COLERAINE

A joint-fifth placed finish alongside Fox Lodge and Bready allows Coleraine to show continued improvement on the past few seasons and will give them hope for the years ahead.

Things could have been much better too and had they been able to close out wins against Strabane and Brigade when they seemed in complete control and even Donemana and Limavady from decent positions, they could well have been among the challengers this season.

A lack of experience was probably their undoing but these will be valuable lessons for the younger members of the first team and they won't be lost to them.

The Bannsiders regularly included Scott Campbell, Rishi Chopra, Paul Douglas, Andrew Douglas and Calum McGregor in the first XI and that confidence seems well founded. With the experience of Ian McGregor, David Cooke, Vischal Chopra and Stevie Dunn as well as Mohammed Salman the mix looked solid but the loss of their Pakistani International and also their skipper Tim Chopra were crucial.

Salman only played 13 times but still managed to score 521 runs however he rarely looked the player we have become used to seeing and his early departure was no great surprise. Chopra missed the entire season with a back injury but is hopeful that he will be able to return in 2012 at least in a batting capacity.

Despite the youngsters' presence, the batting honours fell to Salman, Ian McGregor and Cooke; the latter hitting 778 runs for an average of just under 46 while McGregor racked up 941 at nearly 45 a time.

Scott Campbell was best of the rest with just under 350 while the bowlers all got in on the act. Dunn led the way with 37 wickets at 20 apiece while Jonathan Martin claimed 32 at 27 and bits.

Rishi Chopra had 25, David Cooke 24 and Campbell 23 and all at an average cost of around 28.

Coleraine will probably feel that their best years are still ahead and if they can keep their youngsters together they look set to be challenging for trophies in the not-too-distant future.


BATTING


M Salman 13-2-521-47.36-105*- 1x100 3x50

D Cooke 23-6-778-45.76-79*- 5x50

I McGregor 22-1-941-44.81-109- 2x100 8x50


BOWLING


S Dunn 188-744-37-20.11- best 7-47

J Martin 164-874-32-27.11- best 4-52

S Campbell 149-625-23-27.17-best 5-14

R Chopra 143-702-25-28.08- best 6-37

D Cooke 138-678-24-28.25-best 4-35