Bad day at Mall

IT was a bad day at The Mall for Armagh Cricket Club - and not just because of the afternoon cloudburst.

A deluge of cheap wickets after an encouraging fightback from the bowlers and a good opening with the bat put paid to Armagh’s chances against an in -form Donacloney Mill.

Armagh lost by 88 runs, with a DLS par score of 195 off 34 with the game ended by the rain.

And, as team captain Gareth McCarter lamented, “If the deluge had come an hour earlier we’d have won.”

Donacloney set off well with the bat, with their professional Atish Verape making 58. Donacloney were 156 for 3 at one stage.

However, Armagh’s bowlers managed a fightback confining Donacloney to 200 all out.

Will Mann, the youngest of the Mann brothers, took his maiden five, after just missing out last week.

He made sure this week taking 5-35, including the wickets of Kennedy and the in-form Warren.

Will is a naturally gifted swing bowler who has really come into his own in the last couple of seasons.

He was involved in Ulster Schools games last year, and is continuing developing his cricketing skills while at Stirling for university.

With the bat, Armagh racked up 83 for no loss and seemed to be on course to reel in the Donacloney total.

However, disaster struck with a quick succession of seven cheap wickets, Donacloney’s Andrew Bingham racking up his hat trick and taking 4 for 18, with Verape also in the act with 4 for 16.

It left Armagh on 106 for 9 when the rain came with 34 overs played. Top scorers were Armagh’s openers with Samuel Wilson racking up 44 (caught Neil Kilpatrick, bowled Atish Varape) and Jamie Rodgers 33 (c Matthew Lyttle, b Andrew Bingham).

This weekend Armagh travel to Drumaness Superkings