Review of the Season: July 2024

July 6th – 12th

The Men’s 1Xl made the short journey to neighbours Ards & Donaghadee where they picked up a routine 10 wicket victory. Bangor lost the toss and bowled first and made an excellent start reducing the hosts to 33-4. A frustrating 5th wicket partnership navigated Ards & Donaghadee past the 100-run mark but soon after that was broken up by Princer. Bangor didn’t let up from there, finishing the innings some 10 overs later with the hosts bowled out for 137, Princer the pick of the bowlers with 3-35 with RVH & Pypsy each picking up 2 wickets between them. Bangor’s formidable opening partnership of Sam & Hutchy strode out confidently looking to continue where they left of the week before. The two batters showing extreme confidence in their game made an excellent start as the 50 partnership came up after 47 balls. Such was their control on the game, the second 50 mirrored the first 50 as the 100-run partnership came up 47 balls later. Bangor thankfully at this rate reached the 15 over mark which constituted a game as skies darkened above. After a brief break for rain and more in the forecast, Sam & Hutchy pressed home their advantage and finished the game quickly with the game done in the 19th over. Sam finishing on 69* and Hutchy on 64*, another superb win.

The 2XI had a pair of league games at home over the weekend against Ballymena 2XI & Armagh 2XI. Ballymena batted first but couldn’t contend with the bowling prowess of Bangor who rattled through the visitor’s lineup and limited them to 79-8 after 25 overs. Bangor were never in danger with JK & Zach in form at the top of the order chasing down the total easily in the 8th over to win by 9 wickets. The next day a very similar game occurred with Armagh batting first but struggled for any fluency against an even stronger bowling lineup with them all out for 65. Speedster Michael Skelly and the guile of Coxy jr both picked up 3 wickets each with Myles chipping in with 2 wickets. The only thing holding Bangor back was the rainy forecast, but it held out long enough for Bangor to chase down the total in the 8th over again with JK top scoring with 23. A great weekend for the 2XI with 8 points further cementing their push for promotion.

The 3XI travelled to Saintfield to take on their 2XI side and batted first scoring a mammoth 215-8 from their 25 overs. Chappers & Vishnu opened the innings and got the side of to a fast start both scoring 40’s in quick fashion. Not much followed after that apart from numerous cameos but Josh Walker chipped in with a handy 33* to propel Bangor to that lofty score. Bangor were always in a comfortable position with the ball with Max Walker & JJ Holley picking up 2 wickets each early doors. From there the visitors controlled proceedings to win handsomely by 89 runs. A stellar 4XI side entertained BISC 5XI side and won comfortably by 37 runs. Batting first Bangor made 185 from their 20 overs, a welcome return from injury for Rossco as he scored 55 with Rich Carson scoring 44. Bangor pressed home their advantage with a few quick wickets and never looked in trouble from then on. The undoubted highlight though happened in the 22nd over as Rich completed his man of the match performance picking up a hat trick and being the pick of the bowlers. The perfect weekend with five wins from five games!

July 13th – 19th

The Men’s 1XI continued their push for promotion with an in the end routine 147 run victory over Ardent Blues but it wasn’t without a scare. Batting first Bangor made a solid start but the top 4 all got themselves in and then got out with only Sam scoring anything of note with 40. Bangor all of a sudden where in a slight bit of bother with all their recognised batters out in the 21st over and the score 118-4. Will joined Belshaw out in the middle and both batters managed to keep Bangor ticking along before Belshaw was dismissed for a well grinded out 20, steadying the Bangor ship. Will continued on his way going up the gears as he started finding the boundary more regularly. He picked up a very deserved half century and didn’t stop there as he finished on 80* from 64 balls. A crucial innings which propelled Bangor from their precarious position to an above par 255-7 from 40 overs. Ardent Blues looked to make a fast start but kept losing wickets regularly, eventually being reduced to 70-8. The last two partnerships managed to navigate the side over the 100-run mark before Will managed to pick up the final wicket from his first delivery. RVH the pick of the bowlers with a brilliant spell of bowling with 4-32 from his 8 overs.

The 3XI hosted Saintfield 2XI a week after the fixture down in Saintfield with the 3XI looking to go back-to-back over them. Bangor batted first and made a positive start but struggled to get any momentum into their innings with Rossco the only score of note with 31 as they were bowled out for 125. A good start with the ball got Bangor back into the contest but it didn’t last long as a fourth wicket partnership of 76 took the game away from Bangor as the visitors won comfortably by 7 wickets.

The Midweek XI were back in action after a few weeks hiatus with two games as the league format neared its end. Firstly, they made the short trip down the coast to take on Holywood with the visitors batting first. Bangor made a positive start as Rich Carson, Belshaw & Gareth all passed the 30-run mark but probably felt they left 10-15 runs out there at the back end of the innings as they made 145-4. Holywood made a very fast start with the bat before Bangor started to reel the hosts in taking wickets regularly and at the 13th over mark, it looked to be heading for a tight finish. Not to be however as one of the Holywood batters made a quick fire 33* from 18 balls and the hosts completed the chase with 2 overs remaining. The Midweek XI were back in action the following day and cruised to a comfortable 10 wicket win over Ardent Blues. Bangor were rampant with the ball in hand as they regularly picked up wickets, Beechy jr the pick of the bowlers with 3-11. Ardent Blues managed to have one partnership at the back end of their innings of note which got them to a score of 96 with Speersy, Rich Carson & Gareth all picking up 2 wickets each. Bangor made a fast start and didn’t look back from there with Kinger & Belshaw both passing 30 runs as Bangor chased down the total with over 5 overs to spare without losing a wicket.

Bangor played Holywood again this time the Men’s 1XI hosting Holywood in a T20 Bowl cup semi-final with both teams fancying their chances at a bustling UP. The hosts won the toss and backed themselves to chase down whatever Holywood could score. Bangor made a positive start with the ball with a subdued run rate but were yet to take a wicket. That was until skipper JP held on to a juggled catch to remove the big wicket of Lamprecht who was the wicket most sought after for the hosts. Bangor removed the other dangerous batter for Holywood Gordon cheaply to limit them to 53-2 in the 9th over. Holywood to their credit kept the run rate ticking over with Michael Harte (son of Chris) scoring quickly before he found the hands of JP who continued his circus act with another juggled catch. Bangor managed to keep things tight to limit the visitors to 141-6 at the end of their 20 overs, certainly a chaseable score but Bangor would have to work for it. The reliably explosive partnership of Sam & Hubby got Bangor off to a good start with Sam at his fluent best scoring 43 off 29 before being dismissed. Unfortunately, Bangor struggled for a few overs with the run rate dropping before being dealt another blow as RVH was dismissed. This brought the talismanic Hutchy in as he joined skipper JP out in the middle with 60 required from 44 balls. Both batters set about keeping things ticking over initially but crucially picked up a boundary in each of the next two overs. This got the side back ahead of the required rate before a mammoth 16th over yielded 16 runs, Hutchy driving the ball with disdain to the boundary three times in the over. This gave Bangor daylight in their chase and with JP happy to give strike to Hutchy who found the boundary a few more times as he scored an invaluable 42* off just 22 balls. It was left to skipper JP (24*) to hit the winning boundary with Bangor chasing down the total with 11 balls remaining and to win by 7 wickets. Bangor celebrated a win over their local rivals and looked ahead to another T20 Bowl Final and a chance to defend their title that they won last year.

July 20 – 26th

July 20th saw a washout across the board with all four games being called off on the Saturday. The Women’s 1XI had a double header early in the week with league & cup semifinal action, the first of those the semi-final away at Holywood 3XI. Bangor batted first against a strong Holywood side and got off to a shaky start but recovered well through Emma Rayner (29) & Brooke Stranaghan (31*). Unfortunately, though the remaining batters all got starts but no one could kick on to make a big score with Bangor finishing on 104-6. Holywood made a strong start with the bat with their top 3 scoring big, but once they were dismissed, Bangor made great in-roads into the opposition as they staged a great fightback taking the game deep. At one point it looked like the great escape was on with Holywood 97-7, still 8 runs short. Bangor unfortunately ran out of time, as Holywood chased down the target with 4 balls remaining but a promising performance in the field from the side and they can hold their heads up high. Some notable performances with the ball with the two Emma’s the pick of the bowlers, Rayner with 3 wickets & Hutchinson with 2. A few days later the Women’s 1XI travelled to Lisburn with the hosts batting first and Bangor got off to a good start with two early wickets but struggled to make an impact from then on as Lisburn racked up 135 from their 20 overs. Bangor with the bat struggled for any fluency as they lost wickets regularly with the side finishing 37 runs short, Emma Hutchinson top scoring with 16.

It was a simple equation for the Midweek XI as they headed into the final week of the regular season with two games remaining, win their two remaining games and they’ll be into the semi-finals. Bangor took on Cregagh and completed part one of their quest for qualification, winning by 48 runs. Bangor batted first and despite a shaky start made a very competitive 144 thanks to Coxy jr & a returning Matty Quinn with them both passing the 30-run mark. With a quality bowling lineup, Bangor were confident of defending their score and were relentless as they regularly picked up wickets to bowl out Cregagh for under 100 in the final over. Three bowlers shared the spoils with 3 wickets each for Beechy jr (3-10), Coxy jr (2-28) & Andy Pyper (3-12). Bangor headed into their final game away at league leaders Lisburn knowing a win would make them league winners and a home semi-final. Unfortunately, a deluge hit the Lisburn area around the scheduled start of play and despite everyone’s best efforts there was simply no prospect of play. A gutting end to another great campaign from the Midweek XI who despite just losing twice missed out on 2nd place in the league and semi-final qualification on head-to-head record against Downpatrick. Onwards & upwards for Captain Speersy’s side as they try again for Midweek glory next season.

July 27th – August 2nd

The 2Xl continued their charge for promotion with a routine 5 wicket win away at Woodvale. The hosts batted first and made a promising start with the opening partnership scoring 63. From there though Bangor’s bowlers were able to regularly pick up wickets and keep the run rate in check as Woodvale made 145 from their 30 overs. The guile of Andy Pyper the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets with Michael Skelly also picking up 2 wickets. Despite an early wicket, Bangor made a promising start and stayed well ahead of the required rate and comfortably chased down the hosts total down with over 5 overs to go. JK top scoring with 34 and aptly supported by Vishnu & Daniel Rayner both scoring over 20.

The 3Xl pulled double duty with a league & cup double header against Cliftonville Academy & BISC respectively. Bangor batted first against Cliftonville Academy 3XI at UP in the league and made a promising start through Housty & Hamza’s opening stand of 46 before the latter fell for 16. Housty was dismissed next as he top scored with 31 as the Bangor batting lineup struggled for runs & partnerships with only Josh McMillan scoring anything of note with 19. They were 105-9 in the 24th over and staring down the barrel of a below par score but a very handy 36 run partnership between Stephen Skelly & James Nuttall managed to navigate Bangor to a defendable 141. Bangor then made the perfect start with the ball with a wicket in the first over from Max Walker. The visitors staged a mini fightback with a 54-run partnership before a cluster of wickets fell left the side on 76-5, still 70 runs short. Unfortunately, a 50-run partnership took the game away from Bangor for the 6th wicket and despite two more wickets falling leaving the visitors 8 runs short with just 3 wickets remaining, Cliftonville Academy won by 3 wickets, a valiant effort though from a young 3XI side. The next day the 3Xl were on the road in their cup quarter final against BISC 3X1. In tough batting conditions Bangor struggled to adjust to conditions, losing wickets regularly. Only score of note was 22 from Hamza with Bangor being bowled out for 83. Early wickets were the name of the game and Bangor picked up three quick ones to get them back in the game. Bangor kept attacking knowing they’d have to bowl the opposition out to win but BISC managed to chase down the total set five wickets down. The pick of the bowlers from Bangor was Jack Irwin with 3-13.

The 4XI were involved in a thriller at a sunny UP against Downpatrick 3XI. The hosts batted first and got off to a blistering start through a 113-run partnership between Stephen Hamilton & Phil Greenwood. Phil fell for a well-made 36 but Stephen continued on, scoring a run a ball 50 and kept going until he was dismissed in the final over for a brilliant 81 off 77 balls. Bangor finished on 163-4 from their 25 overs and would feel confident of defending it. With the ball, Bangor got off to a great start with two early wickets before a 59-run 3 wicket partnership got Downpatrick back in the game. A cluster of wickets fell to leave the visitors 111-5 in the 18th over. Downpatrick continued to chip away both in terms of runs scored but losing wickets, to leave the game finely poised with maybe the visitors just edging ahead heading into the final over. Downpatrick just needed 4 runs, Bangor needing 2 wickets. A lack of bowling options remaining meant young Felix McMillan (not known for his death bowling antics) to bowl the final over. Felix was unplayable, conceding just 1 run from the last over as the Downpatrick tail struggled to play him as he bowled Bangor to a thrilling 2 run win, a stand-out win for the 4X this season.

Down in Dundrum, the 5XI picked up potentially their best win of the season winning by 7 wickets chasing down Dundrum 3XI’s total of 87. Bangor bowling first made regular inroads into the Dundrum batting order with Blake Carson & Daniel Mcllwaine each picking up 2 wickets. The two Mcllwaine’s, Peter & Daniel got Bangor off to a great start with a 61-run opening partnership. Despite a late wobble, Bangor got over line eventually with 7 balls remaining with Peter 40*.

On Monday night, the Men’s 1Xl were back in action as they hosted BISC in a rearrangement and a precursor to a few weeks time in the T20 Bowl Final. The visitors batted first and struggled to get any momentum into their innings as the Bangor bowlers regularly picked up wickets. BISC managed to get themselves to 106-8 at the end of their 20 overs, Princer the pick of the bowlers with 3-17 and RVH also chipping in with 2 wickets. Bangor were imperious with the bat as Sam & Hubby without issue chased down the total set by the end of the 13th over, Sam finishing on 51* and Hubby on 44*. Bangor the winners by 10 wickets and with one regular league game left, another step closer to promotion.

Two other midweek fixtures were still to come with the 2XI away at CSNI 4XI but first the 4XI were away to Ballymena 3XI at Eaton Park. Bangor batted first and it very quickly turned into the Zach Kerr show, as his remarkable year of run scoring continued as he smashed 108* off just 56 balls. It wasn’t all Zach though as Matty Quinn continued his good form with the bat with a 68* from 43 balls as Bangor racked up a ridiculous 235-1 from 20 overs. Having a massive total to defend, Bangor were untroubled during Ballymena’s innings and were winners by 111 runs. The 2XI made the short trip to East Belfast to take on CSNI 4XI and got off to an awful start with both openers Raspo & the inform Zach going for ducks! Runs from the next partnership stabilised things somewhat with Kinger & Rossco making 42 & 24 respectively. But it was the innings of JK batting lower down the order than what he usually does as he uncharacteristically sent the ball to all parts in a not so serene 50* from just 30 balls. Bangor finished on 138-5 from their 20 overs and had something to bowl with. CSNI made a positive start and remained ahead of the run rate but crucially for Bangor they were picking up wickets regularly with the hosts already 4 down by the end of the 5th over. Some middle over runs and a few more wickets kept things tight heading into the last few overs but Bangor maybe just edging ahead with the required rate now at tens for the final 3 overs. 18 runs came from the next two overs meaning CSNI needed 11 runs of the final over with young Myles McNaught tasked to bowl it. Pressure is for tyres though as Alan Shearer once quipped with ice running through Myles’ veins, he enforced a run out of the first ball in the over and then bowled four dots. We won’t mention the final ball maybe going for 6… but Bangor were the victors by 5 runs and a crucial win for the side as they kept up their charge at the top of the table.

Away from the Senior side of the Club, the U11’s Boys side who last year won the league-cup double were looking to repeat that feat with the Quoile Cup final at UP in front of a big crowd. Inst won the toss and batted first making a decent score of 89 with Robinson top scoring with 32*. The undoubted highlight from the Bangor side was the impressive Oliver Campbell who was simply unplayable as he picked up two bowled wickets from his first two balls, but no hat-trick unfortunately. He was unfortunate not to pick up more wickets but finished with superb figures from his four overs with 3 maidens and just 1 run conceded! Charlie Holley was the other standout bowler with 2-23 from his four overs. Bangor made a positive start with the bat thanks in large part to skipper Teddy Mcllwaine as he found the boundary regularly scoring a quick-fire 31* from 20 balls. When he left the field retired not out, Bangor were close to the finish line with the score on 74-4 in the 7th over and needing just 16 more runs. A Bangor collapse though with three wickets falling for not many runs made things very nervy all of sudden with Bangor still needing 6 runs and those on the sidelines wondering who was going to get the side over the line. Robbie Parker & James Finlay were the two batters at the crease and the two of them slowly got Bangor closer and closer with 3 runs needed. Parker then on strike managed to get the ball past mid-wicket and mid-on and find the crucial boundary with Bangor winning a brilliant game of cricket between the two sides to retain their Quoile Cup for the second year running!

Bangor were thankful to North Down for an excellently ran Blitz tournament in early July and the U9 Boy’s side had great fun at The Green and it was a successful evening all around for the side winning 5 out of 6 games. We also hosted ourselves a really successful Blitz tournament at UP in the sunshine with over 80 boys & girls playing Cricket and five NCU clubs involved.