Victoria lose opening match

Victoria fielded a strong side with a blend of youth and experience, with Trevor Marshall making his debut for the club. Victoria hoped to carry their form from the end of last season through into this campaign.

The home side won the toss and chose to bowl. This had the desired effect as Victoria made an early breakthrough, with Jordan Marshall dismissing one of the Ards openers in the fourth over. The home side managed to build on this early pressure as Darren Vennard bowled a maiden over in the following over, thanks to wonderful catch by Terry Follis in the slips, diving low to his right to grasp the ball just before it hit the turf. Marshall followed this up with another maiden before Vennard struck again.

Caleb Boomer replaced Marshall at the Castle End and struck in his first over with a smart catch off his own bowling. It wasn’t until the 14th over that the fifth wicket of the innings fell. Boomer, after being dispatched for three boundaries in a row decided to go around the wicket to Osborne, and clean bowled him to reduce Ards to 79-5. This wicket seemed to put Victoria back on top as a cluster of wickets fell, Vennard sent Calvin back to the pavilion in the following over.

James McVey came into the fray following Vennard’s spell at the Avenue Road end, and took a wicket with his third ball, Vennard catching in the deep. With his next ball McVey caught Burgess back in his crease and he was adjudged leg before to leave the young bowler on a hat–trick, but he failed to tempt the next batsmen with a ball just outside the off stump.

The eighteenth over proved to be the last one of Ards’ innings as Keenan was ran out by David McDowell after some confusion between the batsmen and Boomer wrapped up the innings with a wicket off his final ball of the over.

Victoria did not get off to the start they would have wanted, losing both opening batsmen early, with Terry Follis making his way back to the pavilion after the first over and Matthew Parks following him shortly afterwards.

Adam McClelland came to the crease and showed a solid defence, trying to steady the Victoria innings, but Victoria struggled to get runs on the board, and the middle order batsmen were slowly picked off at regular intervals. The chance of chasing down the modest Ards total gradually evaporated as Victoria finished their innings all out for 55.

Victoria failed to get the new season off to the start that they had hoped for, despite putting themselves in the driving seat with their display in the field. Despite the disappointment following the batting display, this can serve as a lesson for the rest of the season, that a cricket match cannot be won before the tea break.

Ards - 89 all out. Bowling: D.Vennard 8-2-38-3; J. Marshall 4-1-18-1; C. Boomer 5-0-25-3; J. McVey 1-0-6-2.

Victoria - 55 all out (A. McClelland 12).

This Saturday Victoria first eleven are away to Donaghadee while the thirds are at home to CSNI.