NWCU League 5 (30 Over)
Brigade 3rd121Erne CCC123/5(Erne CCC won by 5 wickets)
PROMOTION was sealed for Erne Community Cricket Club as they powered to a five-wicket win over Brigade thirds at Beechgrove, Derry – leaving a league-and-cup double on the cards.
Erne won the toss and bowled first, but Brigade started steadily, reaching 17 without loss after five overs. A few brisk overs followed – 7, 10 and 8 runs apiece – before the breakthrough came: Skaria Philip clean-bowled Crowe for 20, ending a 46-run opening stand.
At 51/1 after 10 overs, momentum swung sharply. Mukesh struck twice in three balls, first removing Ben McClelland top stump after a missed sweep, then dismissing Christian Hugh Patterson with a quicker delivery to leave Brigade reeling at 60/3.
The collapse continued. Mukesh bowled Thomas Nelson for 11, before Iain Gardiner had Cameron Hughes caught by Lee McNulty. Tight bowling squeezed the runs – just six in the next three overs – and another wicket followed, Gardiner again, with Raveesh Gaind taking the catch at slip to dismiss Mowbray.
B Tommy added another, having Cameron Kennedy caught when a cover drive looped up. From 102/7, Rinu Mathew trapped Dylan McPoyle lbw, and with Vijay Kumar taking another wicket and Mukesh securing the run out of Adam Baggley, Brigade were all out for 121 despite a late 18-run stand. Mukesh finished with 3-27 from 4.4 overs plus that run out, while Gardiner was outstanding with 2-6 off four overs.
The chase began confidently. McNulty and David Coalter put on 49 – the day’s highest stand – before Coalter was run out by Baggley. Erne raced past 50 in just 5.2 overs, McNulty striking a six and two fours before falling to Mowbray for 29 off 20 balls.
Brigade applied some pressure with two quick wickets, including Mick Lodge lbw to Crowe, but Kumar steadied the ship. He shared 16 with Gaind before the latter was run out by McPoyle, then added a crucial 39-run partnership with Mathew.
Though Mathew fell for 17 to a return catch by Mowbray, Mukesh sealed the win in style – a six and a four off the last two balls – to finish unbeaten on 10, with Kumar not out on 22.
Erne play league leaders Killyclooney 3rds at Lower Celtic Park in Enniskillen on Sunday, September 7, before meeting Bready 5ths in the NWCU League 5/6 Cup Final at Magheramason on Saturday, September 13.