Dramatic win leaves survival hopes hanging on Lawn victory

A fighting performance by Lurgan saw them win a nail biting encounter against CSNI by just two runs at Pollock Park.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Aug 2013, 19:00 BST
Lurgan's Naranjin Godbole watches his shot. INLM35-701.Lurgan's Naranjin Godbole watches his shot. INLM35-701.
Lurgan's Naranjin Godbole watches his shot. INLM35-701.

It was a dramatic finish as with just 3 runs required for a CSNI victory, Charley Crasborn spilled a difficult caught and bowled chance off the second last ball, suddenly realised the non-striking batsman was tearing down the wicket for a run his partner was never taking, then race back to the bowlers end to break the wicket. The win means Lurgan’s survival bid goes into their last game against Waringstown at The Lawn.

Lurgan won the toss and batted with Stephen Johnston (23) and Jamie Holmes (21) putting on 40 for the first wicket. Both were back in the pavilion with the score on 67 and then a third wicket partnership of 66 between Niranjan Godbole and James McCollum put them on 133. Godbole had just dispatched an Adair full toss to the boundary when he tried to lift a delivery from the same bowler over mid-wicket, only to be caught for 62. James McCollum played carefully for a valuable 30 before holing out to Nieuwoudt off Jones. Wickets tumbled in the last few overs and when Ollie McCollum was stumped off the last ball of the innings for 11, Lurgan had set CSNI 179 to chase.
In the third over of the CSNI innings Crasborn clean bowled Van Der Merve for 2 with only 7 runs on the board and 1 run later John Guy had Nigel Jones superbly caught low down at first slip by Crasborn for a duck. Niranjan Godbole helped remove Nieuwoudt as he tried to square cut a rising delivery, wicket keeper Richard Clarke took a fine catch behind the stumps to leave the visitors on 31 for 3. Cowden and McMorran brought up their half century partnership when Andrew Bingham trapped McMorran in front for 23. Beverland joined Cowden in the middle and the pair again started to swing the game back in CSNI’s favour, with a brief interruption for rain in the 37th over with the score on 113 for 4. The re-introduction of Jamie Holmes saw the New Zealander claim 2 wickets, Beverland going caught behind by Clarke for 19 with score on 121 and Goodall mis-timing to be caught square of the wicket by Stephen Johnston. Niranjan Godbole finished his spell by bowling Coulter for 5. With 2 overs left CSNI needed 14 to win with 2 wickets in hand. On 170 a sharp piece of fielding saw Godbole quickly return an attempted Harkness off drive to John Guy who removed the bails with the visitors batsman well short of the crease. Then came the second last ball drama with Crasborn downing a catch off his own bowling and then send his team mates into celebration as he run out Costain with the total on 176 to leave Lurgan the winners of a very exciting game.