard and skipper Scroggie then added a touch of poignancy to the presentation. Club stalwart Tommy Laird who has been struggling with health issues recently was invited up to accept the trophy in a move fully appreciated by those present. The shield was then driven to the Curryfree Road where the winners were able to stoke up the barbecue much earlier than they had anticipated and the party went on for some time.

There were a couple of league games down for decision at the weekend as well and Creevedonnell now know that if they are to top their season off with promotion, they are going to have company in the final few weeks. Ardmore's dismal run continued as they lost to Sion Mills in a T20 contest on Sunday but crucially, George Brolly's side are scheduled to meet the Sammy Jeffrey holders on the final day of the season. The waters have been further muddied now however by the re-emergence of Drummond as a candidate for honours, Gordon Cooke's side now level with the leaders although having played a game more. Drummond started their weekend with a 5-wicket win at home to The Nedd on Friday evening, play having been suspended on Thursday in near darkness with just 4 overs left and the outcome completely in the balance. The Nedd had made a competitive 115 for 2 in their 20 overs courtesy of 44 from opener Kyle Morrow and an unbeaten 29 from Martin Mehaffey and the hosts looked to be struggling in reply when they reached 76 for 5 after 16 overs before the umpires decided that it was too dark. When the teams reported back for duty 24 hours later Gordon Cooke and Damien Carlin knocked off the required runs without further loss to send their side into Saturday's crunch match at St Johnston with confidence high.

The Saints have had a disappointing season this year and they were very much second best again at the Boathole as the visitors made their move. Craig Hartin hit 7 fours on his way to a composed 90 and Michael Lynch's 70 included 6 fours and 2 sixes as the batsmen dominated. Gordon Cooke's 32 allowed Drummond to finish their 45 overs with a fairly daunting score of 245 for 5. The hosts' batting didn't hold up in reply, Andrew Fleming's 27 and 25 from Sachin Dixit the best they had to offer in their 146 all out, a 99-run defeat for the home team. Stevie Moore was the pick of Drummond's attack claiming 5 for 16 as they moved joint top.

Killyclooney also recorded a thumping win when they proved much too strong for Sion Mills in the only other game from Saturday. Batting first the home side found runs easy come by; Greg Stewart hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes on his way to 75, Richard McMorris blasting 8 sixes and 2 fours in his 66 and Richard Barr's 65 including 12 boundaries. Alan Colhoun weighed in with 32 as Killyclooney set the Mill side a highly unlikely target of 323 and it never looked like happening. Johnny Friel's 27 was the best the visitors had to offer with cameos from Kevin Gallagher and Lee Finlay as they were dismissed for 136. Mark Gordon with 4 for 51 was best with the ball while there was also two wickets each for Kyle Barr and Jordan Connor.

The Tyrone side enjoyed better fortune on Sunday when they took another chunk out of Ardmore's promotion push with a 7-wicket win at the Mill. Ardmore batted first but only had an unbeaten 41 from Gerard McAuley to show for their efforts as they made 110 for 8 in their 20 overs. Sion lost a couple of early wickets themselves but the game turned on a swashbuckling unbeaten half century from Andy Lucas. Ardmore couldn't shift the Sion batsman and with several meaty blows, Lucas saw to it that Sion recorded their fifth win of the campaign.

And so to the final scheduled fortnight of the season starting with Creevedonnell's ongoing game with Killyclooney. A win in that would ensure that Stephen Scroggie's men would need two points from their final couple of games away at The Nedd and at home to Ardmore to guarantee themselves at least a promotion play-off, or of course a maximum return from those games would see top flight cricket on the Curryfree Road in 2012 no matter what happens elsewhere. It's in their own hands now, which is a dream way to finish the season but they will be very wary of the Bleachgreen boys on Saturday. The sides have met three times in the league at the 'Donnell have won the lot but the chips are down this weekend and all the pressure is on the home team. Ardmore will have no hesitation in taking advantage of any sign of nerves and it could be a fun day.

Drummond's last two games are at home to Killyclooney and away at Burndennett and in normal circumstances Gordon Cooke would expect four points but there is plenty at stake now. As well as that, Drummond have already lost at home to Burndennett in the reverse fixture so they will hardly want to take anything for granted in that one while Killyclooney have improved in the past few weeks and will be trying to record their third win in as many weeks. It is all adding up to an edgy finale for the teams at the top and while Creevedonnell are certainly favourites, the fat lady hasn't even plugged in her microphone.