Yeates takes four wickets as Downpatrick canter

Yeates takes four wickets as Downpatrick canter

30 April 2014

DOWNPATRICK Cricket Club began their 2014 Ulster Bank Section 1 season with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Woodvale at Strangford Road on Saturday afternoon.

Under the guidance of new club captain Paul Tate, the hosts took to the field for the first innings after visiting skipper Jonny Burnside opted to put his side in to bat after winning the toss.

It did not take long for Downpatrick to strike an early blow. Woodvale opener Sam Fleming was run out in the very first over of the innings. This would prove to be a sign of things to come for the visitors.

The match was just five overs old when Downpatrick swing bowler John Wheeler dismissed both Timmy Browne and Paul Robinson in consecutive balls to leave Woodvale on 11-3.

At the other end, Downpatrick’s other opening bowler and new signing from Dundrum, Mark Yeates, was causing all sorts of problems for the visiting batsmen with his speedy seam bowling.

Inevitably, it was debutant Yeates who struck the next blow for Downpatrick, trapping Gareth Dempster lbw in the 10th over to leave the scoreboard reading 17-4.

The very next over and Woodvale lost a fifth wicket, when Downpatrick’s new Professional Amit Patil claimed his first wicket for the Strangford Road men via the safe hands of Mark Yeates.

The following over capped off a remarkable debut for Yeates, when he dismissed Jonny Burnside, Wayne Fraser and Ryan McBride with consecutive deliveries to claim a hat-trick that put Downpatrick in complete control of the match and Woodvale floundering on 26-8.

Yeates put on a pace bowling master class, finishing with figures of 4-16 from his 10-over spell.

A brief Woodvale resurgence followed with 20 more runs added to the total. However the spin bowling of young Thomas Magowan accounted for the final two wickets as the visitors slumped to 46 all out — the hosts needing just 21 overs to dismiss their opponents.

Downpatrick took just 11 overs to chase down the allotted target, with Paul Tate (18), Dean Lester (11) and Ricky Gill (11*) guiding the hosts to victory, despite two Timmy Browne wickets.

After such a convincing victory, confidence will be high within the Downpatrick ranks as the locals travel to Queensway to take on a much-fancied Derriaghy side on Saturday afternoon.

UPS Man of the Match: Mark Yeates.

Ball sponsor: Mr Gawn Hutton.