Ryan blasts his way to an unbeaten 249

Ryan blasts his way to an unbeaten 249

3 May 2017

DOWNPATRICK teenage batsman Ryan Smyth was the talk of the town on Saturday evening after breaking the highest individual score made by a batsman in NCU senior cricket.

Twenty-one year-old Ryan hit an unbelievable 249 not out from just 139 balls at Upritchard Park in Bangor on the opening day of the season.

He smashed the previous record set by South African Obus Pienaar for Waringstown against CIYMS in 2011 when he amassed 244 off just 114 deliveries, including 22 sixes and 13 fours.

With that score, he broke the record of 233 that the world famous South African captain AB De Villiers set for Carrickfergus against Cliftonville in 2004.

The young Downpatrick batsmen struck 28 fours and nine sixes to all parts of the ground, including 30 from the final over bowled by Bangor captain Andrew Nixon. Downpatrick posted 359 for 6 in their 50 overs, a total that Bangor could never match and they were dismissed for 165.

Smyth’s biggest total before this was 81 when playing for Saintfield and his highest previous score for Downpatrick was 65.