Bangor vs Irish XI at Ward Park – The Reports

Match Scorecard

Ireland XI Batting – 186-8

M. Reith	st Harte, b Jameson	55
G. Crothers	LBW, Rea	39
J. Harrison	ct Morrow, b Jameson	19
I. Anderson	LBW, b Elder	8
S. Mitchell	Not Out	30
A. Linehan	ct Harte, b McCully	2
D. Monteith	ct Cowdrey, b Edgar	0
S. Corlett	ct Harte, b Edgar	19
R. Torrens	st Harte, b Edgar	19
M. Halliday	Not Out	1
O. Coghoun	Did Not Bat

Bangor Bowling

J. Elder	11	3	38	2
L. Cunningham	11	2	36	0
M. Rea	10	1	43	1
J. Jameson	11	4	16	2
C. Cowdrey	2	0	9	0
A. McCully	7	2	24	2
T. Edgar	3	0	13	1

Bangor Batting – 125-9

J. Jameson	ct Crothers, b Corlett	49
J. Kirk	ct Halliday, b Corlett	0
C. Cowdrey	ct Torrens, b Halliday	6
C. Harte	ct Reith, b Halliday	1
D. Morrow	ct & b Corlett	0
L. Cunningham	b Monteith	27
M. Rea	b Corlett	25
H. Bingham	ct Colhein, b Monteith	0
A. McCully	Not Out	6
J. Elder	ct Harrison, b Halliday	0
T. Edgar	Not Out	1

Ireland XI Bowling

S. Corlett	10	3	24	4
R. Torrens	7	0	19	0
D. Monteith	11	2	41	2
M. Halliday	8	2	21	3
I. Anderson	5	2	13	0

Ulster Weekend and Captains Observed – An article by Colin Cowdrey

The following weekend, I flew to Ulster. I few hundred troops travelled too and my cricket bag became the object of attention at security checks and road blocks, a new experience.

My apprehensions were to be short-lived for across the drumlins, over the river Lagan and away to the cricket ground at Bangor, Co. Down, close to the sea, it was as dreamy and peaceful as Cromer or Colwyn Bay.

For a few hours the common bond of cricket helped to take our minds off the problem of man’s ignoble strife so close by in Belfast. The only concern, it seemed, revolved around how the newly laid wicket would play and to make sure I got off the mark. The Ireland XI had been gathered to play Bangor to mark the opening of their new ground, and John Jameson, late of Warwickshire and England but now retired and running the cricket at his old school, Taunton, was invited with myself to lend some weight to Bangor.

I had not realised that league cricket has or been played in Ireland for many years, and each club is faced with the prospect of promotion and relegation. Their cricket is sharp in consequence, and a greater will to win could not be found in Yorkshire. Waringstown, the best team in Northern Ireland boasts the five Harrison brothers, and sixth brother will play for them this year. Their sister is an outstanding games player too, and has just married the club’s wicket-keeper.

Ireland, as with Scotland, has some fine players and only the slow, damp wickets and the lack of opportunity deprives them of challenging for the first-class game.

I would like to see them invited to join our Benson and Hedges Tournament, but with the qualifying rounds so early in the year, they could not possibly do themselves justice. Somehow, we must find a way of giving an Irish cricketer a chance of breaking through.

Cricket’s Historic Return to Ward Park

On what was perhaps the most important day yet in the history of Bangor Cricket Club, a historic game was played on Saturday to mark the return of cricket, and the Club, to Ward Park. Fittingly the gathering of star players produced cricket of a standard to entertain the spectators.

A crowd of several hundred had built up by early afternoon. Thereafter the deteriorated weather (though it never somewhat actually caused the players to leave the field) and once guest players Colin Cowdry and John Jamison had been dismissed numbers dwindled.

The weather detracted not one whit from a day of triumph for the Bangor Club, and in particular the hard-working committee men. They have steered the club through its last two tricky nomadic seasons. Now they reap the fruits of their labours in a magnificent occasion, a real showpiece for cricket in Ulster and the North Down area specifically.

Financially the whole venture was a success, a bat raffle raised about £40; the excellently produced brochure patronised by advertisers, was a complete sell-out, and the evening disco was well and enthusiastically attended.

But the real harvest from this game will surely come from the advantageous effect it will have on cricketing interest and enthusiasm in this region. Cricketers came from many parts of Ulster to watch. In particular there were large viewing contingents from the North Down Clubs, North Down itself, Holywood, Donaghadee, and, of course, Bangor.

The schoolboy interest was almost overwhelming, and it said volumes for all players but Messrs Cowdrey Jamison in particular, that they never tired of signing.

Men of the Match

After the match the ladies of the Bangor Club served an excellent buffet supper in the club house to supplement the lunch and tea which they had already provided.

Following the meal Bangor chairman Con McCall announced the following Man of the Match awards for the prizes presented by. Harris Marian Ltd.

Best Batting – Michael Reith, 55. 

Best Bowling – Simon Corlett, 4 for 24.

Best Fielding – Chris Harte, 2 cts. & 2 stumpings.

The cricket bat presented by E. I. J. Sports Ltd. (Lurgan), who also presented the match balls, was raffled, the draw being made during the tea interval. The winner was B. Harvey.

Bangor Treat and Not Just from Test Pair by Carl Anderson

BANGOR Cricket Club are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather, which has so far shown little sign of welcome for the new season, will be on its best behaviour tomorrow when they return to their Ward Park grounds after a two – year absence and mark the occasion with a very special match.

A Bangor team, including former Test cricketers Colin Cowdrey and John Jameson will play an Irish XI which is largely on the lines of the current international side, in a game on Gillette Cup lines, beginning at 11.30 and continuing until 6.30.

Obviously, former Kent and England player Cowdrey and Jameson, the big hitting Warwickshire opener who retired from County cricket only at the end of last season, will be the major attraction, but there is a fair amount of other talent involved.

Ireland captain Alex O’Riordan was a late withdrawal from the Irish XI because of family, commitments, but his place as skipper has been taken by the popular Downpatrick player, Alfie Linehan.

And Alfie will have at his disposal men like the Waringstown trio of Michael Reith, Jim Harrison and Ivan Anderson, Lisburn’s Dermot Moteith, Ossie Colhoun and Roy Torrens from the North West, fast bowler Simon Corlett and, from Dublin, Brendan O’Brien, Stan Mitchell and Michael Halliday.

On show for Bangor will be their new signing. Chris Harte, who transferred from Downpatrick at the end of last season. Again providing the weather allows it this should be a cricketing occasion to remember.

Cowdrey Packs ‘em In by Carl Anderson

The Ulster cricket season opened in festival spirit at Bangor yesterday when the home club celebrated their return to Ward Park after a two-year absence with a special match against an Irish XI.

But the occasion was really stamped by the presence in the Bangor team of former England Test stars Colin Cowdrey and John Jameson.

And it was Cowdrey who brought the crowds flocking. The Irish Xl had batted first to promote the match build-up, but hundreds ringed the ground in the afternoon with no object in mind other than to watch Cowdrey bat.

His appearance at the wicket was greeted by ringing applause, but the crowd was obviously disappointed when the great man was dismissed after only scoring six.

To be fair, however, he had admitted minutes earlier to be being frozen to the marrow, having fielded for almost three hours in a chilling wind and intermittent rain squalls.

Indeed, when Cowdrey arrived at the wicket the heaviest rain shower of the day swept across the ground. He looked uncomfortable, tried to drive Michael Halliday and spooned a simple catch which Roy Torrens seemed embarrassed to accept. However, Jameson entertained the crowd with an excellent 49 to add to his bowling figures of two for sixteen in eleven overs.

In the end, Bangor were deemed to have lost the match by a single run. When time ran out, they had scored 125 for 9 after 41 overs. At the same stage in their innings the Irish XI had reached 126 for three although they went on to total 186 for eight.

Michael Reith and Graham Crothers gave them a great start with an opening stand of 83, of which Reith scored 55 and Crothers 39. The Irish XI’s innings slumped to 136 for six before breezy knocks by Simon Corlett and Stan Mitchell gave it final respectability. At a reception following the game, Harris Marrian, the insurance brokers, presented special awards to Reith (batting), Corlett (bowling), and Chris Harte (fielding).

Cowdrey Fails but Worth Gamble by Carl Anderson

FORMER England captain Colin Cowdrey’s contribution of six runs, one catch and two overs at a cost of nine runs were hardly notable in the statistical sense. But his presence, and that of former Warwickshire Test batsman, John Jamison, at Bangor on Saturday did, without question, help ignite the spark that will launch the Ulster cricket season into more serious action next weekend.

The occasion was the return of Bangor to their Ward Park grounds – which have been dug up and relaid over the course of the past two years – and the two English players strengthened the Bangor side for a match against an Irish XI.

Cowdrey, of course, was the big drawing card and the attendance swelled in the afternoon as Bangor’s turn to bat approached.

Then, when he got to the crease with Bangor having lost one wicket for two runs in reply to the Irish total of 186 for eight, the heaviest shower of the day swept the ground just as he seemed to be getting into his stride.

Cowdrey decided to have a go at off spinner Michael Halliday, spooned a simple catch to Roy Torrens at short mid wicket; the fielder could find no legitimate excuse for not accepting the chance – and the crowd sighed in obvious disappointment.

They were compensated by a fine innings of 49 from Jameson, who had earlier taken two wickets for 16 runs in a tidy eleven overs spell. But the only other double figure batting performance in the Bangor innings came from Lawry Cunningham and Michael Rea.