SION MILLS

A solid if unspectacular showing from the Tyrone side however with their second XI winning their Intermediate league and just losing out to Bready in the cup final there may well be more to come in the next few years.

Ryan O'Neill took over as skipper this season and with John Browne unavailable due to family commitments and Lee McGonigle dropping down to the seconds there was probably a slight lack of quality that prevented the side from challenging at the business end.

Only Killyclooney stood between Sion and the drop at the end but O'Neill will happily see this as another year's experience at this level for some of his squad and hope to build on it.

Kevin Gallagher enjoyed a decent season with 354 runs and 15 wickets while Andy Lucas also broke the 300-barrier. Lucas went into the books as being the bowler on the receiving end of Ravi Patil's 6 sixes in an over during Sion's Ulster Shield defeat to Dundrum but he wasn't fazed by that and turned in some very good performances throughout the summer.

Andrew Long (260), Johnny Havern (234), Lee Finlay (228), and the skipper (214) all made a mark of sorts while Raymond Harper (22 wickets), Finlay (21) and Johnny Friel (19) did likewise with the ball.

There seems little doubt that Sion Mills are looking to re-build the club from the bottom up at present and it could be a while before they are ready to compete at the top end of the new League 1.

The fact that they are in it at all however is testimony to the efforts of those who have managed to keep them afloat during these very testing times and here's hoping that they find the fruits of their labour in the not-too-distant future.


Batting
K Gallagher 354 runs at an average of 23.6 (3x50) highest score 69
A Lucas 304 runs at an average of 20.4 (2x50) highest score 74


Bowling
R Harpur 22 wickets at an average of 28.1, best of 4-43
L Finlay 21 wickets at an average of 19.6, best of 4-8