Calm before the storm

IT was a relatively quiet weekend for Division two clubs this time with only Drummond’s first round Northern Bank senior cup tie against Ardmore on Saturday and St Johnston’s T20 Charity Cup shoot-out with Creevedonnell to whet the appetite.

Gordon Cooke’s side has continued to improve under the former Ireland International’s guidance and none more so than his son Curtis who could well be following in the family footsteps.

The youngster looked far from out of place at the top of Drummond’s order on Saturday and his 39 gave dad a solid looking start against the Bleachgreen side. The game was finely balanced at 80 for 3 on a decent looking track when Cooke senior then took over and in a 128-run stand with Steve Moore seemed set to take it away from the visitors.

The latter was rated as one of the North West’s finest prospects during his youth cricket days but it never fully materialised despite the fact that he is well capable of innings’ like his 87 here. That stand allowed the hosts to close on 251 for 7 and when Ardmore lost both openers with just 8 on the board it looked plenty.

Lee Brolly’s men of course have proven just as unpredictable down through the years and Adrian Murphy and Phil Patterson then set about mending the damage. That pair forged a 117 run partnership as both passed their half centuries before Paul McDowell and Conor Brolly batted really well to carve out an excellent win.

McDowell, like Moore is a player with runs in him and young Brolly, like Curtis Cooke has the genes to do well also. Ardmore’s reward is a trip to Burndennett in Round 2 with a last eight tie awaiting the winners, so little motivation required. Just as a footnote to that match,

Drummond were set to be “fined” 18 runs for a slow rate had the game gone to another over so in many ways the dying embers were pretty academic in any case however that in no way detracts from an excellent performance from Ardmore.