Eyes on the prize!
BANGOR moved a step closer to successfully defending their Lagan Valley Steels T20 Bowl silverware thanks to a seven-wicket victory over neighbours Holywood in last Friday evening’s semi-final at Upritchard Park.
Page 59 Stuff……
Bangor bid to repeat history after booking spot in T20 final
A BUZZ could be felt around Upritchard Park on Friday evening as Bangor hosted local rivals Holywood with a place in the final of the Lagan Valley Steels T20 Bowl awaiting the winners.
Bangor won the toss and elected to bowl first, backing their batsmen to get them over the line.
Chris Pyper and Robbie Van Harte opened the bowling with strong seam movement in the early stages. Pyper was unlucky as a number of edges made their way to third man for four and he made overseas player Jacques Lamprecht uncomfortable.
But this Bangor bowling partnership is seldom denied a big breakthrough and accordingly Van Harte removed Lamprecht as Jonny Parker juggled a catch at point. This brought Holywood’s other danger man Timothy Gordon to the crease, who immediately sought to up the rate.
Going for a straight six back over the bowler George Prince’s head, Gordon hit the ball sky high but it did not possess the legs to clear the boundary rope as Sam McMillan easily took the catch, putting Bangor in the ascendancy.
Holywood batsmen James Hemings and Michael Harte, son of Bangor legend Chris, began to develop a strong partnership. Picking off boundaries on the loose balls and running well against the good deliveries, the two experienced operators were slowly hitting back against the strong early Bangor bowling.
That was until the 12th over when, off the bowling of Will Simpson, Hemmings hit the ball powerfully and it seemed destined to head over the rope for six. However, Chris Pyper rose to claim a catch that the more vertically challenged in the Bangor side could only dream of.
Holywood were now 101-4 and still in a strong position, so Bangor needed to dig in and battle hard. Tight bowling from Sam McMillan and James Patterson built pressure resulting in risky running between the wickets. The diminutive Humza Khan was run out after a typically cool headed throw from Prince and predictably clean gloves from Andrew Kirkpatrick.
Holywood continued to chip away at the late stages, finishing on 141-6 off their 20 overs. A strong total but no sure thing, particularly with the form of Bangor’s current batting line-up.
Kirkpatrick and McMillan got the innings off to a tremendous start. It’s important to note at this stage that commentary was featured in the online live stream, and during its inaugural use the commentator’s curse darkened Bangor’s door. After being commended from the commentary box on how well they were batting, Kirkpatrick thinly played a shot into the ‘keeper’s gloves as he was removed for a run a ball 21 runs.
Soon after, the in-form Sam McMillan continued his good form, now joined at the crease by skipper Johnny Parker who took a second to find the same flow to his game. Disaster would strike for Bangor in the 11th over as McMillan was caught at square leg agonisingly short of a half-century.
Van Harte then came to the crease for a short lived innings as Holywood gained a firm grip on the game. Bangor were now 82-3 after 12.4 overs. The required run rate was gradually increasing, supporters were despondent, a saviour was required. Enter Mark Hutchinson.
Hawkish in his approach, Hutchinson found the boundary rope at will. Suddenly, the total seemed close, the boundary smaller, the gaps in the field that bit broader and Bangor hopeful once more.
He hit 42 in 22 deliveries and charged off the pitch to celebrate with his teammates after a famous innings was complete and Bangor had booked their place against BISC in the final, now desperate to protect their title.
Holywood 1881 141-6 (20 overs, J Lamprecht 23, J Hemmings 31, M Harte 25, R Snodgrass 26)
Bangor 143-3 (18.1 overs, S McMillan 43, A Kirkpatrick 21, J Parker 24*, M Hutchinson 42*)
Bangor beat Holywood 1881 by 7 wickets
