Lisburn Seconds reach Cup final

Coming into the game on the back of two straight defeats, skipper Glenn Halliday was anxious to win the toss and have first use of the track, but this was not to be with the opposition skipper calling correctly and not surprisingly deciding to bat first. However, things went perfectly for Lisburn from the very first ball, Callum Atkinson taking the edge of the CIYMS opener’s bat and Graham Elliott completing the job behind the sticks. His new ball partner Mark Berry, whilst not bowling with the same control as his partner, also chipped in with an early wicket as the opposition batsmen struggled in the face of penetrating bowling. That dismissal however served to bring together the two CIYMS key men, Hingston and Boultwood. Both had been scoring runs for fun at this level prior to the game, with several centuries and indeed a double ton thrown in. They looked assured to begin with, taking their side to 27-2, but it was the hugely impressive Atkinson, bowling by far his best spell of the year, who made the breakthrough as he induced Boultwood into a cut shot that he failed to keep down, Berry doing the rest at backward point, and CIYMS were in trouble. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the very next over, Neal McDowell’s first, as his loosener, a wide full toss, was sliced by Hingston to the skipper Halliday at point. Having struggled with the hands for the much of the season, the captain was in no mood to extend that run on this occasion as he dived forward and took a decent grab inches above the turf, and the CIYMS door was firmly opened. Shortly afterwards it was brutally kicked in as the next few batsmen were simply unable to cope with McDowell’s pace and Atkinson’s accuracy. In no time at all the match was over as a contest as CIYMS slumped to 36-8, McDowell picking up 4-9 in 5 excellent overs, and Atkinson bowling superbly to complete a 10 over spell that was rewarded with the fine analysis of 3-12. Indeed, such was the supremacy of Lisburn with the ball that the returning veteran pairing of Michael Foster and Derek Suffern were reduced to the role of bystanders for much of the innings, and it was only late on that the former came on and wrapped things up with 2 wickets of his own to leave the shell-shocked CIYMS outfit all out for a paltry 46.

This total was never going to pose any difficulties for the home side and although they lost opening batsman Richard Booth for a duck early on, this was to prove their only scare as they chased the total down with the minimum of fuss. The skipper Halliday put behind him a run of poor form that had seen him register four consecutive ducks and he looked in good nick as along with McDowell, he knocked the runs off. Indeed, he hit the only boundaries of the match as the end was brought about in double quick time, finishing with 30 to his name, with McDowell providing the support to finish on 13. With the sun barely past the yard-arm, and the clock registering a time of 2.20pm, Lisburn were the first side in the final, 9 wickets being the final margin of victory.

This was a superb effort from the side in all three disciplines, with the bowlers rightly receiving the plaudits. The much vaunted CIYMS side were firmly put in their place and the team can now go into the final on 4th August, ironically at CIYMS, against Cooke Collegians 1st XI. Cooke, a strong outfit currently challenging at the top of Senior League 2, and Junior Cup holders, will start that match as firm favourites, but if Lisburn can match their efforts from the semi-final, then it will be all to play for at Belmont on Saturday week.