Donnell thrilled with final year

The teenager, who helped both the rugby and cricket teams to success over the last few months, was thrilled by how well he and his team-mates performed to secure an empathic nine wicket victory over Sullivan Upper in the Ulster Banks Schools' Cup Final, at Bready, last Friday.

"It has been a really, really good year for me," he said.

"To win the Bowl at Ravenhill with the rugby team and then help us to retain the cricket cup, it was certainly a year which I will always remember and look back on in years to come."

After a difficult start, when the Holywood students had rattled up 75 runs without loss, a change in bowling saw Marc Fleming get that all important first wicket.

"Bready is a batsman's wicket and myself and Graeme (McCarter) couldn't get anything out of the wicket, but then the spinners came on to slow things down and Marc's ball allowed David Murdock to get the stumping; and after that break through the wickets started to fall.

"Then whenever we had to bat the pressure was on whenever David Murdock went early, because he has been getting the runs for us this year, but Jack Glenn and Marc did exactly what we asked them to do - occupy the wicket - which they did superbly.

"Jack hit some super shots for his 73 not out, while Marc blocked all the tough balls and took his chances whenever they became available to score his 41 runs."

The Brigade man also declared that he and his school mates celebrated into the early hours.

"We started our celebrations at Bready before a lot of us went to Sugar, but I left the celebrations early, but from what I have heard the rest of the lads continued to celebrate into the small hours."