1sts gain vital mid-week win

An excellent performance with both bat and ball saw the 1sts ease past Cooke Collegians  in a two night league game at Pirrie Park in Belfast.

Missing three front line bowlers, it was going to take a concerted effort from the visitors to keep Cooke Collegians to a low total, and all the bowlers rose to the occasion. Callum Grieve opened the bowling with Peter Maxwell and both made the home batsmen earn every single run. Both bowlers claimed early wickets and with Vaibhav Sawant and Stephen Johnston keeping the pressure on the Cooke Collegians, the home side were soon in big trouble at 52 for 8. A ninth wicket partnership of 29 between Pandey and Gibbons stalled the visitors attack for a while but Sawant and Quasm Mohammed eventually claimed the last two wickets to dismiss the home side for a total of 97 in 35.1 overs. The bowling was backed up by the fielding with some excellent catches being taken. Peter Maxwell returned the best bowling figures of the evening taking 3 wkts for just 16 runs in 8 overs, Callum Grieve took 2 for 23 off 8, Vaibhav Sawant had 2 for 21 off 6, Stephen Johnston 1 for 22 off 8 and Quasm Mohammed 1 for 15 off 5.1 overs.
Afternoon rain made the outfield even slower on the second night, but that didn’t stop Stephen Johnston and John Woods getting Lurgan off to a quick start taking the total to 34 for the first wicket in just 6 overs before Woods was out for 8.  Jack Hutchinson (3) and Stephen Johnston (28) had departed on 44, but Stephen Chambers and Callum Grieve took the total to 73 before Chambers was run out from a direct hit for 29. Jack Harrison (4) was the only other wicket to fall as Grieve and Derek Wilson saw Lurgan over the winning line in 32 overs.