Promotion hopes suffer heavy blow

Promotion hopes suffer heavy blow

7 August 2013

DOWNPATRICK were on the wrong end of a comprehensive seven wicket defeat to runaway league leaders Muckamore on Saturday afternoon.

Defeat has all but ended Downpatrick’s title challenge for the 2013 season, but Downpatrick will now look to consolidate second place in Senior Section 1 with improved performances in their final five matches.

Faced with near perfect conditions, it was no surprise that Downpatrick captain James Magowan opted to put his side in to bat in the opening innings.

Magowan opened proceedings for the hosts, alongside Paul Tate. However, some early Muckamore pressure paid dividends when visiting captain Neil Gill removed his opposite number Magowan in the third over.

Openers Neil Gill and Gary Nicholl bowled excellently for Muckamore, limiting Downpatrick to just 22 runs from eight overs. Paul Tate then succumbed to the pace bowling of Gil in the ninth over, to leave the scoreboard reading 22-2.

Muckamore continued to grind Downpatrick’s top order batsmen with some clinical bowling and fielding displays, and the introduction of Trevor Neill into the bowling attack paid dividends for the visitors, when he clean bowled Ryan Smyth in the 13th over, with just 29 runs on the board.

However, a gutsy 55-run partnership was forged between Aaron Cairns and Jancan Adams, which moved the scoreboard to 86-3 from 24 overs. Disappointment followed for Downpatrick, however, when South African Adams (32) was dismissed just three balls short of drinks by Muckamore professional Indrajeet Kamtekar.

Ricky Gill (10), Gavin Ringland (16) and Jamie Thompson (11) all provided brief resistance to the Muckamore attack, but each succumbed to the medium-pace of Les Allen to leave Downpatrick on 144-7 from 45 overs.

Meanwhile, Aaron Cairns remained defiant at the other end for Downpatrick, and reached his third half-century of the season in the 46th over. Cairns would go on to score an impressive 59 before becoming Neil Gill’s third wicket of the day in the 48th over, leaving Downpatrick on 158-8.

The Downpatrick tail-enders chipped in with a handful of runs, but cheap wickets in the final over meant that Muckamore dismissed Downpatrick for 169 runs.

The visitors opened with batsmen Brian Bagguely and Trevor Neil, and the duo resisted all Downpatrick bowling efforts, advancing the score to 77 from 18 overs.

Spinner Dan Carson eventually made the breakthrough for Downpatrick in the 19th over, when he removed Trevor Neill (25) courtesy of a catch by Jamie Thompson.

Eyebrows were further raised in the Muckamore ranks when Dale Mullan dismissed Connor Breet just two overs later, leaving the score on 85-2, and Downpatrick with some renewed optimism.

However, Downpatrick’s hopes were dashed, thanks to a match-winning 75-run partnership between Brian Bagguely and Craig Drummond. Bagguley (80) and Drummond (32) reaffirmed Muckamore’s foothold in the match, moving the scoreboard to 150 from 42 overs before Drummond was the victim of a fine caught and bowled effort by Magowan.

Despite this brief moment of resistance, Muckamore reached the allotted total at a canter, with Indrajeet Kamtekar scoring the winning runs in the 44th over.

Kamtekar (14) and Bagguely (80) remained unbeaten in the middle, as Muckamore extended their winning run to 13 league games.

Downpatrick: J. Magowan (c), P. Tate, A. Cairns (wk), R. Smyth, J. Adams, R. Gill, G. Ringland, J. Thompson, D. Mullan, L. Rea, D. Carson.

• Downpatrick Cricket Club will be holding it’s annual summer BBQ this Saturday evening from 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £10 per person.