NCU Section 2
Ardent Blues 177-9 (40 overs)
Dundrum 124-1 (22 overs)
Dundrum beat Ardent Blues by 50 runs (DLS)
DUNDRUM Cricket Club’s men’s first XI continued their unbeaten start to the league campaign with a composed nine-wicket win over Ardent Blues first XI via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, as rain curtailed what was shaping up to be a tight contest at Dundrum on Saturday.
With rain forecast for later in the day, Dundrum captain Stian Swanepoel opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Swanepoel and Stuart Campbell took the new ball, hoping to exploit the helpful conditions. Swanepoel made the early breakthrough, removing opener Bibin Babu for 8.
Despite the early wicket, Ardent Blues made a confident start, reaching 40 for 1 after just eight overs, led by Tony Louis’ aggressive strokeplay. The introduction of first-change bowlers Scott Symington and Gavin McNerlin tightened the screws. Symington extracted swing and finished with impressive figures of 2 for 21 from his full quota, while McNerlin’s tight spell of spin bowling yielded 1 for 19, keeping the run rate in check.
At the halfway mark, Ardent Blues were restricted to 80 for 4. Veteran all-rounder Richie Shilliday added to the pressure with two quick wickets, but a resilient partnership between Anish Gopalakrishnan (44) and Upanish Anil (35) helped the visitors accelerate in the final ten overs. They pushed the total to a competitive 177 for 9 from their allotted 40 overs, a total that Dundrum felt they should have restricted further after a costly final phase in the field.
In response, openers Terry Hutley and Davy Glover provided a solid platform for the home side. The pair put on 42 for the first wicket before Glover fell for 17 to Anil.
Read the full report in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
