On a roasting hot day at stormont, CSNI 2XI lost the toss and were asked, surprisingly to bat first on a hard dry wicket.
Opening for CSNI was J.Kennedy & S.Yeates, and things did not get off to the best of starts, with Yeates being ran out at the non-strikers end without facing a ball. M.Bates was at 3.
J.Kennedy continued his good form from the week, hitting a quick 39, while M.Bates was adjust LBW for 6. The big partnership of the day was formed between C.Goodall & G.Thomspon who put on 92 between them, before the skipper was caught behind for 41.
This brought L.Bates to the crease, who again built a partnership with Goodall. With both batters seeing the ball well, and the nutritious ‘Goodall cut’ in full flow, the runs were coming thick and fast for CSNI. C.Goodall totted up 80 before he was bowled, and Bates whacked a few boundaries a fell with a C&B on 56. At the end of 40 overs CSNI finished on 261/6.
In reply, Instonians arguably start their innings worse than CSNI, with O.Dyer picking up the wicket of Kernaghan 1st ball of the innings. Inst then began a watchful period with the bat, trying to see if the new ball bowling from Bates & Dyer. It appears the batters weren’t watchful enough, with Bates picking up the huge wicket of M.Bentley with the score on 9.
L.Adair (1-31) & M.Kennedy (1/43) bowled well in tandem and picked up a wicket each, with G.Thomson also picked up 1-5.
The star of the bowling innings was S.Yeates. With Inst struggling against the slower bowling, Seb changed up his pace of deliveries, deceiving the batsmen. His first wicket came from a good catch at cover by J.Kennedy, followed by 2 caught behinds by M.Bates. A catch at long on by L.Adair and a ridiculous 1-handed catch by G.Thompson at fine leg, sealed the deal and left Inst 138 all out and Seb claiming 5-23.
The 2XI are in an action again on Sat in the Ulster plate away to Donemana, and then take a break from the action until next Friday, with a T20 against woodvale.
CSNICC 