Small margins haunt Brigade in frustrating title defence

Brigade’s defence of their North West Premiership crown ultimately proved a season of frustration, near misses and the occasional feeling that the cricketing gods simply were not on their side.

The Waterside club were always likely to be up against it after their early-season defeat to eventual champions Newbuildings, a game decided when Brigade were unable to produce the required DLS sheet in time. It was the sort of setback that seemed to set the tone for their campaign.

Their Senior Cup ambitions ended in the cruellest fashion possible, losing on a bowl-out to Ardmore, while they somehow contrived to lose the Faughan Valley Cup final from a winning position, beaten from the final delivery. Small margins, indeed.

There was at least silverware in the shape of the Sammy Jeffrey Shield, although that would have been well down Brigade’s list of priorities at the start of the summer. Individually, there were plenty of encouraging performances.

Gavin Roulston topped the batting aggregates with 694 runs at 31.55, including a century and four fifties, while David Barr was arguably their most consistent batter, scoring 680 runs at 40.00 with a hundred and five half-centuries. Scott Macbeth also enjoyed a strong all-round campaign, making 646 runs at a strike rate above 100 while taking 26 wickets.

The bowling unit had considerable depth. Trent McKeegan led the way with 38 wickets, Ryan Macbeth claimed 33, while JP Millar and Scott Macbeth both took 26. Barr added 25 and Iftikha Hussain 23, giving Brigade six bowlers with more than 20 wickets. Those figures underline why major surgery is not required.

There remains considerable experience and quality at Beechgrove, but there is also a sense that the squad could benefit from a refresh and an injection of new talent. Finding that quality is, of course, easier said than done. The challenge for Brigade is ensuring an experienced side does not become a static one.

Brigade remain capable of challenging on every front, but a little fresh impetus could be exactly what is required to turn those narrow defeats back into silverware in 2027.

Top 10 Brigade batters

1. Gavin Roulston – 694 runs, average 31.55, strike rate 85.3, highest score 100, 4 fifties, 1 hundred, 69 fours, 32 sixes.
2. David Barr – 680 runs, average 40.00, strike rate 61.0, highest score 103, 5 fifties, 1 hundred, 73 fours, 13 sixes.
3. Scott Macbeth – 646 runs, average 32.30, strike rate 103.2, highest score 67*, 3 fifties, 60 fours, 30 sixes.
4. Iftikha Hussain – 425 runs, average 21.25, strike rate 77.7, highest score 44, 42 fours, 7 sixes.
5. Andy Britton – 301 runs, average 17.71, strike rate 81.4, highest score 41, 21 fours, 15 sixes.
6. Ryan Macbeth – 261 runs, average 23.73, strike rate 60.8, highest score 27, 23 fours, 5 sixes.
7. AM McDaid – 224 runs, average 16.00, strike rate 50.9, highest score 40, 21 fours, 6 sixes.
8. James Smallwoods – 174 runs, average 13.38, strike rate 68.2, highest score 51, 1 fifty, 20 fours, 8 sixes.
9. JP Millar – 65 runs, average 13.00, strike rate 64.4, highest score 17*, 4 fours, 1 six.
10. Trent McKeegan – 64 runs, average 16.00, strike rate 118.5, highest score 38, 4 fours, 5 sixes.

Brigade bowling

1. Trent McKeegan – 38 wickets, average 20.66, economy 4.74, strike rate 26.2, best 4-22, 14 maidens.
2. Ryan Macbeth – 33 wickets, average 19.73, economy 3.92, strike rate 30.2, best 4-27, 21 maidens.
3. JP Millar – 26 wickets, average 20.19, economy 5.20, strike rate 23.3, best 5-34, 1 five-wicket haul, 5 maidens.
4. Scott Macbeth – 26 wickets, average 24.58, economy 4.56, strike rate 32.3, best 4-32, 13 maidens.
5. David Barr – 25 wickets, average 24.52, economy 4.05, strike rate 36.3, best 4-34, 16 maidens.
6. Iftikha Hussain – 23 wickets, average 21.52, economy 4.08, strike rate 31.7, best 4-22, 11 maidens.
7. Gavin Roulston – 10 wickets, average 17.70, economy 4.99, strike rate 21.3, best 4-40, 2 maidens.
8. Andy Britton – 8 wickets, average 26.75, economy 5.61, strike rate 28.6, best 2-23, 2 maidens.