Knockout stages for holders

Knockout stages for holders

31 July 2024

GOING into the final week of the league section of the Midweek League, Downpatrick knew that everything had to go their way to take their title defence to the knockout stages. 

The first hurdle was a tricky away game to Holywood who had recently defeated second-placed Bangor.

Thanks must go to Holywood for hosting the game at short notice due to the rearrangement of Downpatrick’s first XI game.

Downpatrick dominated the early stages on a gloomy evening at Seapark with Nayeem Agadi and Alish Khandeler both producing aggressive spells of bowling, well backed up by Stanley John and Manish Kumar to leave Holywood struggling at 55-5 after nine overs.

Home star Dishanth Chereddy took the attack to Downpatrick, who became sloppy. Holywood scored a flurry of runs and were aided by some fielding mistakes and ped catches.

Downpatrick’s captain turned to Stanley John and Ben Connoly to regain control of the game and they did so in style.

Chereddy retired for 35 not out, the sixth game in a row where he has achieved this. 

John and Connolly then ripped through the Holywood lower order with the last 4 wickets costing just five runs to leave Downpatrick with a manageable target of 100 to chase. 

Early wickets have been a trend for the Strangford 

Road men this season and this game proved no different with two of the top order falling cheaply.

Manish Kumar and Ailish Khandeler then combined some big hitting with smart running to drag Downpatrick to 63-3 in the seventh over and firmly in control again.

Manish retired not out with 31 off 27 balls and was well supported by Stanley John to see Downpatrick home in just the 11th over for a comfortable victory and into second place in the table, occupying the last slot for the semi final stages.  

All eyes then turned to other results and to everyone’s relief one of their rivals for second place, Ardent Blues, fell to a defeat which meant that Downpatrick needed one more result to go their way the following evening.

Second-placed Bangor travelled to table toppers Lisburn on Thursday night.

A win for Bangor would have saw them through at Downpatrick’s expense. However, cruelly for Bangor, bad weather meant the game was abandoned with no result securing Downpatrick’s place in the knockouts. 

Downpatrick travel to BISC at the Billy Neill pitches this evening hoping to replicate a victory against the same opponents at the same stage last season.