Magowan brothers lead Downpatrick to emphatic victory

Magowan brothers lead Downpatrick to emphatic victory

5 June 2013

DOWNPATRICK bounced back from their Challenge Cup defeat at the hands of Carrickfergus with a comprehensive 155 run league victory over Donaghcloney at Strangford Road on Friday afternoon.

Opting to bat first, Downpatrick openers Ben McIlroy and Paul Tate gave the hosts the perfect start, sharing a 35-run partnership before Tate (23) was caught off the bowling of Donaghcloney’s David Marshall.

Downpatrick captain James Magowan joined McIlroy at the crease and added 24 quick runs of his own before he too was back in the pavilion, caught off Lewis McNamara’s bowling.

The hosts, sitting at 88-2 from 22 overs, introduced South African Jancan Adams into the batting attack. He shared a brief partnership with Ben McIlroy before McIlroy departed for a useful 35.

The partnership forged between Adams and his new batting partner, Justin Rea, proved crucial to the victory. The duo shared a match-winning 97-run partnership, from just 14 overs, to move Downpatrick to 190 runs from 37 overs.

Adams continued his rich vein of batting form, celebrating his third consecutive league half-century on his way to a fine knock of 68 from 60 balls. The South African was eventually undone by his Donaghcloney counterpart, Mansing Nigade.

Rea contributed significantly with the bat also, adding a patient 35 to the total before he was dismissed by David Marshall in the 38th over. Middle order batsmen Ryan Smyth and Dale Mullan added a further 19 runs in the final stages of the innings to leave Downpatrick with a final score of 219 runs from their 42 overs.

Downpatrick’s response with the ball was emphatic. The innings was only four balls old when Jancan Adams exacted revenge to remove Donaghcloney professional Mansing Nigade, with just three runs on the board. 

Worse was to follow for the visitors when John Wheeler claimed his fifth wicket of the season in the second over, trapping Colin Hylands LBW. Wheeler then took a second wicket in the 4th over, when he bowled Richard Lyttle to reduce Donaghcloney to 13-3.

Brief resistance arrived in the form of middle-order duo Keith Martin and Philip Darby, who advanced the score to 37 from 11 overs.

However, the Magowan brothers accounted for both their wickets in consecutive overs. First, James Magowan had Martin dismissed via LBW in the 12th over, before his brother Thomas removed Darby in the 13th.

The Downpatrick bowling attack was relentless, with the Magowan brothers taking a second wicket apiece in the 15th and 16th overs to reduce Donaghcloney to 47-7.

Young Thomas Magowan added a third wicket to his collection in the 19th over, trapping Lewis McNamara LBW to finish with fine figures of 3-15 from his bowling spell.

The closing stages of the innings saw both Dan Carson and Ben McIlroy take a wicket each as Downpatrick dismissed Donaghcloney for just 64 to run out comfortable 155 run winners.

NCU man of the match: Jancan Adams

Downpatrick: B. McIlroy, P. Tate, J. Magowan (c), J. Adams, J. Rea, R. Smyth (wk), D. Mullan, G. Ringland, D. Carson, J. Wheeler, T. Magowan.