Bready are a happy bunch after play-off success

The Magheramason side have really flirted with danger this season but they will feel that all’s well that ends well after a really comfortable verdict over the Saints.

Bready went into the game minus their skipper David Scanlon due to a family bereavement however they were buoyed by the availability of Craig Young - given the nod to play by the Board of Control after a slight issue over his qualification.

The Championship side won the toss and opted to bat first despite the early start and they found the going tough from the get-go.

Jassi Wallia inexplicably left one alone that knocked over his off stump in Ryan Barr’s first over and Young got through Michael Rankin’s defences minutes later as the Saints slumped to 8 for 2.

Sachin Dixit and Alan Macbeth set about repairing the early damage before the introduction of Trevor Hamilton tempted Dixit into a big shot and he was gone for 11.

Skipper Macbeth and his brother David batted on doggedly after that but things had become painstakingly slow at that stage. When the latter was out for 11 the Saints were 45 for 4 with 22 overs already spent however David Fleming then joined his captain and slowly but surely they got the board ticking over again.

The pair put on 63 before Macbeth was trapped in front by Hamilton for a very valuable 42 and although Kushpal Singh fell cheaply soon after, Fleming hung about. Brought in for the occasion the latter added another 23 with Ian Macbeth and a further 22 with Ryan Macbeth as the Donegal side reached respectability.

Unfortunately for them however Fleming was bowled by Trevor Hamilton in the last over just one run short of a deserved half century- the Saints closing on 162 for 8 in their 50 overs.

Marc Fleming and Trevor Hamilton finished with 3 wickets apiece for Bready but Craig Young’s 1 for 16 from 10 overs told the story. Having opted to bat first St Johnston just weren’t positive enough at the start of their innings and they never caught up.

In contrast Bready’s reply was dominant from the start, David Barr and David Rankin latching on to anything loose and the pair put on a century stand for the first wicket.

By then the Saints were only looking to add some respectability to the outcome and the introduction of David Anthony did that for them.

Anthony removed Barr for 41 (5 fours), Rankin for 71 (8 fours) and Robert Spence for 20 to reduce the margin of defeat but never at any time was the result in doubt. Mark Olphert and Andrew Austin duly completed a seven wicket win that sees the Magheramason side avoid a relegation that had looked on the cards for most of the summer.

Mission very much accomplished for them while there seems little doubt that the Saints will once again be knocking on the door via the promotion race next season again.

Also at the weekend Newbuildings picked up the final trophy of the season when they were presented with the Qualifying 1 trophy on Saturday morning.

Wes Ferguson’s men were 2 points ahead of Donemana with one game each left to play however with Newbuildings recording a walkover in their final contest, that was enough to decide the title.

It has been some season for the newly formed club following on from lifting the Sperrin Springs Cup last month and a decent crowd assembled at the Community Centre in the village to witness the trophy being presented.

Meanwhile on Saturday, the North Warriors secured their first win the RSA Inter-provincial Cup defeating Leinster Lightning by 71 runs. Niall Donnell, Iftikhar Hussain and Andrew Riddles were amongst the runs.