North West sides struggle again in Irish Senior Cup

The draw hadn’t been kind so it was always going to be a difficult day for even the top local teams however by Saturday night, none of the eight sides involved had made it through to Round 2.

Six are out with Ardmore and Donemana are the only survivors - albeit both of their games were abandoned at the halfway stage due to heavy rain.

The rules of the competition are such that unfinished fixtures are reversed; meaning both are on the road next Sunday for replays against Cork County and Carrickfergus respectively.

To their credit, both teams had posted very competitive totals as they batted first in Saturday’s games - Dwayne McGerrigle (95) and William McClintock (45) combining to help the Holm men to 247 all out with Michael Rippon and Jake Egan picking up three wickets apiece for Carrick.

Ryan Brolly hit 83 for the Bleachgreen side with Aviwe Mgijima adding 37 and Mark Chambers 35 as they made 248-8 before the rain arrived meaning the long trek to Cork next weekend.

Hopefully those are positive signs for the North West pair as they bid to avoid a first round whitewash.

Of the games that were completed - Brigade will probably feel they should have come through their tie having reduced their hosts Pembroke to 94-8 chasing 151.

Unfortunately for the Waterside club, Lorcan Tucker was proving a much more stubborn proposition and the Irish International posted an unbeaten 72 as he and Joe Prendergast saw the Sydney Parade side over the line with an unbroken 58-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Brothers Ryan (33) and Scott Macbeth (28) were best with the bat for Brigade and the same players picked up two early wickets each to leave the home side teetering on 58-5 in reply.

Paul Lawson (3-41) bowled well for Pembroke, ably supported by Nick Stapleton (2-15), Zach Micklewright (2-26) and Prendergast (2-25).

Brigade however couldn’t shift Tucker and paid the price despite a couple of wickets each for Iftikhar Hussain and Andy Britton to add to the Macbeths’ haul.

Coleraine were also in Dublin but the Bannsiders were no match for a Harry Tector-inspired YMCA.

The Ireland International hit 3 fours and a six in his composed 87 while Ashley Burton added 65 (5 fours) in the hosts’ total of 233-7.

Gareth Burns (4-24) was the pick of the visitors’ bowling with Stephen Hutchinson chipping in with 2-44.

Top order runs for Mattie Smyth (32) and Matthew Hutchinson (22) helped Coleraine to 67-1 at one point, before the wheels came off in style.

Three wickets each for Burton and Jamie Forbes soon had the home side in cruise control after that as the last nine wickets fell for the addition of 27 runs- a 139-run win for YM.

Bready found things no easier at Railway Union with Davy Scanlon’s side going down by 130.

Punya Mehra hit 68 with Ashal Prakash adding 38 and three more players - Kenny Carrol, Liam McCarthy and Hamza Maan all scoring 28 in Railway’s total of 285 from their allotted overs.

Ian Young’s 51 was an excellent effort in Bready’s reply, but only Irosh Samarasooriya (44) offered anything in the way of support as Brandon Kruger (5-16) and Liam McCarthy (3-20) put a quick end to the Magheramason team’s challenge.

Fox Lodge fared a little better against The Hills than they did at this stage last year when they were all out for 29 against the Skerries team.

Craig Doherty hit 44 and Jonny Robinson 39 as the Foxes posted 151 all out - Gayan Maneeshan adding 23 and Jonny Heywood, back on a short holiday from Australia scored 21 in his first knock in nearly four years!

It wasn’t enough though - Bhavesh Lakotia (88) and Cormac McLoughlin - Gavin (48*) batting through the rain for a seven wicket win.

Eglinton fell to a 10-wicket defeat at Comber; Alistair Shields making 88 not out and new North West Warriors wicketkeeper/batsman Ani Chore an unbeaten 67 as the NCU side chased down their 166 target with ease.

Shields was also among the wickets for his side- claiming 3-25 as Tommy Orr (30), Mike Erlank (29) and Jamie Millar 28 fared best with the bat for the villagers.

It was a fairly similar story at Foyleview Arena where Waringstown bowled Newbuildings out for 99 and chased it down for the loss of one wicket.

Adam Dennison made 53 not out and Ross Waite an unbeaten 41 in a bloodless victory for the Lawn side.

Things were a little better in the National Cup as Ballyspallen and St Johnston were both already guaranteed their second round places before action had even got under way.

That pair will now be joined by Killyclooney and Burndennett who secured home wins over Templepatrick and Laois respectively.

’Clooney were set a revised target of 144 as their game was badly hit by rain after the visitors had made 174.

Vishad Vayas scored 48 and skipper Ross Bryans 47 for the NCU outfit with Mark Gordon (3-23), Kenzie Hall (3-44) and Jason Wallace (2-48) all among the wickets for the Tyrone side.

Overseas man Blayde Capell thumped 93 not out (14 fours, 3 sixes) for the hosts with Timmy Dougherty chipping in with 24 as ’Clooney won by seven wickets.

Burndennett’s Mark Pollock hit an excellent 105 not out as they racked up 199-8 in 39 overs at home to Laois.

Matt Auret hit an unbeaten 50 and Jawad Amin 28 in the Laois reply, but a third wicket for Corey Roulston (3-17) just before the rain arrived meant the visitors were 13 short on DLS.

Glendermott’s game at home to Athlone was halted by the weather after the Rectory side had reached 244-5 in the 34th over. No-one will be more annoyed by that than Gihan Cloete whose 150 (19 fours, 6 sixes) now counts as little more than batting practice for next week’s replay.

Former Glendermott player, Nathan McGuire was a man in touch as Rush rattled up a mammoth 415-9 in their 40 overs against Strabane.

Openers Neil Rock (142) and Llew Johnson (106) put on 231 for the first wicket with skipper McGuire adding 57 in a total run-fest.

Rhys Logue took 4-91 from his 8 overs with the Gallagher brothers Kevin (36) and Ryan (25) faring best in their 144 all out reply.

David Cooke made 45 and Stephen Dunn 23 not out as Bonds Glen were all out for 140 at North Kildare.

Dunn was excellent with the new ball as well - figures of 4-26 for the former Donemana man and with skipper Raymond Curry picking up 3-27, the visitors were always in the game.

Unfortunately they just didn’t have enough runs in the end as the southerners held on for a three wicket win.

In the day’s final game, Letterkenny were edged out by Cregagh by five wickets at Gibson Park.

Ramees Machingal top scored with 30 with Vamsi Dasari adding 21, Aswin Sreedharan 21 and Rammohan Goud 20 as the Donegal team posted 128 all out.

Cregagh were soon in trouble at 18-3 in reply before Aaron Johnston (49) and Paul Douglas (34 not out) helped them to recover and progress to Round 2.