NORTH Down were unsuccessful in their efforts to spring an upset on Premier League leaders Waringstown on Saturday.
Trips to the Lawn over recent years have proved fruitless as Waringstown have long since ditched their old policy of only contracting a professional to their ranks and are now loaded with quality Irish qualified overseas players, alongside some of the best local talent.
As anticipated, it proved to be a tall order for the visitors with Waringstown totalling a commanding 333 in their 50 overs and North Down managing only 230 in response.
In the first innings the early wicket of Adam Dennison caught Mo Aahil bowled Tyron Koen for 4, only led to James McCollum and Sam Topping being brought together and the talented internationals saw Waringstown to 81 off only 15 overs before young Jaxon Dines had Topping caught for 41.
Waringstown continued to score at pace and added a further 45 before McCollum was caught Dines bowled Alistair Shields for a run a ball 60. Two further Irish internationals, Mogan Topping and Graham Hume, took up the mantle for the home side and North Down changed the bowling attack regularly to try and curb the run flow, but Waring moved the score up past 200 after Topping departed lbw to North Down pro Mickey Copeland for 39.
Thompson and Hume put the foot down and North Down’s bowlers had no answer to the free flow of runs as both showed their aggressive nature with the bat. Thompson went for a quick fire 51, another victim for Copeland, and yet another international in ex-North Down man Tom Mayes landed a couple of sixes for 14 before becoming Copeland’s third wicket, leaving the score on 290 for 6 from 46 overs.
The final few overs were dominated by Waringstown professional Daniel Van Der Merwe, batting at eight, who thrashed 27 from only 11 balls before being caught Koen bowled Aahil aiming another six.
Closing on 333 for 8 wickets in 50, the home side will have been pleased with their efforts with North Down’s bowlers all going at over five runs per over.
In response, North Down needed some early tempo but Hume and Mayes had other ideas as they troubled the visitors’ top order. Hume accounted for both Shields for 10 and Aahil for 13 leaving North Down 25 for 2 and worse was to follow as Hilton, who has shown glimpses of his potential this season, departed for only 7 to Waringstown’s pro.
North Down staged somewhat of a rebuild with Mickey Copeland looking well set for a big score, only to depart for 25 when it looked like he and Stevie Saul could construct a partnership of value.
Captain Koen joined Saul and they moved the score to 143 before Saul was caught and bowled for 57 by Thompson leaving the visitors five wickets down at the 30-over point. Tom Crothers showed a return of sorts to form and alongside Koen moved the score along to 187, before the captain was dismissed by another ex-international and former North Down player James Cameron-Dow.
Koen’s 51 from 55 balls alongside Crothers, 32 not out, bodes well for upcoming matches against much weaker opponents and hopefully their form in the middle order will continue.
North Down eventually limped to 230 as the overs ran out with James Shields scoring six before being bowled by Mayes and Jaxon Dines, not out for six, alongside Crothers.
