Ballymena cricketers win in record-breaking run chase

Set a huge total of 348 to chase, the Eaton Park men pulled off an unforgettable victory with 2 balls to spare.

The record books suggest that this is the highest ever successful run-chase in the 125-year history of NCU cricket and that the aggregate match score of 695 runs is also a record. However even these facts alone do not fully do justice to a marvellous display of batting by both sides; the highlights of which were superb centuries by Mikey Trairoa and Jamie Holmes for Carrick and by James Kennedy for Ballymena.

All three results were possible right up to the last couple of balls in this memorable day’s cricket but surely no one could have begrudged Ballymena the spoils at the end. For this was a day when the never-say-die attitude of the Eaton Park cricketers really shone through.

Very few teams would have made a serious attempt to overhaul such a mammoth total but right from the start of their innings it was clear that Ballymena were intent on giving it a real go; and even on a couple of occasions when it looked as if the run rate might be beyond them they still kept going.

Carrick won the toss and chose to bat on a wicket that played very well throughout, despite all the recent rain. After Jordan McClurkin was out for 10, Carrick’s two New Zealand-born players Mikey Trairoa and Jamie Holmes came together in a huge partnership of 284 in just 36 overs. Both of them drove the ball splendidly and it soon became clear that, barring them making mistakes, Ballymena were in for a tough afternoon in the field.

The bowlers for the most part toiled away accurately enough and for a long time it looked like they might restrict Carrick to around 280 , a very chaseable total on the high-scoring Middle Road ground.

However once Trairoa passed his century, he really start going for his shots and added a further 9 sixes to the 5 he had already struck. The scoring rate accelerated to the extent that in 3 overs from the 43rd to the 46th Carrick added 68 runs.

Although Robert McKinley dismissed Holmes (for 134) and Carrick captain Ross Gelderbloem towards the end of the innings, it couldn’t prevent Carrick reaching a massive 347 for 3 in 50 overs. Trairoa remained unbeaten on 176. It was an outstanding innings by the little Kiwi but little did he know at that stage that it would still not be enough to win the game.

Despite facing such a huge target Ballymena’s openers James Kennedy and Robert McKinley did not panic or start playing big shots too soon. Instead they sensibly built a platform with an opening stand of 107 in 24 overs, at which point McKinley was out for a well-compiled 34.

Kennedy was then joined by the in-form Kaushik Aphale and this pair stated to play shots all round the wicket as they added another 106 in just 11 overs.

However just when it looked as if the game was swinging towards Ballymena they were both out in quick succession to leave Ballymena 217 for 3. Kennedy had made 111 in 103 balls; a typical hard-hitting James Kennedy innings with 14 fours and 3 sixes and a great return to form after his duck against Instonians the previous week.

Aphale still looked in great nick as he raced to 59 and he was maybe slightly unfortunate to be adjudged LBW playing a sweep shot. This left 130 still needed at nearly 10 an over, and Ballymena’s middle – order kept up with the asking rate as Andy Kirkpatrick (26) and David Kennedy (32) scored off virtually every ball .

However when Kennedy was out with the score 281 for 6, Ballymena still needed 67 off 6 overs and the pendulum had swung towards the home team. Then a remerakable little cameo from Steve Lazars, 27 off 11 balls, kept Ballymena in the picture until three run-outs in one over made it 320 for 9 after 48 overs. 28 to win off 12 balls looked a huge task but there are few teams who have more capable batters at 10 and 11 than Michael Glass and Simon McDowell.

With the help of 2 fours from Glass, the pair took 13 off Ryan Eagleson in the 49th over.At this stage the umpires controversially, but correctly, awarded Ballymena 6 penalty runs as punishment for Carrick’s slow over rate.

This left Ballymena needing just 9 from Ian Parkhill’s last over and when Glass courageously decided to go for broke and drove a magnificent straight six off the second ball Ballymena sensed they were home.

Fittingly, two balls later, it was the captain who pushed a quick single to cover point to take his team over the line and into the history books.

It was a wonderful victory for Ballymena but spare a thought for Carrick who had contributed their share to a remarkable game , only to have the win snatched from their grasp in the last few overs.

On Saturday, Ballymena face another tough encounter when Waringstown visit Eaton Park.

The villagers surprisingly lost to Instonians on Saturday but there is little doubt that they will be keen to put that upset behind them to keep up their challenge for the Ulster Bank Premier League title. Ballymena have a decent record against Waringstown in recent seasons and, bouyed by two good wins on successive Saturdays, Simon McDowell’s side will feel a hat-trick of victories is not beyond them.