Unbeaten Firsts Charge into the Semi’s
4 min read
Bangor booked their semi-final place in the Robinson Services Bowl with a comprehensive nine wicket victory over Donaghadee at a sun-kissed Northfield on Saturday. The victory means that Adam McCusker’s men remain unbeaten in this shortened season and have taken their winning streak to five. This series of results is a fitting testament to just how dominant the Bangor have been so far this season.
There can be few more glorious places to play cricket than a sunny afternoon at Northfield. Hosts Donaghadee won the toss and elected to bat hoping to set a target that they could defend. The opening partnership of Fraser and Cunningham took to the middle aware that the Bangor attack would be fierce and unwelcoming. With Mike Grossett swinging the ball away from the right handed openers and Chris Walton from the other end bringing the ball back in, it was a tempestuous start to the Donaghadee innings. It was Walton who struck first enticing Fraser to edge one to McCusker behind the stumps. When Grossett added the wickets of Cunningham and Martin in only the third over of the match, Donaghadee were rocking on seven for three.
The flurry of early wickets brought danger man McCluskey into the fray. He will have walked to the middle with hope very much in his heart, the memory of his expansive innings at Uprichard only a few weeks before still well in his mind. Sadly, he fell to a fine slower ball Yorker from Chris Walton. McNamara began to stage a revival hitting a finely crafted 12 before he was clean bowled by Taj Onyekwelu who continued his fine form this season with a spritely spell. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with W Martin and Houghton losing their wickets to Chris Pyper and George Prince respectively, both fine catches held by Walton and an athletic effort by Mark English.
The experienced partnership of Gilroy and L Martin nudged the ball around to contribute to the biggest partnership of the innings, scoring 19 runs without much fuss at all. It was only when confusion reigned when calling for a second run that Jonny Parker was able to affect the easiest of run outs, removing Gilroy from the action. L Martin hung around until the end of the innings scoring ten and enabling Donaghadee to scramble to 65 from their 20 overs. It was unlikely that this score was ever going to be high enough against the marauding Bangor batting line up.
So it proved, as Michael Martin and Mark English set about making light work of the chase. Both attacked the bowling punishing anything short and leg side by sending the ball to the boundary rope. The ravenous pair put on 45 in only seven overs with a high percentage of the runs being scored in boundaries. Tragically, Martin played the ball onto his foot before it looped up to the keeper meaning he was caught behind in the most bizarre of fashions. Zach Kerr entered the fray for his 61st senior innings for Bangor and he celebrated with some red ink as he watched English blasting the ball repeatedly to the boundary to end the match with ten overs to spare.
We, at Bangor, would like to extend our thanks to our hosts Donaghadee for the match on Saturday. Over the years any Bangor side that has visited the Dee has always been made to feel welcome and the game has always been played in the greatest of spirits between the two clubs. Donaghadee has a rich cricketing history and Northfield is a beautiful place to play and watch cricket. It has been a fantastic opportunity for Bangor to play against our local friends and rivals in this shortened season and we hope that cricket continues to be a feature of life in Donaghadee for many years to come.
Jonny Parker Bows Out
Donaghadee was a fitting setting for Bangor star Jonny Parker to bow out as he returns to England for work this week. An ex-Dee player himself, Jonny has been instrumental in setting the drills and ensuring a more professional attitude at practice this season and the performances on the field serve only to further prove this. Everyone at Bangor would like to take the opportunity to thank him for his considerable effort in this 2020 season, wish him all the best for his return to England and remind him that he is always welcome if he should ever return home for a weekend.
Match scorecard is available here
