1sts make it 7 wins from last 9 games
A four wicket win for Lurgan in their Section 1 league game with Academy on Saturday gave the home side their seventh win in their last 9 games. Like the previous match against Derriaghy, the pendulum swung both ways throughout the encounter with the Lurgan team being fully deserving of their win.
Electing to bat on winning the toss, Academy got off to a great start putting on 53 for the 1st wicket. The fall of the second wicket at 63 brought danger man Parry to the wicket and the South African pushed the run rate along at
virtually 5 an over as the visitors were sitting comfortably on 122 for 5 at drinks. However the second half of the Academy innings was to prove different as the Town bowlers fought their way back into the game. The dismissal of Parry to a catch by Stephen Chambers off the bowling of Peter Maxwell for 45 slowed the run rate right down, as the visitors were only able to add a further 75 runs to set the home side a run chase of 198 to win. Callum Grieve took 3 for 62 in his 10 overs while Peter Maxwell had 2 for 30 also in 10 while there was a wicket each for Andrew Bingham and AV Dandekar.
In reply, after losing Jack Harrison for 9, Stephen Johnston and AV Dandakar were scoring at well over 5 an over when Johnston nicked one to the keeper and was gone for 24 with the total on 62. Stephen Chambers joined AV in the middle and both were scoring with relative ease as the drinks break came with Lurgan on 135 for 2 wkts and looking good for victory. But that was all to change as with the total on 150, the home side lost 4 wickets, including Chambers (39) for just 7 runs and the game was back in the melting pot. Ollie McCollum joined AV with 41 runs still required for victory and played a vital supportive role as Dandekar, batting with a knee injury, played some beautiful leg side shots to steer the home side to victory with over seven overs to spare, finishing on an excellent 88no.