Lurgan Cricket Club

The cricket season concluded with the presentation of the Robinson Services Section 2 trophy at Pollock Park.

The Cricket Section would like to thank Grace &O’Neill and Neil Hinds for kindly sponsoring the cricket balls used during the last week of the season.
We would like to thank all those who sponsored match balls this season. Your support was greatly appreciated

Lurgan 1stXI clinched the Robinson Services Section 2 Championship today with a 7 run victory over BISC in a tight T20 encounter at Mallusk today. The win saw the 1sts finish the league on 32 points, 4 ahead of Dundrum who also won promotion today with an 8 wicket win over Laurelvale.

Put into bat by BISC, Lurgan got off to a bad start losing Stephen Johnston clean bowled by a vicious in-swinging delivery from Pandita without scoring. Stephen Chambers joined Marvin van Niekirk in the middle but the slow outfield meant that neither player was getting full value for some attractive shots on both sides of the wicket. The pair however put on a valuable 70 runs for the second wicket before van Niekirk was out to a good low catch at mid-off by Srinivashin for 24 in the 14^th over. This brought Callum Gibson to the crease and the Lurgan all-rounder unleashed a blistering assault on the BISC bowling, hitting 6 sixes in a 6.2 over half century. Stephen Chambers also brought up his half century in the final over, his 55 not out including 6 fours and a six as the visitors finished their 20 overs on 149 for 2 wkts.

The BISC reply also got off to a slow start with Adam Johnson, for the second week running, getting an early breakthrough taking the wicket of opener Reddy, out to an excellent catch in the deep by Peter Hutchinson. Jack Maxwell then clean bowled Rekki with the total on 11, but a 79 run third wicket partnership brough BISC right back into the game. Peter Maxwell then claimed 2 wkts in the one over dismissing Naggenani for 31 and Krishali for a duck. Pandita was still hitting big for BISC and skipper Jack Harrison’s decision to bring back Adam Johnson to bowl the 16^th over was rewarded, when the left armer trapped Pandita leg before for an excellent 54. Johnson struck again with his penultimate delivery and with two overs to go the home side needed 20 to win. Stephen Johnston bowled a tight 19^th over conceding only 6 runs and taking the wicket of Srinivashin and with Jack Maxwell conceding only 3 runs in an excellent last over, Lurgan were champions with BISC finishing on 142 for 8. Adam Johnson returned the best stats for Lurgan taking 3 wkts for26 runs in his 4 overs, Peter Maxwell took 2 for 23 off 4, Jack Maxwell 1 for 15 off 4, Stephen Johnston 1 for 24 off 4 and Peter Hutchinson 1 for 31 off 4.

It has been an excellent league campaign by the 1^st XI squad culminating in the winning of the silverware, with every player making a valuable contribution to the success throughout the season in all aspects of the game, and they can deservedly now look forward to Section 1 cricket in season 2022.
              

The Cricket Section would like to thank Jason McCullough and Lurgan Tyre Centre for kindly sponsoring the cricket balls used in the 1stXI game against Cooke Collegians and the 2ndXI game against CSNI 4ths at Pollock Park over the Bank Holiday weekend . Your support is greatly appreciated.

A superb Callum Gibson century helped the 2nds to record a 53 run win over CSNI 4ths in their final league game of the season on Monday evening at Pollock Park.
Having just returned to the game following a bone fracture to his wrist, Gibson showed little effect from the injury as he powerfully launched into the CSNI bowling, his innings of 116 not out included 5 sixes and 13 fours. He was well supported by Marvin van Niekirk who hit a brisk 40 and Jack Hutchinson who scored 21 as the home side posted a target of 188 in their 20 overs.
9.5 runs an over was going to be a tough rate to chase, and with wickets falling at regular intervals so it proved to be as the visitors finished their 20 overs on 134 for 5 wkts. The 5 wickets to fall all went to different bowlers with Callum Gibson having 1 for 14 off 4, Junior Nelson 1 for 15 off 3, Peter Hutchinson 1 for 17 off 2, Harry McDowell 1 for 24 off 3 and Quasm Mohammed 1 for 27 off 3. Opening bowler Marvin van Niekirk also bowled an economical 4 overs conceding just 14 runs and the win leaves the 2nds third in the table.