GILL BOWS OUT ON A HUGE WEEKEND AT THE LAWN

Waringstown, the newly crowned Premier League champions will receive the trophy after their final game of the season against Muckamore on Saturday on what was already pencilled in as a huge weekend at the club.

This year is 175th anniversary of the club and to mark the occasion on Friday a Waringstown XI made up of past and present players, including many of the club captains from the past 25 years, will take on a President’s XI featuring players from local clubs. The game at The Lawn starts at 3pm.

Then, on Saturday night, after the Premier League finale, there is an Anniversary dinner for club members and guests with the Premier League trophy undoubtedly taking pride of place.

The weekend wraps up on Sunday with The Lawn hosting All-Ireland T20 finals day with the Women’s decider between Merrion and Holywood at 11am and then at 3pm Lisburn take on Pembroke Men, the Leinster side hoping to complete the fourth leg of an historic quintuplet.

And that is not all. Because on Saturday, the Lawn will be the venue for Neil Gill’s last senior match after a remarkable 25-year career, all but two of them at Muckamore, including 11 seasons as captain.

The highlight was leading the team to their first Challenge Cup success for 62 years in 2024, in the club’s 150th anniversary year, one of 10 trophies the most successful captain in the club’s history has picked up. He was there in 2012 when Muckamore won the inaugural Irish National Cup and he has also collected the Ulster Shield and T20 Trophy as well as the Section One League title, each on three occasions.

From his 1st XI debut as a 15-year-old in 2001, it has been some journey.

“I have always given my heart and soul to this wonderful cricket club and I will continue to do that from a committee perspective. I want to see this club keep moving forward,” says Gill.

“When you look at where we were even five or six years ago compared to where we are now, it’s incredible – but we have to keep moving forward and keep improving both on and off the pitch.

“I’ve had the best days of my life playing for Muckamore - bar the births of my kids, Lucy and Ollie, of course.

“The stand-out has to bringing the Challenge Cup back to Muckamore  in 2024 – that’s the pinnacle for me – but winning the first Irish National Cup against Balbriggan is certainly right up there, as are winning those Ulster Shields and the great days we had in the North West, winning the Section One titles – there are so many memories.

“For years Muckamore were known as a yo-yo team. We’re now an established Premier League club and when you look at the facilities we have at Moylena, the number of members we have and the number of teams representing the club, we’ve come a long way.

“But there’s still so much more we can do. I’m particularly passionate about continuing to grow our youth section and making sure the next generation gets the same opportunities and enjoyment from Muckamore that I have had.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to captain this club and to pull on the Muckamore shirt for the 1st XI all these years.

“Saturday will undoubtedly be emotional but I’ll be incredibly proud when I walk out with the 1st XI for the final time.”

What GIller didn’t manage was to pull on an Ireland shirt – at least a senior one, he played for Ireland A – but as he told me in 2023, he admits he probably didn’t want international honours enough.

“I had a good Under-19 World Cup in 2006 (an Ireland side captained by Eoin Morgan and including seven future internationals). I bowled very tightly, and then trained with the full Ireland squad, under Trent Johnston, at North County but I never wanted it as much as the other guys,” he said.

“I use Gary Wilson as an example, a player who wasn’t gifted with natural talent but he always wanted to be a professional cricketer, Wiliiam Porterfield was another. But going up and down five hours every Sunday to Dublin for training, as much as cricket has been my life, and I love it, I never really wanted to do that.

“So I have no regrets, you either wanted it or you didn’t”

What he does want is more medals, however, and that’s why he will continue to play for Muckamore 2nd XI, indeed, as soon as Sunday when he turns out for Muckamore in the final of the Ulster Plate against Fox Lodge II at Woodvale.

“I’ve won everything bar the Premier League and Irish Cup – so no chance of winning those now – but would love to add the Junior Cup, Junior One and, of course, the Ulster Plate.

His 1st XI role of honour is seven Ulster Shields, four Section One titles, two Section Two titles, three T20 Trophies, one National Cup, one Challenge Cup and (with Carrickefergus) one T20 Cup in 2021.

He hopes to make it 20 winners medals on Sunday and the 21st could come just a week later when Muckamore II meet CI II in the final of the Junior 1 T20 Ulster Plate – two days before his 40th birthday.

Gill may be stepping back from the big time but age is just a number and his experience and skill is set to benefit the club on the field for years to come.