Johnny Thomson shines at Donemana

Having beaten the Northern Knights on Friday courtesy of a match-winning partnership between Shane Getkate and Stephen Doheny, Saturday and Sunday’s washout means Boyd Rankin’s team now head to Dublin at the end of July for the final round of matches still well in contention.

A quartet of Saturday’s Long’s SuperValu League games did survive the weekend weather although Ardmore against Bready, St Johnston versus Glendermott and Ballyspallen’s meeting with Killyclooney were all postponed.

Game of the day was undoubtedly at the Holm where, despite both sides missing two players each on Interprovincial duty, Newbuildings clung on to beat the hosts with the last pair of batsmen at the wicket.

The visitors actually made it very difficult for themselves after Johnny Thompson had scored a magnificent 116 as they chased down Donemana’s 169. ‘JT’ was in superb form at his old stomping ground, crashing 13 sixes and 8 fours in his 75-ball knock, sharing in a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket with Jason Dunn who scored 22.

Elsewhere though it was a sorry looking card for Newbuildings with the next highest score just five as Levi Dougherty (3-2), Christopher Neely (2-35), Dean Mehaffey (2-46) and Gary Neely (2-67) kept their team in the hunt right to the end.

Earlier, Ricky-Lee Dougherty’s 40, along with 27 from his brother, Levi, and cameos of 20 from the newly-arrived Naveed Sarwar and Jamie Huey had helped the Tyrone side to their modest total.

Gary Mitchell (3-32), Jason Dunn (3-49), Thompson (2-13) and Jordan McCorkell (2-33) impressed with the ball before that century for the former Warriors all-rounder decided the contest.

The win took Newbuildings to the top of the group, replacing Burndennett, who slipped from first to fourth with defeat at Coleraine.

There was another centurion at Sandel Lodge where Ravindra Karunaratne hit 9 fours and 5 sixes in his 67-ball 107, the home side making 275-4 in a rain-reduced 38 overs.

Matthew Hutchinson almost made it two ‘tons’ in the innings before he was out for 95 (11 fours), sharing a 161-run partnership for the third wicket with the Sri Lankan.

Scott Campbell added 39 at the top of the order with Marcello Piedt (2-43) the pick of the ’Dennett bowling. Eddie McGettigan’s 44 (4 fours, 3 sixes) threatened something of a scrap from the visitors in reply, but once he was out it was all Coleraine.

Karunaratne’s 4-15 added to an impressive day for him while Gareth Burns (3-20) and Campbell, 2-6 from 6 overs, saw Burndennett bowled out for 83 in the end.

In Group A, Brigade moved into second place after a facile win at Strabane. This one was reduced to 37-overs a side after rain interrupted the first innings; Aaron Gillespie top scoring with 38 in the Red Caps’ 146-6.Ryan Gallagher chipped in with 26, Ernest Musuku 25 and Conor Graham 20* while Jamie Millar (2-29) and Iftikhar Hussain (2-39) were best with the ball for the Beechgrove outfit.

David Barr (63) and Iftikhar Hussain (42) looked set to get the runs between them as Brigade started positively- their first wicket stand worth 96. Adam McDaid (21*) and Graeme McCarter (11*) finished it off as the visitors won by 8 wickets with four overs in the bank.

And up in Kildoag, Bond’s Glen got their second win of the league campaign with a similarly impressive victory over Fox Lodge.

Skipper Aaron Heywood made 38 and Travis Nicholl 33 in the Ballymagorry men’s 163 all out while Raymond Curry (4-35) starred with the ball for the hosts. Kyle Moore (2-32) and David Robinson (2-35) bowled well too in a solid showing from the Bee Gees.

Young Curry is clearly on the verge of a North West Warriors debut and no doubt he knows the way to catch Boyd Rankin’s attention is by imposing himself on the club game.

And that’s exactly what he did here, adding to those four wickets with an unbeaten 61 (7 fours, 3 sixes) to give his side the spoils.

Mattie Barr was excellent too as he made 44*, an unbroken 89-run partnership between these two ensuring Bond’s Glen took the points after Heinrich Roberts (37) got the ball rolling at the top of the order.