Foyle banking on the Schools Cup success

The students booked their place in the final after causing somewhat of a shock in Monday’s semi-final when they secured a five wicket win over holders Limavady Grammar, at Eglinton.

Coach David Keown was thrilled by Monday’s victory, however he really wants to secure the title this afternoon.

“Belfast Inst have been there many times like ourselves and we have some titanic tussles with them in the past and I expect today to be the same,” he admitted.

“It has been difficult, but we are really confident that we can put on a good performance, do our best and hopefully bring the trophy back to the North West.”

On Monday the Foyle teenagers decided to put Limavady into bat and their bowlers did their stuff, but in the previous rounds their batsmen have stepped up the mark and because of that Mr Keown, who coaches the side alongside Ray Menown, is leaving all decisions up to his skipper Michael Rankin.

“In previous games we have scored over 200 runs and defended those totals, but in Monday’s semi-final the captain Michael Rankin had a gut feeling that he wanted to put them in,” he added.

“We did something very similar in the league match earlier in the season and tied the game, so from my point of view it’s good that young boys make decisions like that.”

Foyle have defeated today’s opponents a few times already this season, but Mr Keown believes those results will have no bearing this afternoon.

“We have played them a couple of times and beaten them but that will count for absolutely nothing, because today is a cup final 
at Muckamore.

“I told the boys after the win over Limavady Grammar that there was no point getting to the final, you have to win it and bring the trophy back.”

Mr Keown was thrilled that his side caused a shock by knocking out the holders and he was happy everyone played their part in the win.

“We were counting down that target of 92 runs in tens at the start, then it was singles in the end,” he explained.

“Obviously with a team as good as Limavady you couldn’t take anything 
for granted.

“A lot of their guys knew Eglinton’s ground very well as they played for them, but I was really, really delighted with the application from our team, I think from one to eleven we played very, very well.

“We bowled well and set our stall out early on, got a few early wickets and kept the pressure on and with them scoring 91 we fancied ourselves but we knew it was going to be hard and they made it hard for us.”

Although Mr Keown didn’t really want to signal any individual student out, he did acknowledge a few men who played they part in the success over Limavady 
Grammar.

“Young Dawson Crumley picked up four wickets, Roger Long also did very well, but again Gareth Connor set us off as he took the first three wickets, he took five wickets in the quarter-finals, so he really is our go too guy, but we fielded extremely well and took some very good catches.

“Our application from our batsmen from players like Andrew Austin and Ethan Lapsley was also superb, so it really was an all round good team performance and I was delighted for the boys.”