Lisburn return to winning ways with comfortable Ballymena victory

They were greatly assisted by a visiting team which was intent on self destruction losing their last 7 wickets for just 34 runs as they managed the well under par score of 111.

Ballymena won the toss and batted on another lovely summer day in the Park and quickly lost McKinley in the 3rd over off the bowling of Davey Simpson but that brought to the crease their professional Aphale who joined James Kennedy. In a stubborn stand which realised 56 runs in the next 18 overs the pair took the score to 67 before Aphale was caught by Richard McConkey off the spin of ex Ballymena bowler Carl Williams for a patient 28.

The brothers Kennedy, James and David, the key to the Ballymena’s innings, were together for just 5 overs before James was caught on the boundary by Mark Berry off Craig Ervine for 27 and this wicket opened the floodgates for the Lisburn bowling attack.

With the score at 77 for 3 and 23 overs still remaining in their innings, the Ballymena batsmen systematically threw away their wickets starting with ace player David Kennedy. He had batted well for his 15 runs when he was bowled by a rejuvenated Nathan Waller and from then on it was a procession of falling wickets with all the Lisburn bowlers contributing.

Nathan Waller, having spent his week playing for Derbyshire Seconds and claiming 5 wickets in the process, benefitted greatly from experience as he worked his way through the Ballymena batting order. He finished with 4 for 20 as the visitors crawled to a final total of 11 in their innings which lasted for 43.4 overs.

Darryl Brown chipped in with 2 for 16, Davey Simpson, 1 for 21 while the off spinners, Craig Ervine and Carl Williams had 1 for 28 and 2 for 19 respectively.

There was little excuse for the Ballymena collapse with the wicket hardly to blame as was to become obvious during the Lisburn reply.

Unfortuately, however, Lisburn lost their opening success of last week, Adam Berry, bowled by Taylor for 7 in the 12th over but that was to be Ballymena’s last scalp as Robert Rankin and Craig Ervine took the score past the winning post with some very positive batting. Rankin, very short of runs recently, was back to his very best with some fine shots and an excellent 78 not out off just 88 deliveries with 12 boundaries and a six while Ervine also remained not out with 13 as Lisburn cruised to a 9 wicket win in only 23 overs.

This was a much needed victory as Lisburn had lost their last three matches and skipper Davey Simpson is hoping to add another to their tally next Saturday when they entertain Lurgan in the Park. Having won convincingly at Pollock Park earlier in the season where Craig Ervine scored his brilliant 142, a win should well be achievable but Lurgan will concede little as they too, badly need the league points. The game starts at 12 o’clock.

Ballymena innings; James Kennedy ct M.Berry b C.Ervine 27; R.McKinley ct Waller B Simpson 1; K.Aphale ct McConkey b Williams 28; David Kennedy b Waller 15; S.Lazars lbw b Williams 10; W.Montgomery ct Allen b Waller 0; F.Taylor not out 10; Robert Kennedy lbw b Waller 0; J.Gibson lbw b Waller 0; M.Taylor ct Allen b Brown 2; M.Purse b Brown 0

Extras 18 Total 111 in 43.4 overs Fall of wkts 1-11 2-67 3-77 4-95 5-96 6-98 7-99 8-99 9-111 10-111

Lisburn bowling D.Simpson 7-0-21-1 N.Waller 10-0-20-4 C.Ervine 10-2-28-1 C.Williams 10-3-19-2 D.Brown 6.4-1-16-2

Lisburn innings; M.Berry b M.Taylor 7; R.Rankin not out 78; C.Ervine not out 13

Extras 14 Total 112 for 1 in 23 overs

Fall of wkt 1-42 Ballymena bowling K.Aphale 2-0-8-0 R.McKinley 4-2-5-0 S.Lazars 8-1-34-0 F.Taylor 1-0-12-0 M.Taylor 4-0-31-0 M.Purse 2-0-7-0 J.Gibson 2-0-7-0.