Bagenalstown 2 v. Halverstown

Leinster Division 13, Saturday 7th May
Halverstown won by 5 wickets

It had rained overnight and it was still wet overhead when we arrived. However the pitch was reasonably dry and the covered grass wicket was a tribute to our host’s foresight. There was no doubt that the match would be played and skipper, Mick Neville, won the toss and decided to field. Youth returned to the team in the shape of Darren Ryall and Wasif Rashid. Both can bat, bowl and field which is a triumvirate that does not necessarily sit well with all members of the team.

The soggy conditions made the decision to bowl first important as it was looking like a low scoring day but bowling conditions were different as well.  Overhead it was very grey and Halverstown’s aging wicketkeeper took the unheard of step of asking for the sightscreen to be moved into his eye line (as well as that of the batsman) much to the consternation of his captain and the surprise of the umpire.

Case and Threadgold bowled sensibly as usual with economy and accuracy. The early wicket of Stapleton bowled by Case was important but it brought Uddin to the crease who plundered good bowling shamelessly.  Our captain mixed up the bowlers to try and get on top of this young man and whilst first change Rashid and Sayeed bowled with venom and precision they got hit. An inspired bowling change brought the ever-youthful Des Gray to the wicket. Uddin went first after an invaluable 42 runs that kept his team in the game. After that a procession of batsmen came and went mainly falling to the guile of Des who finished up with a ‘fifer’.

The fielding too was excellent. Newcomer Stuart Conroy chased the ball around the ground as though his very life depended on it ensuring that the batsmen could not convert singles into greater scores. The throwing of Ryall, Rashid and Case was exemplary and when they fielded the ball it whistled into the wicketkeeper at stump height.

The end of the Bagenalstown innings came after 36 overs and 108 runs. Des Gray led us of the field damp, bedraggled but satisfied with the outcome.  The excellent tea was never so welcome and feeling began to return to fingers and toes.

There is nothing certain in cricket and thus it proved with the Halverstown run chase. The openers batted steadily for 11 overs scoring 26 runs against good accurate bowling. Then the slow bowlers came on and the shape of the game changed. Ashmore went for 21 hard earned runs and in the end it was the swashbuckling Darren Ryall (54) and the cool headed John Threadgold (21) who knocked off the necessary runs.

Next match is against North Kildare 3 at home on Saturday 14^th May.