CRICKET: North West Sides on end of All-Ireland Thumping!

It was a fairly familiar sight around the North West on Saturday as heavy overnight rain put paid to all but a couple of matches in the Long’s SuperValu senior leagues.

The four scheduled contests in the Premier Division all fell by the wayside; however in the second tier, Burndennett and Fox Lodge were able to see out their game up in Tyrone. Half centuries from Marco Marais and Brian Allen were enough to help the Ballymagorry men to a win in that one as they moved top of the table, albeit with only two games played.

Across the Foyle at St Johnston, the Donegal side and Killyclooney also won their battle with the elements to ensure a result there too. ‘Clooney got their first points on the board in this one as a half century from skipper Darren Moan and an excellent spell of bowling from teenager, Jordan Connor, were enough to help them to a 47-run win against the struggling Saints.

The weather continued to cause problems on Sunday as well- Newbuildings’ National Cup clash with Academy decided by bowl out after the Foyle College ground on the Northland Road was waterlogged. Of the ten players to try, Graeme Robb was the only one to hit the stumps, sending Dale Culbert’s men into Round 2 by the narrowest of margins.

Ballyspallen are through as well- theirs an even stranger progression after their hosts, Greystones, forfeited to the Roe Valley side. The umpires at that one ruled that the condition of the pitch was “dangerous” and that the game would have to be decided by a bowl-out. The visitors were very unhappy that they had travelled the whole way to Wicklow and the playing surface was deemed unfit as opposed to rain-affected. To be fair, the home side saw ‘Spallen’s case and advised the officials that they wouldn’t contest the bowl-out.

Elsewhere, Glendermott lost 2-1 to Lurgan in the dreaded shoot-out while Creevedonnell were well beaten by Civil Service in Phoenix Park.

Unfortunately it was to be the same old story in the Irish Senior Cup as all five of the North West’s participating teams were knocked out in the re-arranged 1st round games. Coleraine were frustratingly edged out 3-2 at Merrion while Strabane and Donemana came out on the wrong side of thrilling finishes at Malahide and Derriaghy respectively. Brigade were beaten a shade more cosily by NCU kingpins CIYMS while Drummond were hammed at Carrickfergus.