Championship sides struggle against the big boys

All four who were drawn against Premiership opposition fell to heavy defeats.

The all-round quality of the top flight teams is usually enough in itself however the influence of the professionals at the weekend only proved to widen the gulf.

Bonds Glen, who travelled to Coleraine, made 69 all out - Graeme Boyd with 16 the only player to make double figures for the visitors in that one.

The Bee Gees found the Premiership attack of Jarred Barnes, Gareth Burns, Scott Campbell and Rishi Chopra just too hot to handle with Campbell taking them out of their misery very quickly in reply with a half century.

Killyclooney made a slightly better fist of things at home to Fox Lodge and despite losing three quick wickets to yet another professional, Tabish Khan, a good stand between Mark Gordon and Alan Colhoun gave them hope.

After that pair went however, Colhoun for an excellent 52 and Gordon for 31, the resistance petered out and the Ballymagorry men were set just 124 to win. Iftikhar Hussain with an unbeaten 69 and former Killyclooney player Dean McCarter with 32 not out saw their side through to another easy verdict.

Burndennett and Creevedonnell served up an excellent game that went right down to the wire before the visitors carved out a diminishing two wicket win.

Skipper Mark Roulston led from the front for the home team- an unbeaten half century from him and 44 not out from Mark Porter helping them to 204 for 6 from their 50 overs. Andy Barr was the glue that held the Creevies together as he made an unbeaten 87.

Up at Sion, the struggling Tyrone outfit had no answer to Glendermott’s all-round power as Gordon Montgomery’s men also reached the last eight. Mark McNulty, Ryan O’Neill and Ryan McKelvey all got starts for the hosts but Stuart Cochrane, Charlie Elder and Alan Johnson ensured that they never got too far away. A final total of 123 was never going to be enough to test the Rectory men and Simon Killen sealed the 8-wicket win.

St Johnston travelled to The Holm missing Alan Macbeth, David Macbeth, Rammohan Goud and Sachin Dixit amongst others and their lack of any depth was cruelly exposed by a Donemana side stung by their Irish Senior Cup loss in Cork the previous week.

Richard Kee insisted ahead of the match that they needed to be doing much more if they wanted to stay in the trophy hunt and his side responded with a clinical win. Nathan Cole made 20 for the Saints but there was precious little support elsewhere as Kamran Sajid ripped the heart out of their batting to claim stunning figures of 8 for 7. A final total of just 39 all out pretty much summed up the visitors’ day as Donemana rattled of a facile win.

Strabane’s professional Tawanda Mupariwa also had a big hand in his side’s fortunes as Drummond were unable to repeat last season’s cup run, the Roe Valley side well beaten by the former champions. Mupariwa rattled through Stevie Moore’s men’s top order to leave them reeling on 24 for 5 and despite cameos from Kyle Morrow (23) and Johnny Martin (20), Drummond were all out for 69, leaving the Red Caps with little to do to book their spot in the quarter finals.