Cricket Report Monday 12th June
By Ballyclare High School on 12 June, 2023
With the Saturday morning McCullough Cup programme fully completed, attention turned to the Cup and Plate competitions this week.
The Under 14 side, readily acknowledged as the most competitive school team this year, faced Sullivan in the quarter final of the Derriaghy Cup.
Ballyclare batted first and did well to accumulate 116 runs. Jack Morrow was the leading scorer with 31, while Cooper Donnelly and Jack Smyth played valuable innings of 22 and 21 respectively. Early wickets at the start of the Sullivan reply gave the Ballyclare side hope of progress to the next round. However, an effective partnership was established by the Sullivan middle-order batsmen and they completed the run chase successfully to win by 6 wickets. Austin Adair took two wickets, while Jack Smyth and Cooper Donnelly claimed one each.
The Under 13 team was involved in the most exciting finish of the week in their Plate match against Down High School. Batting first, Ballyclare posted a very respectable total of 102 and looked poised for success as Down were reduced to 75 for 8. Unfortunately, the concession of too many extras undermined a promising bowling and fielding effort, and Down emerged winners by the narrow margin of one wicket.
In another pleasing indication of the breadth of cricket provision this year, a girls’ team took part in the competition hosted by Friends’ School Lisburn. In a challenging start to the tournament the Ballyclare girls lost by Wallace High and to Friends. However, with growing confidence, and learning from the experience of the first two matches, they completed the day with encouraging wins by 5 wickets against Parkhall and by 9 wickets against Belfast Royal Academy.
The 1st X1 is scheduled to play its next game in the President’s Plate competition at home to Coleraine Grammar School on Monday 12th June.
