Dundalk Seconds win weekend double header
Dundalk Cricket Club round-up
Dundalk 2: 248 (38.2 ov) Hughes 62, Shivanand 3-21 North County 6: 89/9 (29.2 ov) Shivanand 20*, Govind 4-17 Dundalk 2 won by 159 runs
A 119-run opening stand from Michael Hughes and Jins George put Dundalk 2 on course for a routine victory in Balrothery against a well-drilled but inexperienced North County side.
The town’s second team had a busy weekend, with two 40-over league matches in two days and both away from home. Both matches would ideally need to be won to keep promotion hopes alive.
Conditions were perfect for batting at North County’s Inch ground, with short grass and a hard, dry outfield making the ropes feel that little bit closer. Michael Hughes was the star of the show for Dundalk, hitting 10 fours on the way to his second career half-century.
His opening partnership with Jins George (119 runs) gave the rest of the order the freedom to play slow and take less risks, the total comfortably getting above the 200 mark.
North County’s youthful batting lineup showed great determination and technique but ultimately struggled against the visitors’ attack falling for just 89 runs. Dundalk’s youth bowler Ameer Jallali performed brilliantly, taking 2 wickets in his 4 overs and the winning catch from mid-on.
Sandyford 4: 138/9 (30 ov) Rahul 30, Lutfullah 6-23 Dundalk 2: 142/7 (29.5 ov) Shibu 34, Jagdeep 1-14 Dundalk 2 won by 3 wickets
Prize for match of the weekend definitely goes to the Sunday fixture at St. Columba’s College where Dundalk stole a victory late on away to rivals Sandyford 4.
A rainy start limited the match to 30 overs a side, with the town putting Sandyford in to bat first. They bowled well, with pacers Adarsh Hegde and Alwin Varghese Kachappilly removing the top three for 74 runs.
Then it came the turn of Afghan starlet Lutfullah Sediqi, whose accurate leg spin deliveries dismissed the next six batsmen and limited the target to just 139. Sediqi’s figures of 6-23 are the best of the season for a Dundalk bowler and the fifth-best figures in DCC history.
The chase proved a challenge for the visitors, with every recognised batter falling cheaply, except Shibu Uthaman with a hard-fought 34 off 59 balls. At 87 for 6, Dundalk needed some staying power to reach their target, and got it in the form of stand-in captain Adarsh Hegde.
Batting steadily alongside Raheel Qamar, Hegde led by example and hit two boundaries in the final over to send the seconds back up the M1 with two wins from two. Dundalk 2 now sit third in Division 18 with every chance of still getting promoted.
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