DUNDRUM’S pre-season preparations continued with a victory over Saintfield on Saturday.
Both teams were looking for strong performances before the season gets underway this weekend and while Saintfield were understrength, Dundrum will be pleased to have beaten a team placed a league above them.
Dundrum bowled first, opening with Davy Glover and Daniel Kearsley against Saintfield batsmen Matthew Hamill and Ross Murray.
Dundrum got off to a good start, building early pressure on the Saintfield batsmen and making scoring very difficult. Kearsley picked up a wicket in his first over, bowling Hamill (1) with a brilliant yorker.
Kearsly was bowling with great pace, while Glover bowled steady line and length as the two bowlers restricted Saintfield to 15 for one from the first five overs.
Dundrum skipper James Martin came into the attack picking up a wicket in his second over to dismiss Andy McCavery (1).
The Dundrum bowlers continued to build pressure which caused Murray (11) to play an aggressive shot and was bowled by Martin.
In the first ten overs the home side managed to restrict Saintfield to 31 for three. Roy McCavery and Johnny Viner tried to counter attack for Saintfield and managed to add 20 runs for the next wicket in quick time. However, veteran Gavin McNerlin bowled McCavery for 16 in the 12th over.
Jack Telford joined Viner and the two away team batsmen added another 20 runs for the next wicket. Dundrum continued to build pressure and in the 15th over Saintfield were only on 60 for four. Tom Crudgington then bowled Viner for 25, the top score of the day.
The lower order attempted to accelerate the score, but good Dundrum bowling and fielding made it difficult for the batsmen. Saintfield eventually finished on 87 for seven from their 20 overs.
The pick of the Dundrum bowlers was Martin, who finished with three for 13 from his four overs.
Dundrum opened the batting with Greg Hutley and Stuart Campbell hoping to get off to a
good start. Saintfield opened the bowling with Mark Yeates and TJ Macavery.
Dundrum added 23 for the first wicket in five overs before Hutley (16) was caught off the bowling of Yeates. Yeates struck the very next ball when he bowled Campbell for 6.
Terry Hutley was joined by McNerlin and hoping to steady the innings for Dundrum. However, McNerlin was dismissed for 0 when he was caught off the bowling of Ethan Hanna. Hutley (5) was dismissed in the next over off the bowling of Yeates.
This left Dundrum 38 for four from nine overs. Captain Martin attempted to counter attack but was dismissed for eight off the bowling of Ross Murray.
Kearsley and Andrew Foster added 20 for the next wicket to take the score to 60 for five from 13 overs. Hanna then bowled Foster (1) and Kearsley (16) in the same over to swing the game back to Saintfield.
Glover (13) and Rhodri Phillips combined well in the closing overs to sneak Dundrum over the line with one over remaning to complete a three wicket win for Dundrum.
The pick of the Saintfield bowlers was Ethan Hanna who finished with four for 20 from his four overs.
Dundrum start their season this Saturday when they travel to Laurelvale in the T20 Shield. Saintfield also begin their season on Saturday when they host Cliftonville Academy in Section 1.