Bangor Complete the Double Over Armagh

There are moments in sport that remind you of why you started playing the game in the first place. Bangor Cricket Club has suffered an indifferent season. There has been frustration at many early season cancellations, performances that haven’t matched up to exceptionally high standards and dogged victories that have kept the team out of the mire of the relegation places. What never left the team was belief; the belief that when they put it altogether they would produce a performance of the ages. That performance came on Saturday as Bangor crushed a hapless Armagh side by 72 runs, the centrepiece of which was a sparkling century from Captain Chris Burns.

Skipper Burns won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that looked to be a fine track. From the moment he whipped the first ball of the innings off his legs for four, the writing was on the wall. From the off Burns looked to be in complete control and the Bangor crowd knew that a big score could well be on. At the other end James Patterson retained his position at the top of the order. He looked composed and provided ample support early on without seeing much of the strike.

Burns was in destructive form. I suppose the best way to describe it is to pick your favourite one-day star batsman at the moment and imagine they were playing for your home team. It could be Jason Roy, Ben Stokes or Eoin Morgan the shots are all the same. The ease with which the ball was disappearing to the boundary was a joy to see for everyone except the fielding side. Burns and Patterson tanked their way to 68 for no loss after 13 overs. Burns, then on 38, crashed the first three balls of the 14th straight back past the bowler to bring up his 50 from only 50 balls and the dingers hadn’t even really started at this stage.

Bangor looked booked for their second successive 100 first wicket partnership when Patterson unfortunately found a leading edge that popped up to the bowler with the score on 94. Although James played a supporting role to the carnage that Burns was serving up, his contribution was invaluable, not only for the time that he was at the crease but for the rest of the innings to come. Andy Nixon joined Burns at the crease and continued where Patterson had left off. Rotating strike and taking a front row seat to watch the skipper crash the ball around Upritchard Park.

Burns and Nixon added 34 effortlessly before Nixon was out trying to clear mid-on. There followed a heated exchange when the Armagh wicket keeper, McCarter, appeared to say something to the departing Bangor star. As was pointed out on various message boards around the world, it was a foolish move when Armagh must have known that Nixon would still have a role to play with the ball. Born out of frustration at being so soundly beaten there is still no excuse for this behaviour in the game. The incident only served to galvanise the Bangor Skipper as he looked on, unperturbed.

Mark Nixon replaced his brother at the crease and continued on with the good work. Perhaps the most unfortunate of the Bangor batsman, he was dismissed by a fine catch by Doyle who dived, full length, to grasp the ball. When Nicky McCollum was adjudged LBW unfortunately shortly afterwards, the score was 149 for four. Despite the good start, Bangor still had work to do. It is hard to think of a man better suited to the job than the colossus of Bangor Cricket Club, Mark English. Unbelievably playing his first match of the season, the left hander gave a nod to his skipper and took his guard. It was as if he had never been away.

Burns remained chanceless at the other end. Relentless, remorseless, he was pounding Armagh into submission. He hit boundaries at will and then nudged the singles into the gaps. He toyed with the Armagh attack and moved to 97. Anticipation rose around the ground but the coolest man in the arena was facing the ball. The bowler strayed onto leg stump and Burns whipped it hard in front of mid-wicket, the ball raced away on the Bangor turf and crashed into the fence. The bat was raised, the helmet removed and every single supporter was on their feet. Burns received the righteous adulation and got his head down. At the other end English was now hitting out and the two had put on 59 before Burns was finally out for 129, stumped when going for another big hit.

I’ve been fortunate to watch many great innings by many great Bangor batsmen over the last three decades but this one from Burns was perhaps my favourite. By his own admission the skipper has not reached the heights of last season, but I think that speaks volumes about the man himself. He never lost the belief in himself, the sheer determination that he would eventually play to his full potential. To produce an innings of that quality when his team really needed it in the context of the league was quite phenomenal and thrilling to watch. In an age of professionals and paid amateurs it makes it extra special that he is one of our own. Treasure him.

English was unfortunately run out by a direct hit and fell for a beautiful 30. This left the in-form partnership of Ricky McLarnon and Mike Grossett to score at over a run a ball, scoring 18 and 12 respectively, to leave Bangor on 251 for six and Armagh looking absolutely ragged.

Leafing through Armagh’s scores with the bat this season at the break meant that this was going to be a difficult chase. Mike Grossett wasted no time at all in dismissing Doyle with the first ball of the innings. When Andy Nixon had the dangerous Gelston caught by the omnipresent English the score was 16 for two. Much would now depend on the skipper Steenson and, the only realistic possibility of getting the runs, professional Kranjkar. These two began to bat and put on 30 before Steenson was clean bowled by Grossett. When Kranjkar fell in the next over to Andy Nixon, playing on, the match was all but over as a contest.

Wickets continued to fall as Grossett added two more to his ever-burgeoning wicket tally this season and Jeremy Stewart picked up the wicket of Marshall. It wasn’t until the seventh wicket partnership of Azhar and Bullick did Armagh find some resistance. They put on 49 before Bullick was run out by a fine direct hit by Andy Nixon. George Prince silenced the earlier chatter of wicket keeper McCarter before Azhar, who batted manfully for 83, was the last man out caught by Prince of the bowling of Patterson. Bangor had a dominant victory of 72 runs and this was Burns’ day.