Exciting win for Seconds

VICTORIA Seconds entertained Portadown Seconds in a two night match in Lurgan Park and in a thrillling game they won by nine runs.

Victoria captain, Matthew Parks, elected to bat and joined Jim Neill at the crease after the third over, following an early wicket. Neill and Parks settled into the game and appeared comfortable as they picked up ones and twos.

The first controversy of the game arrived in the eighth over, as a stumping appeal off the bowling of Ross Whitfield, resulted in a not out decision.

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Parks replied with a four to the leg-side boundary off the obviously flustered bowler. Parks (8) was sent back to the pavilion in 10th over, with the score on 34, when a full toss clipped the top of the bails, off what looked to be a no-ball.

This brought Darren Vennard to the crease. The two batsmen took their time to slowly play their way into the game, before Vennard sparked into action. The scoring began to soar, as Neill supported Vennard, who was dispatching deliveries to the boundary with a variety of shots.

Neill (23) eventually fell courtesy of an leg before appeal, following a partnership of 122 in 16 overs with Vennard.

Vennard was eventually bowled for 106, having played a wonderfully destructive innings. The stage was left for Caleb Boomer and Iain McDowell to add the final runs of the evening, as they shared a partnership of 28, giving Victoria a score of 251 to defend off 45 overs the following evening.

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When the two teams returned the following night Victoria were confident of closing the game out. Portadown were scoring well early on, but were fortunate as numerous drives lofted just short of fielders as the Portadown openers were forced to try and force the pace.

David Buckley struck in the fifth over, taking the catch of his own bowling, before Craig Marshall, who was once again bowling very economically, removed the other opener three overs later, leaving the Portadown men floundering on 27-2. When Buckley removed the Portadown number 3 cheaply, the home side could sense a victory.

However the Portadown run rate began to creep up and the game seemed to be slipping away from Victoria.

Craig Marshall then had century maker Samad Ali caught at deep midwicket by David McDowell and Caleb Boomer made an immediate impact when he returned to the attack by getting a wicket.

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At that stage 54 runs were needed from 12 overs but Matthew Thornbury bowled three overs for just six runs while at the other end Boomer claimed victim number two, having Jain (3), caught behind by Buckley, with the score on 206-6. When Boomer struck twice in an over to get rid of Caddell (33), catching off his own bowling, and then clean bowling Portadown captain Brady, who decided to leave the ball, only for it to cut back and clip his off stump, things looked to be swinging back in Victoria’s favour.

The game approached the nail-biting final four overs. Portadown were on 222-7, needing 30 more runs to win, and the ball was in the hands of David McDowell and Caleb Boomer. McDowell’s first over was a success, going for only two runs and a run out.

With 18 runs needed from the last over a dropped catch allowed the batsmen a single, which was followed by a two, a four and a controversial wide, leaving only nine needed off the last three balls for a tie. Boomer completed his five wicket haul, removing the last batsman leg before to spark celebrations by the home side

Victoria - 251 for 8. J. Neill 23, D. Vennard 106, C. Boomer28 not out

Portadown 242. D. Buckley 9-0-40-2, C. Marshall 9-0-53-2, C. Boomer 9-0-55-5.