Cregagh Cricket Club

Under 11 Final Report

After their 10 wicket victory over North Down in the semis, Cregagh’s U11s took the relatively short journey up to Shawsbridge for their Plate Final against local rivals CIYMS on Monday (23rd) night.

With the early season league meeting between the two Belfast clubs going to Cregagh by the significant 48 run margin, they were favourites going into the game but with the added pressure of defending champions on their shoulders all form was overlooked. Cregagh’s captain Stuart Nelson lost the toss and his side were put into bat and with the outfield soaking due to the downpours the ball would have to be hit with some force to reach the boundary. After their 93 opening partnership against North Down in the Semi Final, Lewis Cunningham and Stuart Nelson put on the pads and strode out to the middle.

The CI Robinson twins opened the bowling and Chris had got his side off to a great start after bowling out both Cunningham and the dangerman Nelson both for 5, 17-2. Nelson’s batting was now finished for the U11 season and with figures of 247 runs at an average of 62, the lad should hold his head very high. James Hume was in at No.3 for Cregagh partnered by Jack White at 4. The pair started to rebuild the innings and White scored the first 4 of the evening with a great pull shot off David Robinson, 28-2 after 6 overs.

Hume was an expert in the running and put pressure on the CI fielders with his quick singles and often turned singles into 2s with his speed. The pair put on a 57 partnership being at the crease together for 12 overs before Hume was given out L.B.W. off the bowling of Mitchell. This very well played 23 off 39 balls was the rock of Cregagh’s innings, 74-3 after 17 overs. Daniel Martin was in and out for a duck as Mitchell had picked up his second wicket, 82-4. Jack White was then out in the last over of the game as Roulston bowled him for 24. White’s knock was off 47 balls and was vital for the Cregagh cause. Staying at the crease for 15 overs in a final is fantastic evidence of the boy’s ability to handle pressure, even more so considering that this is his first year in the sport. Jack Mahon came in at 7 for Cregagh with 4 balls remaining. Mahon hit the last ball to the boundary which was only the third of the innings which gave the defending champions great impetus going into their fielding innings.

CI were set the target of 94 to win from 120 balls. The Ulster representative Nelson had the ball in his hand for the Mighty Ducks and the big crowd were in for a show. This boy does not need any loosners when it comes to bowling which was clear when his second ball Yorker cleaned up Milligan’s stumps and Cregagh were off and running, 1-1 after the first over. Chris Robinson was in for CI at No.3 and Nelson’s second over was impeccable. Robinson out for a duck after Nelson bowled him, then Peden out for a duck after Nelson bowled him too.

The young Cregagh starlet’s double wicket maiden had CI 4-3 after 3 overs and the men from Gibson Park were more than on top.Then in stepped Nelson’s partner in crime Lewis Cunningham who also bowled a magnificent wicket maiden as Beattie was bowled for 2 and CI’s top order had been dismissed all through great straight bowling, 4-4 after 4. Nelson then made it the third wicket maiden in succession as Roulston was bowled for a duck and Cregagh had one hand on the Plate, 5-5 from 5. Cunningham then went on to bowl a maiden in the 6th over to show the world class way of how to open the bowling, two faultless spells from the two openers as CI were 5-5 after 6 overs needing 89 to win from 84 balls. David Robinson and Mitchell were grafting CI’s innings into a reasonable score as spells from James Hume, Daniel Larmour, Cameron Lindsay and Lewis Moore were all solid but wicketless with the score 37-5 after 13 overs. After top scoring in the first innings with 24, Jack White was brought on to bowl and was immediately effective as he bowled Mitchell for 6, 38-6.

Lewis Cunningham bowled the 18th over and after it went for only two runs, the young opener finished with fantastic figures of 1-3 from his 4 overs. This was Cunningham’s 11th wicket of the season at the small average of 7.3 which capped a great year for the lad.With figures of 4-1 from his 3 overs, Nelson was brought back on in the 19th over and unsurprisingly bowled his third consecutive wicket maiden and he bowled out the other twin David Robinson for a very well played 24 which turned his sides innings from potentially 20 all out into a good score, 58-7 after 19 overs. This wicket maiden saw Nelson finish with Man of the Match figures of 5-1 from his four allotted overs which included three wicket maidens.

This spell took Nelson’s tally of wickets for the season to 19 with the minuscule, in fact laughable average of 2.84 to cap a remarkable year which saw the star for the future get picked for the special one of match for Ulster in which he took a wicket. He did his club proud and will no doubt play a key part for the seniors in the not too distant future.

The final over of the Final was to be bowled by Jack White with CI needing 36 to win from 6 balls. This however did not come to plan as White bowled a double wicket maiden meaning CI could only manage 58 in their chase as Cregagh defended their Plate by a handsome 35 runs.