NCU Women's Cup
Final: Waringstown beat Holywood by 125 runs.
The Lawn, 3 August.
Waringstown 240-7 (30 overs; A Gerken 45, C Murray 43, S Hinds 42 ,A Harrison 20; N Kerr 4-56)
Holywood 115 (26 overs; M Landsman 59; C Murray 4-13, C Lyons 3-22, P Speer 2-34)
Scorecard
Winners Waringstown (CricketEurope)
Holders Waringstown won the Gallagher Women's Senior Cup for the third time in their history with an emphatic 125-run win over Holywood. Cara Murray made 43 and took four wickets to earn the Player-of-the-Match accolade. There was also a century partnership between skipper Sophie Hinds (42) and Abigaile Gerken (45) in an imposing total of 240 for 7. Nina Kerr (4-56) the most successful of an erratic Holywood bowling unit that leaked 53 extras - including 9 penalty runs. The chase never got going with only Madison Landsman (59) getting into her stride. As well as Murray's 4-13, there were three wickets for Charlotte Lyons and two for Penny Speer in a day to remember for Waringstown - they will be hoping their men's side can complete a cup double on Friday at Stormont.
NCU Junior
Cooke Collegians beat Instonians II by 14 runs.
SAndy Bay, Larne, 2 August.
Cooke Collegians 183 (39 overs; L Willmott 51, H Haider 46, V Srinivasan 24; M Willmott 3-15, G Craigan 2-17, J Jones 2-36)
Instonians 169 (36.4 overs; J Shannon 54, M Geddam 32, L McCann 20; C Shekhar 3-34, A John 2-15, V Srinivasan 2-20, A Pandita 2-21)
Report
Winners Cooke Collegians (Jeremy Burrows)
NCU Premier Top
Waringstown lost to Instonians by 10 runs
The Lawn, 2 August.
Instonians 199 (45.2 overs: R McKinley 46, S Dadswell 39, C Carmichael 35, N Rock 22, A White 21; T Mayes 4-29, R Allen 2-28, J Cameron-Dow 2-51)
Waringstown 189 (48.4 overs: M Topping 84, D vd Merwe 34, T Mayes 21; C Robertson 3-21, A White 3-26, S Dadswell 2-42)
Scorecard
Cian Robertson and Andy White (Ian Callender)
Instonians took a huge stride towards the Premier League title by beating morning joint leaders Instonians by 10 runs. However, it was a top of the table battle that lacked quality with batters giving their wickets away and as many dropped catches as excellent catches. It looked as if Nikolai Smith had cost his side victory when he dropped Morgan Topping with 29 still required but the Instonians captain redeemed himself by catching the game’s top scorer in the penultimate over to claim the vital victory. Two more wins and the Shaw’s Bridge will complete the second leg of a possible quadruple this season.
NCU Premier Top
North Down beat Lisburn by 6 wickets.
Comber, 2 August.
Lisburn 177 (39.5 overs: J Hunter 36, F Fazal 34; K Hilton 5-47, J Dines 2-16, J Blackwood 2-25)
North Down 180-4 (45.1 overs: T Koen 63, J Blackwood 52*, K Hilton 33)
Scorecard
Lisburn’s can still have a say in the destination of the league title with their last two games against Waringstown and Instonians but it will not be coming to Wallace Park after this surprise six wickets defeat by North Down. The bigger surprise was the presence of West Indian Test player Jermaine Blackwood as a one-off professional for the Comber side – replacing the injured Mickey Copeland. He proved the match-winner, dismissing Nigel Jones and Neil Whitworth in his eight overs and then hitting the winning runs to also bring up his half-century off 83 balls. Top scorer was captain Tyron Koen who hit 63 in a fourth wicket stand of 109 with Blackwood. Kian Hilton was the other surprise of the game, the regular North Down wicket-keeper taking five wickets for 47.
NCU Premier Top
Muckamore beat CIYMS by 29 runs
Moylena, 2 August.
Muckamore 301-7 (50 overs: N Brand 118, S Gordon 118; J Mulder 3-37, H Rolfes 2-43)
CIYMS 272 (8 overs: C McCullough 101, J Egan 46, J Mulder 42, H Rolfes 38; L Bates 4-33, N Gill 2-36, N Brand 2-46)
Scorecard
Century for Sam Gordon (George Armstrong)
Neil Brand and Sam Gordon matched each other run for run as Muckamore topped 300 at Moylena to set up a 29 runs victory over CIYMS. Both batters also hit 14 fours but the South African hit four sixes to Gordon’s one as they put on 209 for the fourth wicket. Carson McCullough replied with his maiden century – a run-a-ball 101 for the visitors and his stand of 104 with Jacob Mulder (42 off 42) kept the match interesting But Luka Bates dismissed both in successive overs and with 49 still required off the last four overs, it proved too much for CI.
NCU Premier Bottom
Templepatrick lost to Woodvale by 72 runs.
The Cloghan, 2 August.
Woodvale 302-6 (50 overs: R Pretorius 136*, L Kaestner 64, C Robinson 36, J Rose 22; M Stewart 2-46)
Templepatrick 230 (43.1 overs: S Weerakkody 54, C Swart 39, R Bryans 37, E Wilson 31; R Pretorius 4-48)
Scorecard
Century for Ruhan Pretorius (Ron Bell)
Templepatrick must win their last three games to avoid an immediate return to Section One after going down to Woodvale by 72 runs, leaving them 10 points behind their victors. Ruhan Pretorius reminded everyone of his prolific form from last year with an undefeated 136 from 115 balls, with nine fours and eight sixes as Woodvale finished on 302 for six. The home side never threatened that total with Sandun Weerakkody the only batter to reach 50 as Pretorius completed a fine all-round game, taking four wickets.
NCU Premier Bottom
CSNI beat Cliftonville Academy by 47 runs.
Stormont, 2 August.
CSNI 232 (49.3 overs: M Ellison 97, A Cowden 34; J Wilson 2-43, M McCord 2-45)
Cliftonville Academy 185 (44 overs: H Melly 52, A Raut 28, M McCord 20; S Davey 3-25, H Dyer 2-30, F Lutton 3-51)
Scorecard
Civil Service North won the clash between the joint seventh place teams by 47 runs with Marc Ellison playing the match-winning innings. The opening batter was out just three short of his century in the 46th over but Andrew Cowden and Finn Lutton added another 33 to set the visitors a daunting target. Hayden Melly got them off to a fast start with 52 from 67 balls but none of his team-mates was able to follow up and the last six wickets fell for 35 runs.
NCU Section 1
Downpatrick lost to Ballymena by 42 runs.
The Meadow, 2 August.
Ballymena 212 (46.1 overs: C Deelman 64, S Glass 50, N vd Linde 32, W Montgomery 25; R Raju 3-32, B Woodruff 3-50, K Reddy 2-46)
Downpatrick 170 (34.2 overs: M Wyngard 36, J Jacob 34, J Vinod 26; S Willoughby 4-38,M Caithness 2-28, C Deelman 2-28, S Glass 2-38)
Ballymena enjoyed themselves at The Meadow coming away with a 42-run win over Downpatrick at The Meadow. They recovered from 17 for 3 to post 212 with Curtley Deelman hitting 10 fours in a top score of 64 and Sam Glass making 50 (4 fours, 1 six). There was also an entertaining cameo from Nick van Linde who thumped four sixes in a 13-ball 32. Downpatrick looked in control of the chase at 67 for 0 and 154 for 3, but imploded losing their last seven wickets for just 17 runs to be 170 all out - four wickets for Scott Willoughby and two each for Michael Caithness, Deelman and Glass to complete all-round excellent games for the duo.
NCU Section 1
Carrickfergus beat Lurgan by 186 runs.
Middle Road, 2 August.
Carrickfergus 319-6 (50 overs: A Varape 115, M Gilmour 57, A Haggan 47, C Styles 42; J Guy 3-71)
Lurgan 133 (38.4 overs: J Collingwood 24, J Maxwell 21, N Babu 21*; A Varape 5-40, P Sharma 2-18, CJ vd Walt 2-31)
Carrickfergus took a massive step towards an immediate return to the top flight with an 186-run demolition of challengers Lurgan. It was the Atish Varape show at Middle Road with the professional top-scoring with 115 (15 fours, 1 six) and taking five wickets. Varapre's century included stands of 88 for the second wicket with Michael Gilmour 57 and 103 for the third with Callum Styles (42). Alex Haggan inflicted further punishment with a 22-ball 47 in a total of 319 for 6 - three wickets for John Giy. Lurgan were bowled out for just 133 with Jake Collingwood making 24, and 21 apiece for Jack Maxwell and Nithin Babu. Varape claimed 5-40, while there were two wickets apiece for Prince Sharma and CJ van der Walt in a victory that moves them 12 points clear at the top.
NCU Section 1
Cregagh lost to Bangor by 8 wickets.
Cregagh Memorial, 2 August.
Cregagh 130 (33.1 overs: N Ravikrishnan 24; M Skelly 5-56, G Prince 2-14)
Bangor 131-2 (19 overs: C Brown 42, S McMillan 39, M Hutchinson 27*)
Michael Skelly took five wickets (Bangor CC)
Bangor yet again got the better of Cregagh, following up their T20 Cup success with an eight-wicket win in the league at the Memorial Grounds. Michael Skelly was the destroyer-in-chief as he claimed five wickets, while George Prince got two as the hosts were bowled out for 130. Mark Hutchinson (27*) anchored the chase that was over in just 19 overs, adding 54 for the first wicket with Sam McMillan (39) and 62 for the second with Connor Brown (42) - both of whom hit six fours and a maximum in the easiest of wins.
NCU Section 1
Armagh beat Laurelvale by 5 wickets.
The Mall, 2 August.
Laurelvale 123 (24.4 overs: A Malik 53; L Liebenberg 5-36, S Lester 2-26, M Wright 2-33)
Armagh 124-5 (31.2 overs: J Rogers 50, S Wilson 43; D Sinton 2-9, A Speers 2-35)
Luan Liebenberg took five wickets for Armagh as they bowled out Laurelvale for 123, with Adnan Malik top-scoring with 53 (5 fours, 1 six). Armagh were always in control of the chase despite the best efforts of David Sinton and Adam Speers who took two wickets apiece. Sam Wilson hit seven fours and a six in his 43, adding 53 with Jamie Rogers, who would go on to make 50 (9 fours) adding a further 41 with Harry Boyd (13*) in a five-wicket win.
NCU Section 1
Derriaghy beat Donacloney Mill by 7 wickets
Queensway, 2 August.
Donacloney Mill 55 (18.2 overs: R Adams 6-21, I Sinovich 4-30)
Derriaghy 57-3 (6.5 overs: C Lewis 23; L Goodbarn 2-25)
Renco Adams (6-21) and Ivan Sinovich (4-30) combined to bowl promotion hopefuls Donacloney Mill out for just 55 to effectively end their aspirations. The chase was over inside seven overs as they raced to a seven-wicket win - Craig Lewis thumping four fours and a maximum in a typically hard-hit knock.