Thirds into next round

Batting first, the home side quickly lost the wicket of Nathan Crozier for seven runs in the second over with the score on 11.

Callum Gibson joined Neil Kilpatrick at the crease and the pair put Lurgan into a strong position with the total reaching 60 by the tenth over.

Kilpatrick was dismissed for 18, bowled by McStay, with Gibson going on to hit six fours in a score of 42 before he also fell victim to McStay who was Lisburn’s best bowler on the day.

With Gibson gone the Lurgan innings began to stutter slightly with the departure of Richard Clarke (two) and Jonny Hunter (six), who was out to a quick single called by Lee Derby that was never really on.

However, the experienced Derby began to settle the middle order and when Matthew McCormick joined him the Lurgan total began to tick over again.

McCormick hit 22 quick runs including a huge six before being caught out trying to repeat the feat off the bowling of McKeown.

Hannah Grieve joined Lee in the middle and both saw the Lurgan innings through to its completion of 30 overs, setting the visitors a total of 145 to win.

In reply, Lisburn’s innings never really gained the momentum that was required to win the game.

Lurgan’s opening bowlers Matthew McCormick and Callum Gibson were giving nothing away and McCormick struck in the fifth over to remove Hillis for two.

This brought McNaught to the crease and the number three batsman played an attractive innings, punishing any loose bowling before being dismissed just five runs short of his half century.

The visitors had no-one to come in and take up the baton, and tight bowling by skipper for the day Alan Johnston and Jonny Hunter towards the end of the innings pressurised the visitors’ batsmen into losing their wickets, the penultimate Lisburn wicket falling in the thirtieth over with the score on 97.

A late burst of accurate bowling by Johnston saw the skipper take four wickets for just seven runs, one of them thanks to a superb one handed diving catch by Richard Clarke fielding at short mid on.

Nathan Crozier was also very economical, his six overs of spin saw him take two wickets for just nine runs while Jonny Hunter took two for 28 off six and Matthew McCormick one for 12 off five.

Lurgan will play away to Templepatrick in the Second Round.

Ball sponsors for Lurgan’s games last weekend were Victor Malcomson and Neil Hunter.