Braidmen boost survival hopes with Lurgan win

AFTER two heavy defeats, Ballymena returned to winning ways with a convincing nine-wicket victory at Pollock Park. Admittedly bottom side Lurgan were weakened by injuries and unavailabilities but Ballymena's clear-cut victory must surely give the players some confidence to take into their final three matches as they battle against relegation.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Aug 2010, 11:20 BST
Updated 16th Aug 2010, 12:52 BST

Lurgan won the toss and batted on a good batting wicket. Their openers Hunter and Johnston put on 29 in good time but the game changed in successive deliveries when Kaushik Aphale bowled Johnston and Michael Glass had the experienced Hunter caught at slip by David Kennedy.

Lurgan’s batting never really got going after this; at one stage they were 93 for 6 but, thanks to a fluent 39 from the promising Nicky McCollum and a sensible innings of 24 from their captain Peter Maxwell, Lurgan managed to reach 153 before their last wicket fell in the 47th over.

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All five Ballymena bowlers contributed to a solid team performance ; there were two wickets each for Michael Glass, Kaushik Aphale , Michael Taylor and David Thompson and Simon McDowell’s accurate spell of 10 overs for 18 runs ensured that the Lurgan batsmen never really got on top.

The bowlers were well supported by the fielding with McDowell, Robert Kennedy, Aphale, Taylor and William Montgomery all taking good running catches in the outfield and David Kennedy coming up with a smart bit of work in the covers to run out Lurgan’s Indian professional Godbole.

William Montgomery and Kaushik Aphale began Ballymena’s reply in very positive fashion. Against an inexperienced Lurgan opening attack they punished every loose ball to the extent that after 6 overs the total was 58.

Montgomery, back in the 1st XI for the first time this season, certainly looks to have recaptured his form of two seasons ago. His driving in front of the wicket was particularly fluent and he had reached 56 off only 47 balls, including 9 fours and a six, when he was adjudged LBW to the Lurgan professional Godbole.

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It was an auspicious return to senior cricket for the talented Montgomery and if he continues in this vein he will solve Ballymena’s problems at the top of the batting order.

When he was out with the score at 110, David Kennedy joined Aphale and this pair took Ballymena to victory with some pleasant strokeplay. Aphale finished the match with a six off the last ball of the 20th over to bring up his own half-century, scored off 58 balls with 5 fours.

This win puts Ballymena four points ahead of fellow strugglers Downpatrick who lost at home to North Down.

On Saturday Ballymena travel to CIYMS, a team they have already beaten at Eaton Park in June.

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This game will be the last of the season for Ballymena’s popular captain James Kennedy. James and his wife Sarah leave the following week to spend the winter working in Sri Lanka. A win at Belmont would be the perfect send-off for the captain as it would go a long way to ensuring that Ballymena will still be playing Premier League cricket when he returns next summer.

LURGAN

G Hunter c D Kennedy b M Glass15

S Johnston b K. Aphale7

N Godbole run out16

A Bradford c S McDowell b MTaylor14

N McCollum c R Kennedy

b D Thompson39

M McShane b S McDowell0

J. Dowds c K Aphale b M Taylor1

P Maxwell c W Montgomery

b M Glass24

O McCollum c M Taylor

b D Thompson8

C Courtney b K Aphale1

M Bann not out3

Extras23

Total153

Bowling: M Glass 8.2-0-38-2; K Aphale 10-1-18-2; M Taylor 10-0-36-2; S McDowell 10-3-18-1; D Thompson 8-0-33-2.

BALLYMENA

W Montgomery lbw b N Godbole56

K Aphale not out52

D Kennedy not out13

Extras34

Total (1 wicket)155

Bowling: C Courtney 2-0-21-0; M Bann 4-0-34-0; N McCollum 3-0-30-0; P Maxwell 5-0-26-0; N Godbole 4-0-20-1; O McCollum 2-0-21-0.

Related topics:BallymenaDavid KennedyJames Kennedy