Dundrum are in in for a long season as with exams work and shortage of senior members they will have a massive fight if they are to avoid relegation xa0from section one as usual very competitive and lost by 7 wickets away xa0to leaders Woodvale writes Jeffrey Maquire. xa0xa0
Dundrumxa0 Indian captain Rahi Kakade won the toss and batted first onxa0a easy paced wicket and a very slow outfieldxa0 and knew with his under strength side the pressure was on him to get a solid start and both him and Derek Baileyxa0 found little to bother them as 30 runs came in 5 overs but amazingly 12 were widesxa0 as the opening bowlers wasted the new ball.
Kakade caressed two boundariesxa0 but was caught at cover by opposing captain Mark Irwin andxa0 Ricky McBride bowled James Martin to a ball that misjudged when going forward was the better optionxa037 for 2.
But in fairness, Mcbride was quicker than he looked and troubled everyone. Derek Bailey the second team captain was pulled into open the batting and played to his strengthsxa0crackedxa0 Mcbride through cover for four andxa0 fought hard to graft out a total and see off the bowling.
In the twelfth xa0overxa0 the very useful all-rounder Paul Robinson took out Derekxa0 lbw for 8xa0 asxa0 the home were definitely on top. Indian Ashwin Shettyxa0xa0looked a very aggressive bat wasxa0 bowled leg stump for sixxa0 but Joel Maguire was looking in decent nick even without practicexa0xa0hittingxa0 three boundaries with ease.
Againxa0shot selection was Joel’s downfallxa0 trying play ball on off stump through backwardxa0point and was bowled by Mcbridexa0 forxa0Dundrums top score of 19.
Dundrumxa0 tail didxa0well to addxa0 another fifty runsxa0and Peter Calvert 6 possibly deserves bat higher as looked as good as any top five.xa0 Again concentrationxa0 got Paul Robinsonxa0 was taking advantage of balls getting wickets when even he would admit it was the batsmen’s loose shots that was the problem .
Woodvale might find themselves in a position that could win a section thatxa0 no one has a squad that could come even close competing in the premierxa0league.
But Trevor Longxa0 graftedxa0 pn and with 14-year old Andrew Foster (9)xa0 took the attack to the bowlersxa0and itxa0 was Andrew that produced the shot of the day with a massive straight six and then showed maturity to dig out thexa0next 3 Yorkers as the bowlerxa0made sure he didn’t repeat the shot.
Paul Robinson got both Longxa0and Fosterxa0 giving him decent figures of 5 for 29, and the pick of the attack was Ricky McBride 3 for 29, xa0 butxa0 Gorden Lowey, who is another who played to his strengths hitting 3 boundaries in his 13 not out and Micheal Charnley also hit Robinson for six in his 9xa0 as Dundrum finished on 116.
Batting only 30 oversxa0is a major concern as,xa0no disrespect to the bowling, xa0it was just above average.xa0 All the batsmen made errors and not one was out to a delivery that should trouble them and that’s where practice gets you into good form.
Dundrum with such small total had to attack as early wickets would be key to even coming close to troubling the home side.xa0 Ashwin Shettyxa0 is definitely a bowler who will take wickets and has practiced hard bowledxa0xa0Mark Irwin for 14xa0 and Joel Maguirexa0 first three overs only went for 2 runs and unlucky not to get a wicket.
Indian Sujit Khalbour,xa0 who has been in the runs, looked a very classy player by showing Dundrumxa0how to bat by simply playing the good balls defensively, and anything was over pitched or short.xa0 He crashed to the boundaryxa0xa0but Maguirexa0 got both Aaron Robinson 10 and Andy Kirkpatrick for 2,xa0 but it didn’t deter both Khalbourxa0 who played stylishly for 59 not outxa0 8x 4 and two sixes and was helped by Man of the Matchxa0 Paul Robinson who was 12 not out as they completed a very easy victory by 7 wickets in chasing 116 in only 18 overs.
It was that reason James Martin didn’t get to bowl, but Peter Calvert looked a natural as wicket keeper.
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