1st XI Match Reports

WARINGSTOWN are through to the last 16 of the Bob Kerr Irish Cup but the holders began the defence of the trophy with a nervy home performance against Strabane.
The holders did well in the field to restrict the North West side to just 177 all out batting first and appeared to be cruising towards the target in reply as openers Simon Harrison and James Hall battered the Strabane bowling.
Hall and Harrison added 62 runs inside 10 overs before the latter tried one big shot too many and was on his way back to the pavilion after making 25 from only 31 balls.
The momentum barely slowed however as Hall continued on his merry way and at 77 for one in the 13th over, there seemed to be no way back for Strabane.
However, Lee Nelson walked across his stumps and was bowled but even then Waringstown only needed 101 to win off 37 overs, a task which should have represented a walk in the park.
Hall had batted beautifully, hitting seven fours and a six in 42 from just 37 balls but he smashed a long-hop to mid-wicket where he was well taken. Shortly afterwards Jonathan Bushe attempted to hit over the top and was caught at mid-on.
By now much appeared to hinge on Kyle McCallan and the Waringstown captain was looking composed until he was wrongly adjudged caught off the arm in close off Tommy Barr.
Waringstown were deep in the mire on 122 for six, with Iqbal having taken three 24.
However, with the pressure firmly on, Waringstown’s seven-wicket pair Andrew Cousins and David Dawson held firm to take the villagers home, even if they had a helping hand from some strange Strabane tactics.
Conditions definitely favoured the slow bowlers, but it was still bizarre to see Phil Eaglestone, once Ireland’s new-ball bowler and still a superb operator at this level when the mood takes him, reintroduced into the attack bowling left-arm spin.
By the time Eaglestone turned back to seam, the horse had bolted and a 39-run stand between Cousins (26) and Dawson, who struck three boundaries in a composed 27 not out, took Waringstown to the brink of victory.
Even then there threatened to be a late twist as Cousins was caught in the deep off a Peter Gillespie full toss, but Dawson hit the winning boundary to seal a second-round tie against Brigade, a repeat of last year’s final.
Earlier in the day Strabane got off to a flying start, as they raced to 50 for one in just the eighth over before Waringstown’s spinners took a grip on proceedings.
Gary Kidd, the former Ireland left-arm spinner, bowled superbly, taking four for 30, including a fine caught and bowled off dangerman Niall McDonnell, and it wasn’t long before the visitors were in the mire on 82 for six.
Only Faisal Iqbal stood between Waringstown and a routine win and with good support from captain Martin Deans (25), he got Strabane towards respectability, even if he should have taken more chances in the closing overs.
Waringstown begin the defence of the Ulster Bank Challenge Cup at home to Carrickfergus on Saturday.

WARINGSTOWN came through an important test of character as they defeated Lisburn at Wallace Park on Saturday to maintain their winning start to the season.
A visit to Wallace Park is traditionally one of the toughest examinations in the NCU Premier League, but the villagers came through the test with flying colours to win by 85 runs.
Captain Kyle McCallan opted to bat first when he called correctly at the toss and although James Hall fell in the second over, caught behind off the impressive Zimbabwean seam bowler Nathan Waller, Waringstown made good progress.
Simon Harrison was lbw to the same bowler with the score on 38 but while the excellent Lee Nelson and McCallan were compiling a 37-run stand for the third wicket, there was little sign of the difficulties to come.
Nelson, after striking three fours and a six, and hitting 43 from 58 balls, eventually fell to Neal McDowell with the score on 85, the first of three wickets to fall while just nine runs were added.
McCallan was also bowled by McDowell and when Jonathan Bushe was unluckily bowled after the ball ricocheted into his stumps off the thigh guard, Waringstown were in trouble on 94 for five.
By now batting wasn’t easy but Glen Addicott, the South African professional, dug in and at least gave the visitors something respectable to defend.
Addicott mixed attack with determined defence to make 40 from 51 balls, hitting three fours and one six, before he was ninth man out trying to clear the boundary. A total of 162 was well below expectations and Waringstown had failed to use more than five overs of their allotment.
It soon became apparent that Lisburn had a tough run chase on their hands. Addicott and off-spin Nelson opened the bowling and the latter made the breakthrough when Richard Simpson was lbw. With Adam Berry bowled by Addicott soon after and then professional Darryl Brown caught behind off his South African compatriot, the home side were 25 for three and deep in trouble.
Crucially, Lisburn were without arguably their best batsman in Greg Thompson and although Robert Rankin and David Simpson held up the villagers for a while, once Simpson was caught and bowled by McCallan, the outcome was inevitable.
Rankin could only watch as the lower outcome subsided, with Kris Lyness, the pace bowler, mopping up the tail by taking three wickets for two runs in just 1.4 overs. Lyness completed the formalities by clean bowling Rankin for 27 as Lisburn were dismissed for 77 in 29.4 overs.
All the bowlers got among the wickets, with Addicott finishing with two for 22, Nelson two for 11 off seven overs, McCallan two for 18 and Gary Kidd one for 21

AT first glance it appears that Waringstown got their Ulster Bank Premier League season off to the most resounding of starts at home to Ballymena on Saturday.
The villagers won by seven wickets, with almost 14 overs to spare, as they chased a target of 214, so you might assume that the Challenge Cup and Irish Cup holders barely had to break sweat at The Lawn.
But appearances, and scorelines, can sometimes be deceptive. This was no walk in the park for Kyle McCallan’s men, at least not in the field, where they were ragged for much of the 47.3 overs that Ballymena batted.
After being inserted by McCallan on a pitch tinged with green, Steve Lazars (45) and Robert McKinley (30), Ballymena’s opening batsmen, might have expected an arduous examination in apparently seamer-friendly conditions. Instead, they feasted on loose bowling and shoddy fielding to race to 91 without loss in the 18th over.
Lazars, the stylish Indian-born left-hander, had just taken Gary Kidd for two sixes when he ambitiously attempted a third. James Hall, running in down the slope in front of the pavilion, took a stunning catch. As moments in cricket matches go, this was a game-changing one.
David Kennedy, Ballymena’s talisman, followed in the same over, plumb lbw shuffling across his crease, the second of four wickets to fall for just 25 runs as the momentum shifted decisively in favour of the home side.
Even then, Ballymena still had the opportunity to build something substantial on a now placid pitch. Kaushik Aphale added 39 for the fifth wicket with Gareth Fisher, but once the latter was lbw to Hall for 18 and then Robert Kennedy edged the same bowler to wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe, a target score of around 260 was fast disappearing over the horizon.
Aphale was ninth man out for 59 from 76 balls, caught on the boundary off Waringstown’s new professional Glen Addicott, the one member of the villagers’ injury-hit seam attack who presented a test for the visitors. The home side’s spinners were also not at their best with the exception of McCallan who took three for 24.
Ballymena were at least 60 runs short, especially with a bowling attack that looked even less threatening than Waringstown’s.
Simon Harrison pulled the first ball of the innings for four, and that set the tone as it quickly became clear that it wasn’t a matter of if the villagers would reach the target, but when.
The biggest surprise is that Ballymena actually managed to take three wickets. Harrison was lbw to Aphale to end a superb 59-run opening stand with Hall, who batted probably as well as he has in several seasons. Back was the trademark powerful driving straight down the ground and over the top and he was equally dismissive of anything short.
The Ireland international was eventually stumped in the 23rd over after dragging his back foot outside the crease, but only after pummelling 66 from only 65 balls, including six fours and two sixes.
The first three Waringstown partnerships all realised at least 50 runs, with Lee Nelson continuing from where he left off last season with an unbeaten 60 from 72 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, and McCallan’s 27 was only cut short by a brilliant McKinley caught and bowled.
The home support were then treated to a 13-minute cameo from Addicott and if this was his audition for the title of ‘Obus Pienaar mark two’, it was a pretty impressive one. Nowhere near as tall as his predecessor but powerfully built, the initial impression is that Addicott will hit the ball just as far. He struck three sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 30 from just 16 balls, with one maximum sailing absurdly far over the long-off boundary

2011

WARINGSTOWN completed one of the most memorable seasons in their long and distinguished history by winning the Bob Kerr Irish Cup for the third time at Comber on Sunday.
The villagers defeated Instonians by 21 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method after the rain arrived 29 overs into their run chase.
Batting first, Instonians had posted a competitive 237 for eight, but man-of-the match Simon Harrison struck an unbeaten 68 to guide Waringstown to 125 for two before heavy rain forced the players off.
The par score at that stage was 104, so under the complexities of the DL system and with no prospect of any more play, Waringstown were declared winners.

MOM, Simon Harrison (Kyle looking chuffed!) Photo - CricketEurope

Captain Kyle McCallan lifted the trophy inside the confines of the pavilion with the rain too heavy to allow the ceremony to take place outside. But no-one in Waringstown cared as they reflected on a remarkable season when they also won the Ulster Bank Challenge Cup.
Harrison was the hero with that unbeaten on 68 from 97 balls, having hit five fours and three sixes. He marshalled the innings superbly during a largely untroubled second-wicket stand of 99 with Lee Nelson, who struck 36 from 46 balls.
With the threat of rain looming large, Waringstown had initially made heavy weather of staying ahead on Duckworth-Lewis. They only had to be 26 without loss to be ahead when the game became ‘live’ after ten overs, but they were seven runs behind with spits of rain in the air.
But after probing early spells from Eugene Moleon, Neil Hamilton and Andrew White, Harrison and Nelson gave the innings momentum against the support bowlers.
Harrison, one of the great unfulfilled talents of his generation, brought up his first half-century in more than two seasons with a towering straight six off Rory Sheard in the 20th over, and his only scare came when he survived a stumping chance off James Shannon when he was 59.
Nelson departed just before the rain, caught behind off Hamilton, but the margin of 21 runs underlined the extent of Waringstown’s control.
Inst will rightly complain that they got the rough end of conditions after losing a crucial toss, but despite 76 from White, 51 from James Shannon and a blistering 44 from only 25 balls from Hamilton, they came up short of a par score of around 260 on a superb Comber batting pitch.
Probably the game’s most defining moment was Shannon’s dismissal. The Ireland A batsman had struck the ball beautifully from the moment he reached the crease and a century, and with it an imposing total, was there for the taking.
But with Inst cruising on 110 for two in the 23rd over, Gary Kidd, the left-arm spinner, got one through his defences.
The Waringstown spinners, led by Kidd (2-35) and McCallan (2-29), swarmed all over the middle order. Just 45 runs were scored from the next 17 overs and it was only during those chaotic final 10 overs that Inst truly got on top of the villagers’ attack.
Waringstown had held their discipline superbly, and a target of 238 was not a daunting one on the best batting pitch in the country.
Of course, the villagers would have preferred to have knocked off the runs themselves but they deserved the run of the green after being deprived of a share of the title during an unfortunate Duckworth-Lewis inspired defeat at CIYMS.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Instonians after their own admirable cup run, but McCallan’s men are the deserved champions of Ireland. And with the NCU Challenge Cup already in the trophy cabinet, 2011 will go down in Waringstown folklore.

KYLE McCallan described Sunday’s Bob Kerr Irish Cup final victory over Instonians at The Green as the greatest moment of his club career.
A loser in the final with Cliftonville ten years ago, the Waringstown skipper finally got his hands on the biggest trophy in Irish cricket a full decade later.
“Without a doubt it’s the top moment in my club career. I played in the All-Ireland final in 2001 and it’s taken me another 10 years to finally get over the line,” he said. “It means so much for me and there’s a danger that perhaps some of our younger lads to take it for granted. I’ve told them not to, because they might never get the chance to play in another final like this. We’re going to enjoy the moment, it’s been a special, special victory.”
McCallan identified the dismissal of Instonians’ James Shannon by Gary Kidd as the turning point in the match.
McCallan said: “The turning point was Gary getting James Shannon. James was batting beautifully at the time and he was threatening to take the game away from us.
“But once we got him out we were able to squeeze Whitey (Andrew White) a bit and isolate him. Having played on this ground a week ago I wouldn’t have wanted to defend 237. We were more than happy to restrict them to that total, the only thing would be the obvious pressure of the cup final run chase. I would admit we got the rub of the green with the toss but Duckworth-Lewis has been hard on us this year in the league so we deserved that.”
The weather ruined the prospect of the game finishing on the field, but McCallan maintained Waringstown were in control at 125 for two after 29 overs when the rain came.
“We needed around 110 runs from 20 odd overs with eight wickets in hand, with Si on 70 odd not out, and myself, Jonathan Bushe, Andrew Cousins and Keith Morrison still to come. We have a lot of depth there and I felt we were in control.”
McCallan paid a warm tribute to his team-mates who he saluted for going on to win two trophies despite the absence of professional Obus Pienaar.
He added: “There’s no doubt that our hearts sank a couple of months ago when the email arrived and Obus had been called up to the South African squad.
“I think that a lot of people thought our season would just tail away. But it didn’t happen and that’s an enormous credit to our side. They have been magnificent.”

WARINGSTOWN didn’t lose the Ulster Bank Premier League title when they were beaten by champions North Down at The Green on Sunday.
In fact, Waringstown lost the title back in July, on the Saturday when the combination of shoddy batting and inclement weather saw them lose to lowly CIYMS on the Duckworth-Lewis method at Belmont in professional Obus Pienaar’s farewell appearance.
As results before and since have illustrated, Kyle McCallan’s team should never have lost that day and it gave them no margin for error in the title race.
Sunday was effectively a title decider and without Pienaar, and wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe, victory at the home of the champions was always going to be a massive ask.
The final margin of defeat, 66 runs on Duckworth-Lewis, was decisive, as a second-wicket partnership from North Down’s Neil Russell and Ryan Haire undid Waringstown.
The villagers’ total of 244 for six batting first was no disgrace, but it was probably 40 short of where it should have been. Lee Nelson, who struck 10 fours in a superb 73 from only 79 balls, took the attack to a worried home side and by the 38th over Waringstown were 184 for three and with a platform set for a blistering late assault.
Nelson made his first mistake in that very over as he was caught inches inside the boundary attempting a big hit, and for the next 11 overs Waringstown managed just 41 runs. It was this period with the bat that ultimately cost McCallan’s men as they weren’t bold enough to take on North Down.
Keith Morrison, belatedly coming to the crease in the penultimate over, underlined how it should be done with a blistering 18 from only five balls, but by putting young Peter Eakin to the sword in the final over, he merely underlined that this was a 280 to 300 pitch.
Initially it looked like Waringstown did have something to defend with the ball as Kris Lyness, the impressive young seamer, trapped Alistair Shields lbw in the third over.
But with Bushe missed behind the stumps and with North Down’s batsmen relishing conditions on their home ground, with its short boundaries and perfect batting pitch, the assault was too much for Waringstown.
Aside from McCallan, and Lyness in patches, they didn’t bowl well, and the fielding didn’t match up to the required standard in a pressure situation.
But this defeat was no embarrassment. It was the end of an eight-match winning run without Pienaar, an incredible achievement. It was always going to be a bridge too far to win against North Down with the quality of Australian Ian Moran and the irrepressible Taimur Khan, not to mention their strength in depth that other NCU clubs simply don’t have.
Would the game have been different had Pienaar been present? Yes is almost certainly the answer, and Waringstown were effectively fighting the league’s best with their hands behind their backs.
North Down have been crowned the deserved champions but second is certainly no disgrace.

WHEN you think of how many players Waringstown have been without at certain periods of the season, it is remarkable that they are still in the hunt for the Ulster Bank Premier League title.
Five first-choice names were missing for Saturday’s trip to rock-bottom Bangor, including professional Obus Pienaar, captain Kyle McCallan and arguably their player of the season, Lee Nelson.
However, the villagers showed great character and no little strength in depth by beating the home side by seven wickets.
Garfield Harrison, the former Ireland international, making his first appearance in senior cricket since 2008, rolled back the years, claiming three for 16 from his 10 overs, including four maidens, as Bangor were dismissed for just 109.
But this wasn’t just about Harrison. The young seam bowlers, Kris Lyness and Josh Hall, were also superb, with Hall claiming three for 19 and Lyness bowling a succession of deliveries that were almost too good for the Bangor batsmen.
The only disappointment was the poor catching which allowed the home side to scrape into three figures.
Waringstown then lost 14-year-old Adam Dennison and James Hall cheaply, but a quickfire 42 from Andrew Cousins and an unbeaten 38 from 50 balls from Josh Hall eased the villagers home in 21.4 overs.
The season reaches a decisive point this weekend as Waringstown host a dangerous Ballymena side at The Lawn on Saturday, followed by a trip to Comber on Sunday to face champions North Down.

WARINGSTOWN might be down to the barest of bones in terms of fit and available players, but they somehow summoned the mental and physical strength to beat Lisburn at Wallace Park on Sunday.

In a match that went right to the final over, the weary villagers scrambled a two-run victory which ensured they rejoined North Down at the top of the Ulster Bank Premier League table.

Playing their second game of the weekend without injured all-rounder Lee Nelson, Waringstown appeared to be on their way to a third defeat of the season as Robert Rankin smashed a brilliant 85 from just 73 balls.

Chasing a reduced target of 176 in 31 overs, Rankin set about the Waringstown bowlers with relish. He survived two very difficult chances early in his innings before bringing up his side’s 100 in the 21^st over with a towering maximum off Gary Kidd.

While Rankin was dominating a 59-run stand for the fourth wicket with Greg Thompson (23), Lisburn were the strong favourites, even though the asking rate was climbing above eight runs per over.

The defining over appeared to be the 26^th as Rankin clubbed Simon Harrison for a six and successive fours in an over that yielded 16 runs to take the target down to a manageable 35 from five.

At that stage Lisburn were firmly in the driving seat but in the following over Rankin tried one big shot too many and found the safe hands of James Hall on the long-off boundary off Gary Kidd.

Rankin had struck five fours and four sixes, but one thing about this Waringstown side is that they never know when they are beaten and sensing an opportunity they moved in for the kill.

David Simpson was stumped an over later off Kyle McCallan, whose six overs cost a miserly 13 runs, and when Josh Hall bowled Thompson in the 29^th, the momentum was back with the villagers.

With two overs remaining, Lisburn required an unlikely 22, and with just nine coming from the penultimate over from Simon Harrison, 13 were needed from six balls from James Hall with three wickets in hand.

Just six runs came from the first five balls and although Richard McConkey crashed the final delivery to the mid-wicket boundary, Lisburn had fallen short.

Waringstown had earlier been building a score in excess of 200 on a fine batting pitch before persistent rain halted their innings.

Jonathan Bushe made his third match-winning contribution in three weekends with an unbeaten 47 from 59 balls as the villagers reached 190 for five. Bushe shared half-century stands with McCallan and David Dawson (29) with the latter departing from the final ball before rain arrived.

WARINGSTOWN endured some anxious moments before beating Muckamore by four wickets at The Lawn on Saturday.
A village side without Obus Pienaar, Lee Nelson, Keith Morrison and Simon Harrison were made to work desperately hard for the points by the relegated threatened Moylena side.
It all appeared to be going swimmingly for Waringstown when Muckamore slumped from the promise of 93 for two to 145 all out.
Gary Kidd and James Hall, the spin bowlers, did the bulk of the damage in the middle of the innings, with Kidd claiming the key scalp of Indian professional Indrajeet Kamtekar for 45.
Kris Lyness, the young fast bowler, returned to the attack to mop up the tail and like Kidd and Hall, he finished with three wickets as Muckamore failed to post a sizeable target.
Adam Dennison, the 14-year-old prodigy, was handed an opportunity to open the innings, and looked solid before edging behind, but Waringstown then made serene progress as James Hall and Andrew Cousins galloped along at a run a ball.
However, things started to unravel as Cousins was caught and then a turning ball beat Hall’s bat.
Kyle McCallan then misjudged a delivery from Richard Keates and was bowled shouldering arms, before Jonathan Bushe was trapped lbw.
At 91 for five, Waringstown were in some trouble, but the strength of their lower order was instrumental in a fighting victory.
Ireland under-19 international Josh Hall was beautifully composed in making 24 from just 25 balls while rising star David Dawson ensured he was there at the finish with an unbeaten 20.
The asking rate was never an issue and the villagers eventually got home with a massive 13 overs to spare.

WARINGSTOWN reached the Bob Kerr Irish Cup final for the first time in 19 years after passing a massive test of character at Beechgrove on Sunday.
Kyle McCallan’s side overcame conditions which were totally foreign to their normal brand of cricket to beat Brigade by 27 runs on their home ground.
It wasn’t a pretty performance but then it was never going to be on a pitch which was enormously difficult to bat on from the moment the first ball was bowled.
Brigade won the toss and not surprisingly bowled first in helpful conditions. Johnny Thompson, who should have played many times for Ireland considering his talent as an all-round cricketer, made immediate inroads into the Waringstown top order.
He dismissed James Hall in the third over for a duck with a brute of a delivery that took the glove as the Waringstown opener took evasive action and then Lee Nelson was the victim of the inconsistent pitch as he was caught off bat and pad at mid-wicket.
When Andrew Cousins fell, caught at mid-wicket as he attempted to follow up a sweetly timed pull shot for four off Thompson, Waringstown were teetering on 23 for three and in deep trouble.
There was a real danger the villagers could be skittled for a tiny total considering the conditions and the quality of the Brigade attack, but Jonathan Bushe chose the semi-final of Ireland’s premier cup competition to deliver one of his finest Waringstown innings.
On a day when no other batsman on either side even reached 30, the former Ireland wicketkeeper played the game’s decisive innings, with his 41 from 88 balls probably worth double that score on a good batting pitch.
The left-hander handled the conditions shrewdly, hitting only three boundaries in a contribution spanning 30 overs, adding crucial partnerships with McCallan and David Dawson before he was eventually bowled by the superb Thompson (4-24).
The villagers had taken all of 39 overs to get into three figures, but almost as important as Bushe’s dogged innings was a belligerent 25 from only 22 balls from Keith Morrison.
The all-rounder struck Thompson for one towering straight six, and launched another off Trevor Britton over mid-wicket, before he eventually holed out. However, he had dragged Waringstown up to 150 for nine, a decent score in the conditions.
Brigade were then subjected to a trial by spin when they batted and it was a test they failed emphatically. Ironically, Waringstown bowled as poorly as they have all season on a helpful surface, with the home side contributing to their own downfall with a series of poorly executed shots.

Opener David Barr was the first offender as he drove a short delivery from Gary Kidd to cover, and perhaps most crucially Chris Dougherty committed the same offence, the left-hander pulling a Kidd long-hop to sub fielder Aaron Kennedy, who dived forward to catch low down at deep square leg.
Brigade simply presented their wickets on a plate with Iftikhar Hussain taken by McCallan at short mid-wicket off Lee Nelson (3-20).
Ata-Ur Rehman and Gareth McKeegan briefly threatened a revival but the former was the victim of a poor lbw decision and McKeegan went the same way, trapped in front by a full toss.
Thompson was effectively the last hope and while he added 32 for the seventh wicket with Britton, there was still hope for the North West side. However, Thompson was caught and bowled by Simon Harrison (3-25) and Waringstown closed out victory in the 43rd over.
The last time Waringstown reached an Irish Cup final it was the famous treble-winning year of 1992. Remarkably, with the Challenge Cup in the bag and the Premier League title race threatening to go to the wire, McCallan’s men could yet repeat that historic feat.

WARINGSTOWN produced a polished all-round performance as they defeated Civil Service North by eight wickets in the Ulster Bank Premier League at Stormont on Saturday.
The villagers remain four points behind leaders North Down with a game in hand after repeating their win of the Challenge Cup final over CSN.
As at Wallace Park just eight days earlier, Lee Nelson was CSN’s destroyer in chief. The off-spinner took the new ball with Kris Lyness and effectively decided the outcome with the wickets of CSN’s three key batsmen in his first six overs.
Gary Wilson was caught and bowled, and Marc Ellison and Jones fell in almost identical fashion, caught behind by wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe. Jones was the victim of a superb delivery that appeared to move away from the right-hander before catching the outside edge.
At 38 for three and with their big guns gone, CSN rather retreated into their shell as Waringstown’s spinners turned the screw in familiar fashion.
Andrew Cowden provided the main resistance with 30 from 96 balls and without his steely contribution CSN would not have scraped into three figures.
As it was, their total of 117 was just one run better than they managed at Wallace Park. Again, spin was their downfall with Nelson (3-18), James Hall (3-17) and Kyle McCallan (2-11) weaving a familiar spell.
As if to underline that there was nothing wrong with the pitch, Waringstown cruised to the target in less than 26 overs. Hall (32) and Andrew Cousins added 71 for the first wicket and although Hall and Nelson fell in successive overs, Cousins and McCallan sealed an eight-wicket win with an undefeated 46-run stand. Cousins finished unbeaten on 52 from 71 balls, hitting five fours and a six.

WHEN Kyle McCallan held aloft the Ulster Bank Challenge Cup at Wallace Park last Friday, it was arguably the sweetest cricketing moment Waringstown have enjoyed in a long time.
This was just the second occasion since 1995 that the villagers have lifted the famous trophy, an amazing statistic when you remember how they monopolised the competition during the 1970s, 80s and early 90s.
While the 2006 victory over CIYMS was enjoyable, this moment was much sweeter because it came against a dangerous Civil Service North side and it was achieved without the brilliant professional Obus Pienaar.
The South African was instrumental in Waringstown getting to the final of course, but Friday’s 74-run win, the 20th time they have lifted the trophy, was a team performance in every sense of the phrase.
The moment when the trophy was clinched was full of cup final romanticism as Adam Dennison, at age 14 the youngest cricketer to ever play in the final, took a stunning winning catch at long-off.
But at that moment it was easy to forget how Waringstown had their backs planted firmly against the wall earlier in the day as they posted what appeared to be a disappointing 190 for eight batting first.
It all started so brightly as James Hall and Andrew Cousins began aggressively against the new ball, but Cousins was caught at short cover and Hall (22) got a leading edge off Colin Andrews.
Waringstown were approaching 100 with Lee Nelson and McCallan at the crease, but the former rather gave his wicket away as he was caught for 36, just a delivery after he had been dropped at mid-on.
At 95 for three, the innings could have gone either way, but together McCallan and Jonathan Bushe, who have proved a great foil for each other over the years, took the attack back to CSN with a clever stand of 69 for the fourth wicket.
Bushe made 34 from 45 balls, a contribution that might not seem enormous, but it was canny batting from the left-hander as he recognised the conditions and the state of the game and adapted his game accordingly.
When Waringstown needed him most, McCallan delivered the goods, as he almost always does. His 63 from 97 balls was not the most eye-catching innings he will ever play, but it was one of his most important for the club in the face of a fine CSN bowling and fielding performance.
When Waringstown reached 155 for three at the end of the 43rd over, the prize target of 220 was seemingly still within reach. But Bushe departed, caught behind as he tried to run Nigel Jones (3-30) down to third man, and as wickets began to tumble, Waringstown managed just 25 from the last five overs with McCallan bowled in a final over than yielded just two.
Opinion was divided about how good a total that was, but as CSN cruised to 36 without loss in the eighth over, the Belfast side were the strongest of favourites.
However, the game turned around in the space of two deliveries as first Keith Morrison had Gary Wilson caught off the leading edge by Simon Harrison, and next ball Andrew Cowden was adjudged caught behind.
Now, the destination of the trophy was going to hinge on how well CSN played the Waringstown spinners, and to the delight of the big travelling contingent from the County Down village, Nelson, James Hall and McCallan tied the Stormont side in knots.
Nelson, who was to claim the man of the match award for his superb figures of five for 23, struck arguably the two most important blows by having Marc Ellison and Jones caught close to the wicket, and that was the signal for a dramatic collapse.
Hall accounted for Charlie Beverland and Michael Heaney and Nelson struck again to have Hamilton Coulter caught at slip.
From being 59 for two in the 14th over, almost in the blink of the eye CSN were 75 for seven and although Allen Coulter briefly delayed the inevitable with 22 he was the last wicket to fall, caught by Dennison, spectacularly jumping backwards on the boundary off McCallan.
It was an emotional moment for Waringstown for so many reasons, and they celebrated in a jubilant huddle. The final had been no classic, but trying telling to the euphoric winning team and their supporters.
A word too goes to host club Lisburn. Wallace Park, always picturesque and immaculately presented, proved to be the most atmospheric of cup final venues.
The Waringstown celebrations went deep into the night, but McCallan’s men are still in the hunt for two other big prizes, the NCU Premier League and Bob Kerr Irish Cup.

KYLE McCallan paid tribute to Waringstown’s bowlers after Friday’s Challenge Cup final over Civil Service North at Wallace Park.
The villagers were underdogs after posting just 190 for eight batting first, but five wickets from Lee Nelson and two each for Keith Morrison and James Hall sparked a dramatic fightback.
McCallan said: “I thought 190 was below par and I gave the guys a real shot what-for at half-time because I felt we had batted so sloppily. It was 30 below where we should have been and I challenged the bowlers to win the game because I felt the batters had let that opportunity go.
“We got excellent conditions to bat in, I thought 190 was a bit light and after five or six overs of their innings it was certainly looking that way.
“When we got Gary Wilson out it gave us a big lift, because while CSN are a really good side, they are a bit like ourselves with the bat in that they tend to rely on three or four players for a big score.”
The taste of cup final victory was even sweeter for Waringstown because they managed it without the presence of prolific South African professional Obus Pienaar, who left for a tour of Australia earlier this month.
McCallan admitted he was delighted to prove Waringstown’s doubters wrong. He added: “By winning the Challenge Cup it’s justification for the decision we made to stick with our own players after Obus left. We know Obus will delighted to hear about this, but it is lovely to win it without a contribution from him.
“Now we have other trophies to go for, we are in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup and still in the hunt for the league. It’s going to be tough in terms of manpower and player availability but we will give it a go.”

A WARINGSTOWN team missing six first-team regulars almost pulled off an unlikely victory over Instonians in the Clubturf Ulster Cup at The Lawn on Sunday.
The game went right to the final ball, an outcome that looked unlikely when Instonians were cruising on 138 for two in the 24^th over chasing a modest target of 199.

The fourth-wicket pair of James Shannon and Andrew White had added 66 before White (39), who had enjoyed two massive let-offs before he even reached double figures, saw his fortuitous stay finally come to an end as he edged Alan Harrison to wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe.

It was a deserved reward for the 30-year-old seamer, who was bowling for the first time in senior cricket and had earlier had White dropped at deep square leg when he was just seven. That was one of seven chances dropped by Waringstown.

Harrison also picked up Eugene Moleon cheaply and with figures of two for 28, he has made a powerful case for inclusion in Friday’s Challenge Cup final against Civil Service North.

But for James Shannon’s composed stay, Waringstown would surely have won, but the villagers could have dismissed him when he was 44 in the 38^th over, as a hard chance went down at cover.

Inst needed 12 to win off two overs and when Kyle McCallan conceded just four from the penultimate over, the target was down to eight off six balls.

Simon Stokes, playing in his first senior match in well over a year, was entrusted with the final over and the outcome seemed assured when Robbie Kirk struck a ferocious boundary down the ground from the first ball.

However, Kirk was run out from the third delivery and with Shannon on strike, Instonians needed two from two balls. When he scrambled a single from the fifth delivery, umpire Noel McCarey briefly left the field to double-check the rules. The conclusion was that Inst were effectively already winners because they had lost eight wickets to Waringstown’s nine and even had they lost another from the last ball, they were ahead of the villagers on countback after 12 overs.

Dom Reed, the Inst number 10, left nothing to chance as he sliced a boundary-winning four to third man. Shannon was the Inst hero though as underlined his new-found maturity with 52 from 63 balls.

Earlier, Waringstown were indebted to 54 from 68 balls from Lee Nelson and David Dawson struck an enterprising 34 from 40. Kris Lyness was another to impress for Waringstown, as the young seamer underlined his explosive pace with the new ball that will surely be seen regularly in the coming weeks.

WARINGSTOWN silenced the jibes about their reliance on professional Obus Pienaar as they soundly defeated Instonians by 52 runs at The Lawn in the NCU Premier League on Saturday.
In the first match since the South African left the country for a tour of Australia, Kyle McCallan’s men produced a fine all-round display to effectively end Instonians’ title challenge.
Batting first, the home side might have thought they had blown their chance of victory as they failed to capitalise on a fine start delivered by a 102-run partnership between James Hall and Lee Nelson for the second wicket.

Waringstown were cruising on 120 for one in the 30^th over and eyeing up a total of more than 250 when Nelson was adjudged lbw. He struck four fours and one six in making 41 from 76 balls.

Hall quickly followed, hitting a full toss from Akshay Dhareula (3-35) to Shannon at mid-wicket, after making 63 from 93 balls, and from there Waringstown lost all momentum on a turning pitch.

McCallan, who moved himself down from his favoured opener’s role to number four, held the innings together, striking three fours and a six in making 37 from 49 balls, as Waringstown scraped their way to 200 for eight in 50 overs.

On a ground where in excess of 270 has been a par score for much of the season, Instonians might have felt they were in business, but after a bright start they soon crumbled.

Patience was needed against the Waringstown spinners, but Gary Kidd claimed three wickets as Richard McCarthy danced down the pitch and was stumped, Rory McCann gave an easy return catch and then crucially Andrew White’s outside edge was taken low at slip by Harrison.

Shannon at least provided some resistance on the ground where he made a Challenge Cup semi-final century, but a long-hop from Nelson proved his undoing as he holed out at mid-wicket for 29 to leave the score 104 for six.

Neil Hamilton briefly threatened an unlikely revival with a belligerent 38 from just 31 balls but criminally, the visitors were all out for 148 with more than 10 overs unused.

WARINGSTOWN’S Premier League title hopes suffered a major blow as they suffered a shock seven-wicket defeat against CIYMS at Belmont on Saturday.
Against a team they beat by 246 runs in May, Waringstown produced their worst display of the campaign in Obus Pienaar’s final game before returning to South Africa.
In many respects, it was Groundhog Day for Waringstown, as a shoddy batting display echoed their defeat at Ballymena last month. At least the initially damp pitch at Eaton Park offered an excuse of sorts that day, but there was nothing wrong with the surface at Belmont as Kyle McCallan’s side crumbled to 101 for six in 31 overs before rain halted their innings prematurely.
A poor weather forecast, and Waringstown’s previous experience of the perils of losing wickets while batting first when Duckworth-Lewis intervenes, should have ensured the visitors were on their guard.
But instead, after seeing off a potent opening spell from Peter Connell, the Waringstown batsmen proceeded to gift their wickets to a CI attack that offered few cheap scoring opportunities.
There was no fairytale farewell from Pienaar either, as he gloved the medium pace of Stephen Hughes to the wicketkeeper as he attempted a reverse sweep shot that has brought him so many runs this summer.
Initially, Duckworth-Lewis gave Waringstown some hope, because a CI batting line-up, dismissed for 71 and 122 in their last two innings, might not have relished chasing 127 in 31 overs. But another prolonged period of rain reduced the target to a straightforward 94 in 23.
Gulam Bodi, the South African professional, delivered his most important contribution yet in CI colours with a composed 44 from 46 balls, including four fours and a six, and CI got home with a comfortable 15 balls to spare.
Waringstown now have to bounce back against Instonians on Saturday in the Premier League.

WARINGSTOWN kept their NCU Premier League ambitions intact with weekend victories over Carrickfergus and Civil Service North at The Lawn.
On Saturday, Waringstown had few problems as they beat Carrickfergus by seven wickets. The visitors could only manage 181 for nine batting first as Kyle McCallan claimed three for 32.
The captain then joined forces with Andrew Cousins in a 112-run opening stand that sent the villagers towards a routine seven-wicket win. Cousins struck seven fours and a six in making 53 from just 56 balls and McCallan hit eight boundaries in making 58 from 80 deliveries.
There was little time for Obus Pienaar to showcase his skills, but he did make an unbeaten 21 from eight balls, including four boundaries, as Waringstown raced to victory in just 31.2 overs.
On Sunday, life was much tougher for Waringstown as a spirited CSN side put up a stern fight in a dress rehearsal for the Challenge Cup final later this month.
Waringstown lost a flurry of early wickets, with McCallan, James Hall and even Pienaar falling cheaply.
Lee Nelson struck a fine 55 from 86 balls and Jonathan Bushe made 27 but when they departed in quick succession, Waringstown were soon struggling on 141 for six.
However, the innings turned on a superb knock from David Dawson on his return from a knee injury. The right-hander made his best-ever senior contribution with 38 from just 36 balls. He first received support from Andrew Mitchell, but the key partnerhship was the 35-run stand with 14-year-old Adam Dennison for the ninth wicket. That enabled Waringstown to reach the respectability of 211 all out.
However, rain threatened to wash out the game and it reduced the Civil Service target to 154 in 33 overs.
Mark Ellison and Andrew Cowden, the visitors’ openers, got to 53 without loss before Cowden was the first of three CSN batsmen to run themselves out. With Ellison following immediately after, caught brilliantly at long-on by Dennison off James Hall (3-32) for 31, CSN lost seven wickets for just 23 runs.
The absence of CSN key men Nigel Jones and Michael Heaney was crucial and when the rain returned once again, CSN were 21 runs short on Duckworth-Lewis.

KYLE McCallan and Obus Pienaar hit their third centuries of the season as Waringstown won Sunday’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Instonians by 36 runs at The Lawn .
In an outstanding advert for the local game, Waringstown posted a mammoth 303 for seven batting first but Rory McCann and James Shannon added 187 for the second wicket in 37 overs to set up a tense finish.
With the require run-rate starting to climb towards double figures, McCann finally lost patience and was bowled by Lee Nelson attempting a reverse sweep, just 14 runs short of a century.
Shannon reached three figures in the 40th over in what was arguably his finest innings in senior cricket, but an over later White could only find James Hall on the mid-wicket boundary as he tried to hit McCallan out of the ground.
By now Shannon needed to really cut loose but after striking six fours and four sixes in making 113 from 132 balls he too holed out off McCallan, with Pienaar taking the catch at long-on.
There was just too much for the Instonians lower order to do and with McCallan claiming five for 48, they were dismissed 36 runs short on 267 in the penultimate over.
It has been a season of massive partnerships at The Lawn and this time it was the turn of McCallan and Pienaar to join forces in a stand of 212 for the third wicket in 30 overs.
McCallan’s century was his third of the season, and he timed the ball beautifully through the covers and improvised cleverly against the spinners. In contrast this was probably the least fluent of Pienaar’s three Waringstown centuries, but the South African still found time to crash 126 from just 84 balls, including nine fours and seven sixes, one of which hit a nearby conservatory roof.
When the pair were finally separated, Waringstown made rather a mess of the last three overs as five wickets fell for 12 runs. McCallan holed out in the deep after making 118 from 146 balls, including 15 fours, and the villagers finished probably 20 runs short of where they expected to be.
It gave Instonians a glimmer of hope but they weren’t quite able to pull off what would have been a record-breaking run chase.
Waringstown will now take their place in the final against Civil Service North at Wallace Park later this month.

WARINGSTOWN clinched a second successive appearance in the Bob Kerr Irish Cup semi-finals after a superb 118-run win over Leinster at The Lawn on Saturday.
It was an impressive win all the more because Kyle McCallan, the captain, was missing and there was no major contribution from prolific South African professional Obus Pienaar.
Crucially Waringstown won the toss and opening batsmen James Hall and Andrew Cousins sowed the early seeds of victory with a stand of 143.
With Pienaar still in the hutch, a total of well in excess of 300 looked more than a possibility, but Leinster fought back from nowhere as three Waringstown wickets clattered for just 10 runs.
First Cousins, who had dealt savagely with Dockrell, holed out for 64, made from just 69 balls and including nine fours and two sixes. Lee Nelson fell immediately, adjudged perhaps harshly lbw and after looking in superb touch, Hall became Paddy Byrne’s third victim as he left his ground and was stumped. The Ireland international had struck 14 boundaries in an innings of 75 from 82 balls.
With Pienaar recording a comparative failure with 35 from 26 balls, Waringstown were soon 214 for six and in danger of not reaching the par score of 250 but Josh Hall struck two fours and a six in making 26 from 27 balls as they climbed to 272 all out.
For a time Leinster looked to be motoring towards their target as Waringstown struggled in the warm early evening sun. Jones in particular took advantage of the fielding restrictions to hit strongly over the top and at the end of the bowling power-play at 15 overs the visitors were 77 without loss.
Few could have anticipated what happened next. First Ciaran Mallon struck James Hall to deep mid-wicket and then in the 21st over Jones suffered from a moment of madness, bowled attempting a needless reverse sweep off the same bowler. The veteran batsman had made 61 from 72 balls, but in his absence Leinster, in almost David Haye-like fashion, went down without a fight as they collapsed to 154 all out, losing their last nine wickets for just 58 runs.
Nelson claimed two for 14 in a rare bowling appearance, Simon Harrison took two for 25 and James Hall, the stand-in captain, completed a fine personal performance with three for 29.
Waringstown have now beaten two former Irish Cup winners in successive rounds, and next up in the last four for the 1992 and 1983 winners is Brigade in the semi-finals.

WARINGSTOWN made several pieces of history as old foes North Down were beaten in resounding fashion in Sunday’s Ulster Bank Premier League game at The Lawn.
The villagers piled up a first eleven record score of 392 for four batting first and after bowling out the Comber side for just 200 in reply, they recorded a 192-run win, what is believed to be their biggest ever success over North Down.
The two batting stars were undoubtedly Ireland international James Hall and South African Obus Pienaar, who both made brilliant centuries.
Hall made a personal best club score of 139 not out, while Pienaar continued his remarkable season with a stunning 164 from just 94 balls.
The victory was all the more impressive because Waringstown had been beaten so badly at Ballymena the previous day and the omens looked poor when Kyle McCallan was bowled off the fifth legitimate delivery of the match by Ian Moran.
North Down’s Australian professional and fellow seamer Gavin McKenna asked repeated questions of James Hall and Lee Nelson in the early stages but after overcoming a difficult period, the two young guns were soon rattling along at more than a run a ball, with Nelson batting beautifully for 59 from just 57 balls before he hit Alistair Shields to point to end a stand of 99 for the second wicket.
Nelson’s dismissal brought Pienaar to the crease and the 21-year-old raced to a century in just 64 balls.
The shot of the day was an astonishing switch hit for six over point off Ryan Haire. He eventually departed in the 47th over aiming McKenna through the leg side, but only after he had struck15 fours and seven sixes.
Together, Pienaar and Hall had added 231 for the second third wicket with the latter, who played a mature anchor innings, reaching three figures from 125 balls.
Hall took on the hitting mantle when Pienaar departed, hitting 20 from four balls off Marty Moreland and a straight six high over the sightscreens off Moran was almost as good as anything Pienaar managed.
The Ireland international finished unbeaten on 139, his highest club score, made at exactly a run a ball and including 11 fours and five sixes.
North Down openers Neil Russell and Moran set off at a galloping pace, but it was soon a death by spin, as McCallan sensibly introduced his slower men almost immediately.
Gary Kidd claimed four for 44 and James Hall three for 29 as North Down collapsed to 110 for seven before rallying to 200 all out.
It was the sweetest of victories for Waringstown but there is still a long way to go in this title race.

IT was a case of unlucky 13 for Waringstown on Saturday as their 12-match unbeaten run came to end against Ballymena at Eaton Park.
The villagers crashed to an eight-wicket defeat on Duckworth Lewis as a combination of factors led to their demise.
Captain Kyle McCallan will reflect that he ultimately made a mistake batting first on a damp pitch, as the ball moved extravagantly in the opening 15 overs.
Batting was a treacherous occupation for the first hour and by the 17th over Waringstown were 22 for six, with a much-vaunted top order all back in the pavilion.
Michael Glass, the veteran seamer, claimed three for 10 in his 10-over spell while Fergus Taylor took three for 26, including the prize wicket of Obus Pienaar, bowled off the inside edge.
While the decision at the toss was with hindsight the wrong one, Waringstown’s poor start could still not be excused.
Thereafter, the weather dealt McCallan’s men a fatal blow just as they looked to be dragging themselves right back into the contest.
Jonathan Bushe struck three fours and a six as he made a fine unbeaten 44 from 59 balls.
Together with Josh Hall (19 no), Bushe added an unbroken 70-run stand for the seventh wicket but repeated rain showers, which weren’t seen virtually anywhere else in Northern Ireland, descended on Eaton Park.
The innings closed on 92 for six and under the controversial Duckworth-Lewis system, Ballymena were set a routine target of 99 in 29 overs on a pitch that had by now flattened out.
The conditions for the fielders on the square were also barely suitable for cricket and despite Waringstown’s concerns, play re-started and Ballymena deservedly cruised to their target with six overs to spare.
The home side look an increasingly impressive outfit and Waringstown will be consoled that many other teams will struggle to earn a result at Eaton Park this season.

WARINGSTOWN cruised into the semi-finals of the Ulster Bank NCU Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a nine-wicket win over derby rivals Lurgan at The Lawn on Saturday.

What had been a highly-anticipated derby clash was ultimately a disappointingly one-sided match with Lurgan managing just 134 all out when they batted first.

At this stage the biggest barrier to a routine Waringstown win was the unpredictable weather, with the game held up by one particularly long stoppage.

Waringstown were eventually set a revised target of in 39 overs and they needed just 14.5 to secure their place in the last four after successfully dodging the showers.

Kyle McCallan went early, adjudged lbw to paceman John Guy, but it was the briefest of scares for the villagers as Andrew Cousins and James Hall combined in a 117-run partnership.

Hall was the aggressor, hitting an unbeaten 63 off 41 balls, while Cousins was hardly less severe on the visitors´ attack, following up his midweek 87 against Carrickfergus in the Twenty20 Cup with 49 not out from just 38 balls.

Waringstown were home and dry with more than 24 overs and they take their place in the last four alongside Civil Service North, North Down and Instonians.

The result was probably a foregone conclusion from the moment Lurgan announced that they were without Derek Heasley, their winter signing from CIYMS, and captain Stephen Chambers.

They well enough as the first wicket partnership realised 29 runs, but it went downhill fast for Lurgan once Niranjan Godbole hit Simon Harrison into the hands of Obus Pienaar after making 17.

Stephen Johnston rode his luck repeatedly in making 38, but he was comfortably Lurgan´s top scorer as they struggled in particular against the spin of McCallan and Gary Kidd. McCallan bowled nine overs for just 11 runs, taking three middle-order wickets, while Kidd claimed figures of two for 25.

With Harrison picking up one for 23 and Josh Hall two for 25 it was a convincing afternoon´s work for Waringstown.

Previously they had been just as emphatic winners against Carrick in the Twenty20 Cup. Cousins hit 87 from only 56 balls as Waringstown posted 172 for six batting first. Carrick got off to a flying start courtesy of Ross Gelderbloem but once he fell for 26 they fell away rapidly.

Carrick could only manage 114 for nine with Harrison claiming three for 21 and Kidd two for 22.

WARINGSTOWN celebrated reaching the Irish Cup quarter-finals after a memorable win over North County at The Lawn on Saturday.
The villagers won an enthralling game by 25 runs to set up a home tie with Leinster in the last eight, and if they can reproduce performances like this Kyle McCallan’s side are capable of going all the way to the final.
South African professional Obus Pienaar was pivotal to the victory by smashing 82 from just 51 balls and later claiming two wickets.
Kyle McCallan delivered an exhibition in how to make runs when you are not batting at your best with the grittiest of centuries, but it was Pienaar who gave the Waringstown innings the momentum to reach a total that was ultimately just out of North County’s reach.
It had taken Waringstown almost 28 overs to grind to three figures in the face of some fine North County bowling, but when Pienaar strode to the wicket an over later following Lee Nelson’s dismissal, the visitors were put firmly on the back foot.
Pienaar took the briefest of looks before launching into a familiar assault. The statistics make for familiar reading. His 50 came in just 33 balls, and he struck eight fours and three sixes during a partnership of 131 with McCallan for the fourth wicket before he was brilliantly caught low down at long-off by Conor Shiel.
McCallan reached his century in the 48th over and while it was certainly not one of the Ireland international’s classiest hundreds, it was one of his most important for Waringstown. Ironically on a day when North County’s fielding was so impressive, their failure to take two early chances from McCallan was pivotal to the final outcome.
He was missed at slip off John Mooney when he was just four and again by wicketkeeper Darragh Armstrong on 11 as he tried to hook Eddie Richardson. It would have been easy to have waved the white flag when the middle of the bat was so eluding him, indeed it was the 15th over before he hit an authentic boundary through the covers, but McCallan stuck rigidly to his task.
However, a final total of 283 for five was not out of sight and for much of the run chase, North County were up with the required rate and indeed ahead of Waringstown at most stages.
Crucially, they lost wickets at decisive moments, with Pienaar bowling Conor Armstrong for 34 and Tomas Shiel caught down the leg-side off Gary Kidd immediately after reaching his half century.
McCallan claimed the vital scalp of Mooney, caught off the glove by wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe, but while the hugely impressive 18-year-old Adam Coughlan (70) was at the crease, a North County victory was very much on.
The youngster was using the batting power-play with considerable aplomb until it became his downfall, excellently caught in the deep by Keith Morrison off Kidd (4-50) in the 43rd over.
North County rather fell away from there on in as the run-rate mounted and a riveting contest ended from the third ball of the penultimate over, the visitors all out for 258.
Waringstown were deserving winners and there was plenty to commend in their performance apart. James Hall batted beautifully for his 35 from 48 balls and despite the occasional bad delivery, Kidd is finding his feet after a rocky spell.

WARINGSTOWN cruised into the last eight of the NCU Challenge Cup with an eight-wicket win over Section One side Derriaghy at The Lawn on Sunday.

It was a thoroughly professional display from the villagers who dismissed Derriaghy for 136 and then knocked off the runs in less than 17 overs for the loss of just two wickets.

Batting first Derriaghy lost Charl Daubney early to Josh Hall, but for a while they made solid if unspectacular progress. Much was expected of Sri Lankan professional Pushpalal but after getting to 16 he was trapped lbw by the economical Simon Harrison.

It was the first of three wickets for the experienced seamer as the crucial phase of the game came when Derriaghy had reached the apparent comfort of 68 for two.

Harrison then had Craig Lewis lbw for 27 which was the start of a collapse which saw four wickets fall for just 13 runs.

Derriaghy were deep in trouble on 81 for six and later 96 for seven but opener Stuart Hegarty showed stomach for the fight, battling through to make 48 before he was finally caught and bowled by James Hall.

Harrison was the pick of the attack with 3-33 although James Hall again showed his uncanny knack of taking wickets, finishing with 3-8 from two overs, while captain Kyle McCallan, Gary Kidd and Obus Pienaar all claimed a wicket each.

Waringstown wasted absolutely no time in chasing down the target as James Hall totally dominated a 43-run opening stand with McCallan, with the latter falling for seven.

However, Hall and Lee Nelson proceeded to hit the visitors’ bowling attack to all parts of The Lawn. Hall struck 61 from just 48 balls in comfortably his best innings of the season so far while Nelson remained unbeaten on 48, struck from just 29 deliveries.

Waringstown remain unbeaten this season but frustratingly they are without a match this weekend with scehduled league opponents Civil Service North involved in an Irish Cup rearrangement.

A BRILLIANT unbeaten century from Kyle McCallan helped Waringstown thrash Coleraine by 189 runs in the Clubturf Ulster Cup on Sunday.
After the frustration of Saturday’s Premier League washout against North Down at The Lawn, the villagers got back into full flow with a clinical display at home to the North West outfit.
McCallan won the toss and batted and first, and before long he was dominating a quickfire first-wicket partnership with James Hall.
The pair added 40 and the momentum continued to increase after Hall’s dismissal as McCallan and Lee Nelson added exactly 100 for the second wicket.
Nelson, who has been in superb form so far this season, fell just three runs short of a deserved half century and that brought prolific South African professional Obus Pienaar to the crease.
For once, the 21-year-old didn’t provide the usual fireworks, falling for just 12, but that allowed the remainder of the middle order some valuable batting time alongside McCallan.
The Waringstown skipper brought up his century in just 97 balls as he shared stands of 58 and then 69 with Jonathan Bushe (19) and David Dawson (19) respectively.
The Coleraine attack had no answer and McCallan carried his bat for a superb 152 not out. He had struck 17 fours and two sixes and faced just 124 balls. Waringstown’s total of 317 for five was their highest in the competition and left Coleraine with a target of almost eight runs per over, an almost impossible task even on a perfect batting wicket.
The visitors, who were missing professional Mohammed Salman, were soon in trouble as Simon Harrison picked up the cheap scalp of much-travelled former Lurgan batsman Charlie McCrum and Josh Hall accounted for the dangerous Ian McGregor.
David Cooke, Coleraine’s former Ireland wicketkeeper-batsman, provided some resistance with 32 but Coleraine were eventually dismissed for just 128. James Hall continued his fine start to the season with the ball by claiming 3-29 while Gary Kidd, the left-arm spinner, took 2-20.

WARINGSTOWN professional Obus Pienaar took his run tally for the season to 533 in just four innings as the villagers defeated Dublin YMCA in Saturday’s Bob Kerr Irish Cup first round.
The 21-year-old from Bloemfontein smashed 135 not out from just 70 balls as the villagers recovered from a difficult start to become one of just two NCU clubs definitely through to the second stage of the competition.
Batting first at Clermont Road,Waringstown were the victims of two questionable early decisions as first Kyle McCallan was adjudged lbw to former Ireland all-rounder Reinhardt Strydom and Andrew Cousins looked unlucky to be given out for 22.
When James Hall followed for just 12, Waringstown were 50 for three and in need of another big partnership between Pienaar and Lee Nelson.
Waringstown’s fourth-wicket pair have already delivered two century stands this season, and this was another.
Pienaar was initially watchful, scoring just four runs from his first 16 deliveries faced, but he was soon dispatching the home side’s bowling in familiar fashion.
Incredibly after that slow start, the former South Africa under-19 international hit 91 from his next 35 balls, as he and Nelson (47) added 142.
Pienaar struck 12 sixes and eight fours, as Waringstown’s total of 251 for six from 41 overs became a target of 275 for the home side under Duckworth-Lewis.
Despite an enterprising 51 from Strydom, YMCA’s reply was soon in tatters as teenager Josh Hall (3-38) ripped into their top order.
Keith Morrison also took three wickets as the home side closed on 200 for nine, 74 runs adrift under Duckworth-Lewis.
Waringstown are deservedly through to the second stage, but a tough draw awaits them. They will entertain North County at The Lawn next month with the Balrothery side having beeen the dominant force in the competition throughout the previous decade.

WARINGSTOWN maintained their winning start to the Ulster Bank Premier League season with an emphatic win over Instonians at Shaw’s Bridge on Saturday.

The villagers piled up 259 for eight batting first, which was always going to be a testing target for the home side.

Importantly for Kyle McCallan’s men, this was a fine all-round batting display with the captain himself and Lee Nelson laying the foundations for a typical late assault by South African professional Obus Pienaar.

McCallan looked in lovely touch at the top of the order while Nelson continued his exceptional start to the campaign. McCallan looked poised for a really big score but after aggravating an injury and calling for a runner, he was the victim of a mix-up between runner James Hall and Nelson, and was on his way back to the pavilion for 45.

When Nelson was trapped lbw by Andrew White soon after, Waringstown were stumbling slightly, but Pienaar and Jonathan Bushe turned the innings around with a rapid stand of 107 for the fifth wicket in just 14 overs.

Pienaar once again delivered the goods with 81 from just 42 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, as he thrilled the crowd with a mixture of audacious stroke-making and raw power.

The spinners were never allowed to settle as Pienaar’s successive pre-meditated reverse-sweeps for four off Rai demonstrated, and there was the trademark power too, with an enormous six over long-on off Sam Shannon threatening those enjoying a Saturday afternoon stroll along the Lagan towpath.

Bushe contributed a fine 32 and a final total of 259 for eight in 50 overs was probably 30 above par on a dry pitch that occasionally offered inconsistent bounce.

Instonians needed a solid start but their hopes were soon in tatters as Simon Harrison’s superb swing bowling accounted for John Stevenson and Rory McCann, and then James Shannon looked suspiciously at the pitch when he lobbed Keith Morrison to cover to make it 23 for three.

Despite the seemingly hopeless cause, White batted beautifully and while he and captain Eugene Moleon (29) were adding 64 for the fourth wicket, Waringstown were just starting to get anxious.

But in the 22^nd over Moleon needlessly charged down the pitch and was stumped, the first of six wickets for 43 for off-spinner James Hall, and Instonians lost their last five wickets for just 29 runs to finish 142 all out.

WARINGSTOWN’S new professional Obus Pienaar rewrote the history books at The Lawn on Monday as he smashed the highest individual score in the history of the NCU against CIYMS.
The 21-year-old South African made an amazing 244 from just 114 balls, hitting an incredible 22 sixes and 13 fours as the Villagers piled up 392 for six in their 50 overs. Pienaar’s innings surpassed the 233 made by his fellow countryman AB de Villiers for Carrickfergus against Cliftonville in 2004.
The 21-year-old, who is surely destined for full international honours in the future, came to the crease in the 13th over with Waringstown deep in trouble on 27 for three.
By the time he was finally dismissed, caught on the leg-side boundary two overs from the end of the Waringstown innings, he had given a bumper Bank Holiday crowd an exhibition of the biggest hitting ever seen at the famous Co Down venue.
The Lawn is now one of the biggest grounds on the NCU circuit but Pienaar made the boundaries look painfully small as he flailed the CI attack to all parts of the ground in a 303-run stand for the fourth wicket with Lee Nelson, who made a superb 84 from 112 balls to continue a fine start to the campaign.
Pienaar brought up his 50 in just 31 balls but he was missed on 71 as Liam Jenkinson shelled a simple opportunity on the long-off boundary.
It was the first and last opportunity Pienaar would give as the assault gathered momentum. Waringstown were just 105 for three at the halfway stage, but with Pienaar bringing up his century in only 59 balls, his 150 in 78 and double century in 96, there was entertainment galore.
Spare a thought for the CI bowlers and in particular left-arm spinner Stephen McChesney. The former Cliftonville bowler conceded 28 runs from his solitary over as Pienaar struck him for four sixes. Waringstown reached 374 for six from their 50 overs but to rub salt in the CI wounds, the umpires decided to inflict 18 penalty runs for their slow over rate. It seemed a harsh decision given the length of time they spent retrieving the sixes struck by Pienaar into the surrounding countryside.
CI in truth did little wrong. It must have seemed a lifetime ago for the Belmont side that Ben McCord removed Kyle McCallan cheaply, and when Andrew Cousins and James Hall were out to soft dismissals, they were dismissing Pienaar away from springing a surprise. That of course was much easier said than done. CI got nowhere near the impossible target as they slumped to 146 all out. Gary Kidd and James Hall took three wickets apiece as Waringstown recorded a second successive league victory.

WARINGSTOWN’S batsmen came to the party in a big way on Saturday as the villagers recorded a superb seven-wicket win over Carrickfergus on the opening day of the NCU Premier League season at Middle Road.
Kyle McCallan’s side were in a tough situation at the halfway stage, as the home side took advantage of some poor bowling and ideal batting conditions to post an intimidating total of 296 for three batting first.
A superb 101 from 122 balls from New Zealand batsman Michael Taiaroa, a half century from Ross Gelderbloem and an unbeaten 48 from Ryan Eagleson took the home side to the brink of 300.

Waringstown bowled 25 wides in a shoddy display in the field, leaking 41 extras in total in a display that will have disappointed McCallan in his first match since taking over the captaincy from Jonathan Bushe.
But with conditions so good for batting, the Carrick total was far from out of sight and McCallan started like a train, hitting 13 boundaries with 55 from 45 balls. McCallan’s opening partner Andrew Cousins struck six fours and one six in a fine 62.

James Hall also looked in good tough, but the momentum briefly stalled in mid-innings. That was until new professional Obus Pienaar came to the crease. In partnership with Lee Nelson, who made an unbeaten 56 from 65 balls, the South African eased Waringstown to their target with 21 balls to spare.

On the ground where his fellow countryman AB de Villiers played briefly in 2004, Pienaar delivered an exhibition of clean hitting, striking six fours and five sixes in making an unbeaten 73 from 45 balls.

Kyle hits form in win at Downpatrick

KYLE McCallan took four wickets and hit an unbeaten half century as Waringstown defeated Downpatrick by eight wickets in the NCU Premier League at Strangford Road on Sunday. With Saturday’s game against North Down washed out along with the rest of the league fixtures, this was an opportunity to record an important win in the title race. In the picturesque setting of The Meadow, Waringstown produced a much-improved performance after the disappointment of the previous week’s reversal at home to Instonians. There was little in the pitch for the seam bowlers, but McCallan and Gary Kidd, the Ireland international spinners, certainly received plenty of assistance. McCallan (4-18) and Kidd (3-28) shared seven wickets as the home side were dismissed for 105 in 46.4 overs. They were assisted by some excellent fielding, particularly from Jamie Matthews who was a revelation after returning the wicketkeeping gloves to captain Jonathan Bushe. Bushe himself was in good form behind the stumps as he completed two smart stumpings. There were also wickets for Victor Mpitsang, Charley Crasborn and Lee Nelson as Downpatrick failed to get going at any stage. Four batsmen reached double figures, but extras was their top score with 23. A par score here was closer to 200, although Downpatrick did make a breakthrough as Matthews drove loosely across the line to James Magowan and was comprehensively bowled. Nelson, still trying to discover his best form, was run out attempting a second with McCallan. It was perhaps a risky run in the circumstances but it was a brilliant piece of fielding in the deep from James Magowan. However, that was the last semblance of a scare for the villagers, as McCallan, looking fully recovered from the injured finger that prevented him batting against CIYMS in last weekend’s Challenge Cup semi-final defeat, hit three boundaries in an unbeaten 50. With captain Jonathan Bushe continuing his fine recent batting form with an unbeaten 23, the third wicket pair added 57 to take Waringstown home with more than 23 overs to spare. Waringstown certainly took no delight in adding to Downpatrick’s relegation troubles. The Meadow remains the rightful home of the Challenge Cup final, and the villagers enjoyed returning to Strangford Road after a two-season absence.

McMillan century ends Waringstown cup hopes

WARINGSTOWN departed the NCU Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage for the second successive year on Saturday as CIYMS recorded a 102-run victory at Belmont.

One of the big differences between the teams was undoubtedly Craig McMillan, with the New Zealander slamming a fautless century to lead his team to a massive total of 295 for five in their 50 overs.
Chasing down such a total was always going to be a massive ask, but Waringstown can complain, with justification, that they were hamstrung before a ball was even bowled without their prolific opening partnership of Kyle McCallan and James Hall.

McCallan decided not to bat because of a bruised finger sustained in a tag rugby match while Hall was a last-minute replacement for Ireland in the World Cricket League in The Netherlands.

Even if McCallan and Hall had been able to bat, it’s unlikely they could have upstaged the brilliance of McMillan, as he finally scored a first century in Ulster cricket. McMillan gave not the merest hint of an opportunity. The extraordinary thing was that while he never batted recklessly, the 34-year-old still managed to score his runs off just 68 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes. McMillan’s third-wicket stand of 152 with Derek Heasley (60) took CI well beyond 200 and although South African Victor Mpitsang (3-35) claimed both players in an impressive second spell, Ben McCord provided the late impetus, hitting two sixes and three fours in a powerful display of hitting through the leg side. Crucially, Waringstown missed the New Zealander three times. While Mpitsang, Simon Harrison and Charley Crasborn all bowled well, Waringstown’s spinners were off colour. McCallan’s ten overs cost 65 and Gary Kidd’s six overs went for 45. To be fair, any luck going went to CI. Barry Cooper (29) was reprieved on 14 as Simon Harrison struck him in front of middle stump as the CI captain played across the line, and Heasley was fortunate to be reprieved as Jamie Matthews pulled off a good stumping. In truth, Waringstown only very briefly threatened to get close as they lost wickets at regular intervals. McCord knocked over Matthews, Andrew Cousins and Nelson in a superb spell of three for 11 in seven overs, but during a partnership of 69 for the sixth wicket, captain Jonathan Bushe and Harrison were getting on top of CI’s support bowling. At 162 for five in the 36^th over and with every CI bowler bar McCord a hittable proposition, Waringstown had a glimmer of hope, but one delivery after launching Stephen Hughes for a huge straight six, Harrison (31) could only pull a long-hop from the same bowler to deep mid-wicket. Bushe was in delightful touch despite batting with a badly broken finger that will perhaps never heal, scoring at a run a ball, with intelligent placement mixed with innovative strokeplay. But when Harrison departed and with only the tail for company, he went down in a blaze of boundaries, hitting the leg spinner Ryan Hanna for three fours in an over before he was caught at mid-wicket off Hughes (4-41) for 69.

Villagers stay top thanks to derby victory

WARINGSTOWN maintained their position at the top of the NCU Premier League after a comfortable seven-wicket win over derby rivals Lurgan at Pollock Park on Saturday. In a first league meeting between the clubs since Lurgan’s relegation from the top flight in 2007, an unbeaten 78 from James Hall and a blazing 44 not out from Keith Morrison got the villagers home with 11 balls to spare. Lurgan at least deserve credit for taking Waringstown all the way to the penultimate over, and it could have been closer had the home side taken their chances. Hall was dropped at point from the first delivery he faced, and was amazingly missed in the slips the next ball. Lurgan were left to miss those missed chances as Hall and Kyle McCallan added 93 for the first wicket. McCallan looked set for another massive innings, but after striking seven boundaries he was given out lbw to Nicky McCollum after a prolonged appeal. McCallan’s departure was the signal for a Waringstown wobble of sorts, as Lurgan finally managed to keep a lid on the visitors’ scoring rate. Andrew Cousins and Lee Nelson both came and went cheaply as McCollum struck again but it was Morrison’s intervention that eased any nerves. He struck 44 from just 37 balls, hitting five fours and a six at a venue where he has always tended to score heavily. Hall remained unbeaten on 78 at the other end, after hitting seven boundaries. Earlier in the day, Waringstown must have fancied their chances of dismissing the home side cheaply as the impressive Victor Mpitsang (2-25) accounted for Graeme Hunter and the dangerous Francois Viljoen as Lurgan slumped to eight for two. Lurgan experimented with youngster Cameron Grieve at the top of the innings, and he somehow managed to survive a testing opening spell, playing and missing on numerous occasions as Waringstown passed the bat with ease. Grieve did eventually reach his half century, but his 55 took 147 balls, as he was dismissed in the final over the innings. There were also decent contributions from Niranjan Godbole and Craig Irwin. Lurgan passed 200 thanks to a brisk 27 from 21 balls late in the innings from Ben McKnight against his former club. McKnight hit three sixes and one four, with Lee Nelson suffering major punishment, but ultimately Lurgan were probably 20 runs short of a truly testing total on 205 for eight. Charley Crasborn again impressed for Waringstown, the New Zealand born seamer finishing with three for 37. McCallan claimed figures of two for 29.

Waringstown win at Carrick – and it’s CI away in the semis

WARINGSTOWN have developed an uncanny, and rather unfortunate knack, of being drawn away from home in cup competitions. The amount of away ties handed to the villagers in recent years is remarkable, so after overcoming Carrickfergus at Middle Road in Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final, it was probably inevitable that Jonathan Bushe’s men would on the road again in the last four. That is exactly what happened as Monday’s draw saw Waringstown handed a trip to Belmont to play CIYMS on Saturday, July 3. Waringstown are certainly going to have to do it the hard way if they want to win the trophy for the first time since 2006. Carrickfergus are a dangerous outfit and they made the visitors work all the way for a two-wicket win even though they had posted what looked to be an inadequate 200 batting first. Waringstown were mostly excellent in the field, with Simon Harrison claiming the vital scalp of Ireland’s Paul Stirling with the new ball as Carrickfergus slumped to 23 for three. However, the duo of New Zealand batsman Michael Taiaroa and South African Ross Gelderbloem rebuilt the Carrickfergus innings with a fine century stand for the fourth wicket. Gelderbloem was eventually trapped lbw by James Hall, and that was the signal for a halt in the home side’s scoring rate in the crucial final 10 overs. At a time when they should have been accelerating with wickets in hand, Waringstown pulled the scoring rate back admirably, courtesy of some fine late bowling and fielding. At 152 for four with ten overs remaining, Carrick should have been eyeing up a total in excess of 220, but instead they scraped to just 200. On a fine batting wicket on fast outfield, Waringstown would have fancied chasing down the total with ease, and for a while it looked all so easy as the visitors reached 75 for one after 18 overs and then 106 for two after 23. It was hard to see how Waringstown could stumble but while plenty of the early batsmen got starts, no one could go on to make the decisive big innings. Kyle McCallan top scored with 44 and Lee Nelson made 26, but wickets began to fall at regular intervals. Keith Morrison and Simon Harrison eventually steadied the ship with a sixth wicket partnership and although the former was out after making a crucial 30 from 34 balls, at 196 for six with two overs remaining, a victory looked a formality. However, there were more twists to come as Jamie Matthews and Gary Kidd departed and a two-wicket victory was only secured from the third ball of the final over as Victor Mpitsang struck the ball for three straight down the ground. Waringstown had made hard work of what should have been a relatively comfortable chase. But ultimately in the final analysis in the Challenge Cup, being in the semi-final draw is what matters.

Waringstown crash to first defeat of season

WARINGSTOWN surrendered their unbeaten run in 2010 with a lacklustre performance against Lisburn in the Premier League at Wallace Park on Saturday. The villagers, who had recorded seven successive victories in league and cup before this dismal 30-run

Andrew Cousins, made a fine 65 v Lisburn

defeat, were poor in the field, with the ball and finally in their run chase. Almost from the moment the two teams entered the field, it was clear that only the home side were up for the contest. Waringstown simply didn’t have the intensity that so dominated the performance against CIYMS the previous week, and Lisburn were able to post a fine total of 209 batting first. Ryan Ervine, the Zimbabwean all-rounder, was the mainstay of the Lisburn innings with 73 from 140 balls. He struck six fours and a six. Greg Thompson, the captain, contributed 39, but just as important was a late flurry from David Simpson, who struck the ball superbly to help Lisburn to a total of 209. There were several missed chances in the field and Waringstown were chasing at 30 runs more than they would have expected against opposition they have beaten with some ease in recent seasons. Initially Waringstown looked in control when they batted as James Hall (30) struck the ball nicely, but when he and Kyle McCallan fell in quick succession, the writing was on the wall. At one stage they were reeling on 117 for five, but a fighting 65 from Andrew Cousins roused hopes of an unlikely win. However, just as Waringstown seemed to be grabbing control, Cousins was caught on the boundary after striking eight boundaries and from the very next delivery Simon Harrison was adjudged lbw pushing forward. Waringstown were eventually all out for 179, having lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs. Medium pacer Richard McConkey (3-21) was the stand-out performer for the home side.

Waringstown will hope to get back to winning ways against Malahide in the Irish Cup on Saturday.

It’s another thriller as Villagers win at Belmont

TO the casual observer being a Waringstown supporter at the minute must seem like heaven. Top of the NCU Premier League as the only undefeated side in the division, and making progress in the NCU Challenge Cup, ClubTurf Ulster Cup and Bob Kerr Irish Cup. But try telling the supporters who watched the villagers’ heart-stopping five-wicket win over CIYMS at Belmont on Saturday that watching Waringstown is a bed of roses. Three of Waringstown’s four league victories have come in the final over, with Saturday’s win over previously unbeaten CI coming when Andrew Cousins scrambled a winning leg bye from the fourth delivery of Ben McCord’s final over. Waringstown were always just ahead of the clock during a run chase that was still always gripping to watch. For the fourth time this season Kyle McCallan and James Hall compiled a century opening partnership, a stand distinguished by some intelligent running between the wickets, and ruthless dispatching of the bad ball. Hall, dropped in the 11^th over by Barry Cooper standing up to Stephen Hughes, hit strongly down the ground once he was into his stride, and McCallan was once more in gorgeous touch as he made his sixth consecutive score of 50 or more. But after the century partnership was brought up in the 20^th over, Waringstown wobbled. Just four runs short of his half century, and after striking three fours and two sixes, Hall was bowled attempting to cut Craig McMillan and in the very next over McCallan followed, lobbing a simple catch to cover off Derek Heasley. McCallan’s 54 had come from 64 balls and contained five boundaries. There was little margin for error now with a required run rate of more than seven runs per over, but Lee Nelson provided the impetus Waringstown needed with 38 from 30 balls, including one delightful six over cover off McCord. However, with the game at Waringstown’s mercy Nelson didn’t see the job through, missing an almighty leg side heave off Derek Heasley in the penultimate over, leaving Cousins and captain Jonathan Bushe to secure the win. Six runs were required from the final over, and it was effectively decided from the second delivery, Cousins squeezing a boundary past fine leg who was fielding in the circle. Earlier in the day Richard Lucas played CI’s most eye-catching innings. His unbeaten 40 from just 26 balls contained three sixes and one four as 68 runs were plundered from the final eight overs. CI batted well, with Heasley’s 44 from 56 balls holding things together in the middle overs, but Waringstown were mostly excellent in the field. McCallan produced a wonderful delivery to dismiss the in-form Cooper, while Hall held his nerve admirably under huge pressure as he caught dangerman Craig McMillan running back over his head off Simon Harrison. Kidd’s catch off his own bowling to remove McCord as probably even better, and in the final analysis it was those moments of brilliance that swung the contest Waringstown’s way. McCallan and Victor Mpitsang were the pick of the bowlers, with the latter bowling a superb length at the death in claming two for 23.

Villagers into quarter-finals with win at The Rectory

WARINGSTOWN booked their place in the quarter-finals of the ClubTurf Ulster Cup with a 60-run win over Glendermott at The Rectory on Sunday.

The margin of victory was comfortable and this was in no small part due to a largely outstanding bowling and fielding performance.

Glendermott would have been the happier side at the halfway stage, after restricting Waringstown to 179 for nine in their 40 overs, despite the visitors getting off to a flying start.

Kyle McCallan and James Hall, the opening batsmen, hit the home bowling to all parts in the early overs, with Waringstown flying on 45 without loss in just five overs and 71 for 0 after 10.

On a ground where more than 600 runs were scored in a North West Senior Cup tie the previous day, Waringstown seemed intent on reaching a total of well over 200.

James Hall, who had plenty of runs and wickets at the weekend

But on a pitch showing signs of tiredness the game changed once the spinners were introduced into the attack. Hall was caught and bowled after smashing 44 from 49 balls, including five boundaries, and Lee Nelson quickly became a victim of Stephen Smyth.

McCallan’s remarkable run without being dismissed eventually ended after his 62 from 76 balls had incredibly taken him past the 600-run mark for the summer.

He dragged a long hop from Gregory McElhatton to deep square leg after striking 10 boundaries.

Waringstown’s middle order struggled against the slow bowling and a succession of wickets fell as they slumped from 111 for one at the 20-over stage to 150 for seven.

That they reached the respectability of 179 for nine was down to Keith Morrison, who is again enjoying a fine season with the bat. He made an important 27 from 35 balls, finding the gaps with aplomb, and hitting three boundaries.

Waringstown were certainly fired up in the field. McCallan quickly removed Craig Averill and Victor Mpitsang produced arguably his finest spell yet in Waringstown colours, troubling all the Glendermott batsmen on a pitch which should have offered him little.

It was James Hall who stole the limelight however, the off-spinner claiming the vital scalp of professional Henk von Rauenstein, while Mpitsang’s brilliant catch accounted for the dangerous Stephen Smyth off Gary Kidd.

From a total of 60 for two Glendermott slumped to 103 for six with Hall claiming four for 31. Mpitsang (3-6) returned to the attack to mop up the tail in clinical fashion as Glendermott were dismissed for 119 in the 31st over.

The win preserves Waringstown’s unbeaten run in 2010 and earned them a quarter-final tie at home to Strabane on Sunday, June 20.

Kyle after his magnificent 146 no

By now North Down must have feared the worst and when McCallan hit Moreland’s fourth delivery for his sixth maximum, Waringstown, outsiders for so long, were on the brink. A single from the fifth delivery tied the scores and left Matthews needing a single for victory. Even then there was drama as he only just cleared Neil Russell at mid-wicket. Waringstown’s celebrations were understandably delirious but the truth is that McCallan and Keith Morrison apart, their top order batting was woeful and many lessons must be learnt if they are to sustain a league title challenge. At 86 for four in the 20^th over in pursuit of North Down’s 286 and with James Hall, Lee Nelson and Jonathan Bushe all dismissed in desperately disappointing fashion, North Down looked to be cruising to a 10^th league home victory over the villagers in 11 years. In truth the home team didn’t do a lot wrong, they simply ran into McCallan in majestic form. He found the middle of the bat almost from the first delivery he faced, and in Morrison he finally found another batsman with the stomach for the fight. Together they added 136 for the fifth wicket, with Morrison striking four boundaries in recording his second senior half century. When he was finally caught brilliantly by Andrew Haire on the long-on boundary in the 44^th over, after making 66 from 81 balls, Waringstown were still 67 runs from victory. The target eventually became 39 from three, and 31 from two, and of course 21 from one. But with McCallan making 146 not out from only 129 balls, including those six sixes and nine fours, the impossible became reality. McCallan’s 146 not out was his highest score in an illustrious career. And the 287 Waringstown chased down for victory was comfortably the highest the club has ever achieved in its history stretching back to 1851. He was just 10 short of the 156 made by Shane Harrison at the same venue in the 1990s. But it must be emphasised that this wasn’t an all-round performance from the villagers. They were sloppy in the field almost from the first moment of the match and the bowling wasn’t up to the level required, with only McCallan and Simon Harrison proving economical. The villagers bowled their overs far too slowly – in a new rule from the NCU North Down were given six penalty runs for each of the three overs not started after the three hour cut-off point – and a target that should have been 269 was increased to 287. It would perhaps have been above 300 had North Down not enjoyed a moment of ill-fortune when Ryan Haire was dismissed three runs short of a century. Jonathan Terrett drove the ball back fiercely at Simon Harrison who touched the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Haire well out of his ground. Reprieved badly by Nelson at cover when he was just 22, Haire struck the ball fiercely thereafter, hitting seven fours and four sixes in his 97 from 117 balls. The left-hander dominated a third wicket partnership of 127 with Taimur Khan (39), while the final flourishes of the innings came from Shields, who batted intelligently in making 41 from only 37 balls

Victor Mpitsang who had 4-29 on Debut

Victor stars as Firsts crusie to victory

KYLE McCallan and new South African professional Victor Mpitsang were the stars of the show as Waringstown got the defence of their NCU Premier League title off to a winning start on Saturday. McCallan provided the finishing touches to an eight-wicket opening day victory over Carrickfergus at The Lawn with a typically controlled unbeaten 71, but it was Mpitsang who laid the foundations with a fiery spell of 4-29 with the new ball. Indeed it was only some sloppy catchy that denied Mpitsang a five-wicket haul on his debut. The 30-year-old, who arrived in Waringstown less than 48 hours before this game started, was good enough to have played for his country a decade ago, and he bowled with impressive control and hostility as Carrick slid to64 for eight after being inserted by Jonathan Bushe. Mpitsang tore the heart out of the Carrick top order, starting with a double breakthrough in the seventh over. Andrew Cowden was beautifully set up as he left a series of away swingers before being undone by a rising delivery that cut back from outside off-stump to crash off his elbow and onto the stumps. Then New Zealander Michael Thaiaroa was adjudged lbw on the front foot. Mpitsang’s third victim was Rickie Stirling, the opening batsman, whose outside edge was brilliantly caught one-handed in front of first slip by Bushe. With Ross Gelderbloem also having departed to a stunning McCallan catch at cover off Simon Stokes, Carrick were 29 for four in the 11^th over, and with their best batsmen back in the pavilion. Things got worse before they got better for the visitors. They were 41 for six and then 64 for eight, but for an hour they conjured up hopes of the most unlikely of comebacks thanks to a ninth-wicket partnership between Ally McCalmont and Matthew Kernohan. It would be generous to give McCalmont and Kernohan all the credit however, because Waringstown’s fielders were highly culpable in a stand of 82. Kernohan was just two when he was missed at mid-off off Mpitsang, and he was to be reprieved on another two occasions, with McCalmont also enjoying one escape. Numbers nine and ten were swinging from the hip and the fielders obliging with a series of embarrassing misses. Kernohan struck three sixes and four fours, reaching his first senior half century in just 37 balls, before the fun came to an end when he was caught at deep mid-wicket off James Hall. With McCalmont departing almost immediately for 33 from 49 balls, Carrick were dismissed for 149, with more than 12 overs unused. From there it was all about McCallan. Promoted to open for the first time in his Waringstown career, he was comfortable for the first delivery, despite testing new balls spells from Gelderbloem and Eagleson on a surface that offered assistance to the seamers throughout the day. Ireland’s most capped player added 79 for the second wicket with Lee Nelson (34) and the unbroken partnership for the third with Andrew Cousins (24 no) saw the villagers home with more than eight overs to spare. There was nothing flashy about McCallan’s 71. Made from 95 balls, it wasn’t an innings of breathtaking pace, but he punished almost every semblance of a bad delivery, striking 10 delightful boundaries. The villagers, who still have to welcome Gary Kidd and Keith Allen to their strongest starting line-up, look in good shape for Saturday’s intriguing trip to North Down.

WARINGSTOWN kept their NCU Premier League hopes alive with an extraordinary 15-run win over Civil Service North at The Lawn on Saturday.

The villagers appeared to be on their way to a third league defeat of the season as they were dismissed for just 116 with almost ten overs of their innings unused.

It was an appalling batting display which resulted in a half-time roasting from captain Jonathan Bushe. Without their leading run-scorer Kyle McCallan and the consistent Andrew Cousins, Waringstown were in trouble from the start as opener James Hall was dismissed without scoring.

Simon Harrison, promoted to open in the absence of McCallan and Cousins, didn’t last long either, but Waringstown seemed to be going along smoothly enough as captain Jonathan Bushe (25) and Lee Nelson (23) had added 55 for the third wicket.

However, the innings changed direction as Bushe was run out unwisely attempting a risky single, and when Nelson followed soon after, it was the beginning of a remarkable collapse that saw the last eight wickets fall for 59 runs.

Nigel Jones and Colin Andrews shared six wickets and the only ray of hope for the villagers was the extravagant amount of spin in the Lawn pitch.

Gary Kidd was introduced early into the attack and soon removed openers Gareth McKee and Stephen Dyer, but at 51 for two with Jones and professional Kieran Noema-Barnett at the crease, it should have been a stroll for CSN. However left-arm spinner Kidd claimed Jones on his way to taking a superb four for 27.

With Nelson benefiting from a rash shot from Noema-Barnett , CSN lost five wickets for 26 runs to slump to 77 for seven.

Patrick Fisher (30) edged CSN towards the target, but South African paceman Victor Mpitsang (3-22) bowled him, John Costain and Andrews as the Stormont side crashed to 100 all out. It was another fine display in the field from Waringstown but they will have to sharpen up their act with the bat ahead of Saturday’s Bob Kerr Irish Cup semi-final against Merrion at The Lawn (12.30pm start).

The villagers were favourites at the halfway stage of the semi-final as they restricted the Dubliners to a total of 202, a target that should have been easily within reach on a pitch that held no demons and against a bowling attack that was hardly threatening. There were few excuses as Waringstown were dismissed for just 121 in less than 42 overs. The writing was on the wall from the earliest moments as Kyle McCallan departed in the second over, caught off a leading edge at mid-on. That was the beginning of a sorry procession of Waringstown batsmen against ordinary bowling. James Hall was the second to go, edging behind, perhaps taken aback by a rare straight delivery after Richard Keaveney had completely lost his radar with a succession of wides. Andrew Cousins hit a full toss to mid-on and Lee Nelson followed, missing a straight ball from Damian Polter. Waringstown pushed the panic button long before it was necessary. Keith Morrison was blameless, he was adjudged run out when he appeared to have made his ground, but the captain Jonathan Bushe danced down the wicket and was bowled hitting across the line, when patience should have been of the essence. Only Simon Harrison, with an unbeaten 31, gave them a token of respectability but after beating the cream of Leinster ,The Hills, on their home patch in the quarter-finals, Waringstown blew it on a day when they enjoyed the best of conditions. Waringstown’s batsman let down the bowlers, and in particular Victor Mpitsang, the South African professional. Merrion were 16 for four after being inserted, as the superb Mpitsang (4-26) and Simon Harrison (2-26) threatened to run through the visitors’ batting line-up. Merrion did brilliantly to rally, courtesy of a wonderful innings from the Australian, John Anderson. Watchful at the start, he upped the tempo gradually, making a faultless and chanceless 101 from 111 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. It was an exhibition of batting, a lesson in how to keep the strike when batting with the lower order, using a combination of shrewd placement, hard running and occasionally brilliant boundary hitting. Waringstown should have followed his example, and had they done so, they would now be licking their lips at the prospect of an Irish Cup final date with Railway Union. Instead, they are left to contemplate what might have been. Opportunities to break the Leinster dynasty in the Irish Cup don’t come around too often, and Waringstown blew a golden one.

WARINGSTOWN’S NCU Premier League title hopes are almost certainly over after a six-wicket defeat by North Down at The Lawn on Sunday.

A disappointing batting display was at the root of their problems, as Jonathan Bushe’s men could only manage 89 for eight in 20 overs batting first in almost perfect conditions.

North Down too briefly threatened to make a meal of the most routine of run chases as they lost four wickets for 17 runs in an unlikely mid-innings wobble, but they recovered to a six-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.

North Down are not mathematically champions just yet, but with four matches remaining, Peter Shields’ side must lose twice to allow Waringstown or Lisburn to leapfrog them. Given that North Down have lost only once in 14 league game, and their run-in consists of fixtures against Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Civil Service North and CIYMS, the title race is effectively over and we are only halfway through August.

The writing was on the wall for the home side once Kyle McCallan was lbw reverse sweeping off-spinner Marty Moreland in just the fifth over.

Without a big contribution from their talisman, Waringstown went into their shell. McCallan had pulled the erratic McKenna for four from the first ball of the match, but it wasn’t until the second ball of the 11th over that we saw another boundary. In total there were just four boundaries in the Waringstown innings, a damning statistic and one that tells the full story about a glaring lack of intent.

Lee Nelson hit a long-hop from Ryan Haire to mid-wicket, and Jonathan Bushe also fell victim to the part-time spinner, though he was the victim of a harsh looking lbw decision.

James Hall top scored with 29 from 39 balls, but never once did he, or indeed any other home batsman, look likely to break the shackles.

If anyone thought conditions were difficult for batting, Neil Russell (25) and Andrew Sutherland (23), the North Down openers, showed otherwise with a quickfire stand of 49 for the first wicket.

However, when the visitors slumped from 49 for 0 to 66 for four, Waringstown had the slightest glimmer of a chance. Indeed, had they managed to post 120 they might just have had a formidable total to defend. Nelson claimed two of those wickets, while Hall will count himself fortunate to have trapped Ryan Haire lbw when the left-hander was struck outside the line of off stump.

As it was Waringstown’s spinners didn’t have enough runs to play with and the window of opportunity was firmly shut in their face as Taimur Khan struck the first ball he faced for six on his way to an unbeaten 25 from just 18 balls.