Improved performance is not enough to seal win for Lisburn

Their opponents in The Park were CIYMS, who restricted the home team to 129 and then won quite easily by 8 wickets.

Being full aware of Lisburn’s shortage of runs this season, CIYMS did not hesitate to ask them to bat first on a slow wicket but bright and dry conditions and made the Lisburn openers battle for every run.

Richard Simpson and Gary Halliday batted for almost 10 overs for 25 hard fought runs before Simpson was bowled by Johnny Thompson for 7 and five overs later Halliday having grafted for 23 was clean bowled by Cameron Dow leaving Lisburn at 45 for 2 in 15 overs.

Lisburn professional Darryl Brown was also prepared to scrap for his runs and began to build a partnership with Robert Rankin. The pair waited for the rare bad ball to score taking few chances in their 11 overs together at the wicket.

They added 26 for the 3rd wicket before Robert Rankin was next out, disappointingly caught for 15 having seemingly done the hard work and when he was dismissed, Lisburn were well behind a decent run rate at 71 for 3 in the 26th over.

Darryl Brown denied CIYMS his wicket taking 59 balls for his top score of 25 before he was bowled by Matchett unluckily off his elbow and Lisburn’s best chance of setting a challenging total began to fade and a lot was left on the plate of skipper Davey Simpson.

Brown was out in the 34th over with the score on 84 leaving Simpson and the Lisburn late order to insure they batted out their 50 overs allotment. This they did with Graeme Browne and Richard Simpson helping Simpson to take the total to 107 but with just 8 overs remaining in the innings.

Unfortunately, captain Simpson was 7th out, caught off Britton for a hard fought 19 and when the innings was concluded Lisburn remained with 9 wickets down but posting the under par score of 129, hardly sufficient to concern the talented CIYMS batting line-up.

Lisburn did strike early with the wicket of Chris Dougherty in the 3rd over, very well caught by wicket keeper Neil Kilpatrick off the bowling of Davey Simpson giving Lisburn a boost but the fall of that wicket was the last one for the next 25 overs as CIYMS professional Rassie van der Dussen and James Matchett added 81 for the 2nd wicket seeing off all the bowlers which Davey Simpson tried to break the match winning partnership.

The pair were particularly hard on Lisburn’s change bowlers so when Callum Atkinson dismissed Matchett caught by Richard McConkey for 43 in the 27th over the game was as much as over as a contest.

Van der Dussen saw his team through to the winning target of 130 with 53 not out and Alan Johnston struck a quick 19 to give CIYMS the 8 wicket win in 35 overs and Lisburn still looking for their first league victory.

Davey Simpson and Callum Atkinson were the only wicket takers, Simpson had 1 for 16 in 6 overs while Atkinson took 1 for 23 in his 5 overs.

Darryl Brown had 0 for 17 off his 7 overs while Richard McConkey’s figures were 0 for 20 also off 7 overs.

At least Lisburn battled hard throughout their batting innings and gave what they had when they had to bowl at the CIYMS class batting order but if they are to threaten CSNI, their opponents next week in the Irish Senior Cup they must post a score of 200.

Again, the opposition is well stacked with batting and Lisburn will have to produce their performance of the season so far if they are to progress to the quarter final stage of the competition.

Cecil Walker kindly was the sponsor for last Saturday’s match against CIYMS.