Seconds gain decisive victory at Bready

the home side won the toss and asked Coleraine to make first use of a green wicket. This decision seemed the correct one when Bready’s opening bowlers reduced Coleraine to 25 for 4 by the eighth over.

At this point Bready would have been hoping for an early finish. However they didn’t bank on Paul Douglas and Ali Handforth rebuilding the innings.

Douglas took a little time to get off the mark and Handforth looked once again in sublime form as they started to milk the Bready change bowlers. When Handforth was bowled by Trevor Austin the score was 60 for 5 after 18 overs and Bready’s tails were up once again.

The next 20 overs changed the complexion of the game as JD Muller joined Douglas and they had a remarkable partnership of 133.

Both players punished any loose bowling with Muller hitting two massive sixes. Douglas was first to his 50 closely followed by Muller and it became clear that the early Bready enthusiasm in the field was replaced with despair as they chased the ball to all areas of the large outfield.

Unfortunately Muller fell in the third last over for an excellent 61 and the only question that remained was whether or not Paul Douglas going to reach three figures.

Going into the last over he was on 97 and when Bernard Findlay was run out off the first ball of the over the task got more difficult. However two runs off the second ball took him to 99 and he followed this with another two to reach a well deserved century.

This was a chanceless and outstanding innings from a young batsman who has a bright future ahead. Douglas finished on 103 not out in a total of 216 for 7.

Coleraine’s success has been built on scoring big scores and then striking early when the opposition comes into bat. Once again this was the case with opening bowlers Ali Handforth (4 for 23) and JD Muller (2 for 28) ripping through the Bready top and middle order.

After ten overs Bready were reduced to 29 for 6. Handforth produced a number of superb deliveries and he got the prize wicket of ex Ireland international Alan Jeffrey with a peach of a delivery that had him LBW.

After 16 overs, Bready were 52 for 6 and first change bowlers Nigel Barr and David Doey managed to restrict the Bready batsmen to just 50 runs off the next 16 overs.

Although only one wicket fell in this time, Coleraine knew that victory was all but certain with Bready requiring 115 runs off the last 8 overs. Coleraine bowlers Bernard Findlay and Neil Morrison completed the 40 overs and Bready finished on 150 for 8 - 66 runs short of Coleraine’s total.

A clearly delighted skipper Nigel Barr, said: “I always knew this was a pivotal game in our season and at 25 for 4 most people would have written us off.

“However I always knew we could get a competitive score and this victory shows the character of our side.”

The result puts Coleraine six points ahead of Bready with only five games remaining. Coleraine’s next game is this Saturday against Fox Lodge with a 1pm start.