It’s been a tough week for Cliftonville Academy and it’s not going to get any easier on Saturday when they visit Donemana, the North West Senior Cup holders.

Last Saturday, the opened  their Premier League campaign by conceding 383 for eight to North Down, the highest ever total at the Castle Grounds, and on Thursday, against Lisburn, their hosts posted 283 for six, the highest ever total in an NCU T20 Cup game.

In contrast, it was a memorable opening day of the season for CA captain Matty McCord, who bettered his previous best Premier League score by exactly 100, hitting the Comber attack for a sensational 168. He faced just 94 balls and hit 14 fours and 15 sixes.

Mixed emotions then for the skipper but, especially after the mauling in the Park, it left him wondering what club cricket should be about.

“We are trying to make sure we are bringing through youngsters and looking at the long-term of the club. But, last night was a net session for internationals preparing for the summer - which wasn’t much fun for us (Ross Adair scored 96, Ben Calitz 82 and Mark Adair 31 off 12 balls. Between them they hit 19 sixes and 18 fours),” said McCord.

 “Yet, I thought we acquitted ourselves quite well. There were a couple of big scalps for the youngsters. Saturday was different. It was a poor showing from us with the ball and in the field. Mo (Aahill) scored a century but he must have been dropped seven times. Last night it was only one, Calitz on 80. So we let ourselves down on Saturday while last night at one stage we could have been chasing more than 300.

‘The concern for me is the gap is getting bigger every year. We are now playing professionals and it is getting harder to compete for club guys. Last night we had a couple of players getting dressed on the pitch (having just arrived from work).

“I’m for the 12-team league next year but I don’t think it will make the difference they expect. It just means two more teams will get tanked. We want to play as high a level as possible and it will help us going to 12 teams because we will have two more competitive matches, but not sure it’s going to work”

So did he agree with Carrickfergus, his former club, refusing promotion after winning Section One last year?

“If we were in their position we would respect the meritocracy of sport. But I can understand where they are coming from them – I played there and I know they have youngsters coming through.”

Bu McCord is happy for his young players to be exposed to the Premier League – 16-year-old Alfie Wylie claimed the wickets for Mark Adair and Lisburn captain Neil Whitworth on Thursday night.

“The two Wylies are exceptional. And they would be playing every week no matter who we have available. Alfie is the better bat, Henry (his twin) the better bowler, but Alfie can also keep wicket  - he keeps wicket for Methody 1st XI - and bowl left arm seam and left arm spin. He will be bowling tomorrow at Donemana.”

To be fair to the team, they are missing Dave O’Sullivan, who is nursing a knee injury and misses the Irish Cup match (against his former club, but he will be doing the scorebook), John Glass has also to come back and Ben Kane is at a wedding this week.

“The exciting thing for us is our pro (South African, CP Klinjhans). He hits the ball very clean. (Umpire) Michael Foster after two balls last Saturday stepped back five yards. He hit the ball out of the Castle Grounds, absolutely humongous. I expect him to get a score like I did at some point this year. He looks like that sort of player.

“He also bowls leg spin for us, but only part-time professionally, He is primarily a left hand bat.

“I back us to compete at some stage this year. If we have a day when the pro, Dave and I come off we can cause an upset,” insists McCord who will always back himself to score quick runs.

“The guys who play with me know I can hit a clean ball and hit a quick 30 or 40, but I didn’t stop on Saturday. I was chanceless until I got to 140 and then the comedy started. I was bowled by a no-ball and next ball I chipped the easiest dolly to cover. It was dropped. So it came off for me on the day. Brian Stirling (father of Paul) said afterwards: ‘I was the best batsman he had never heard of!’”

However, McCord is realistic regarding their finishing position in the league this year.

“I know we are huge favourites to finish ninth, I am not going to dispute that and that is not disrespecting Laurelvale. On their day any team can win a cricket match – we lost to Templepatrick last year (their only win).

But he doesn’t deny he – and the team – are excited by the prospect of playing at Donemana.

“It’s the game everyone wants to play, isn’t it,” adds McCord, “We will go into it as massive underdogs. We watched, as a team, the end of their game against Waringstown last year. So we are under no illusions what we will be up against, but just really excited."