Section Two remains tight at the top with two teams tied on 24 points, but only Ballymena can still boast carrying an unblemished record after last weeks top of the table clash.

Undoubtedly the match of last weekend saw the top two meet at the Ballygomartin Road and those present were treated to almost 500 runs as Ballymena produced another powerful batting display to take the points. Captain James Kennedy was the name at the top of the list on this occasion with his unbeaten 112 taking the plaudits, with David Kennedy falling for 87 in a monumental score of 280 for 4 in their 50 overs. Although Woodvale scored at a good rate in reply they were bowled out 67 runs short, with Carl Williams again amongst the wickets. This weekend Ballymena host Saintfield and will undoubtedly be looking for more of the same, while Woodvale will be looking to get back on track quickly as they travel to Laurelvale, who still need all the points they can get if they are to move into mid-table.

Saintfield can approach their trip to Eaton Park with a degree of confidence however as they are taking to Section Two cricket very comfortably and could have arguably beaten Downpatrick by more than the eventual margin of 52 runs. Saintfield posted a decent score of 199 but had the visitors in all sorts of disorder at 76-8 before some good tail-end batting brought them to 147 in the end. Captain Ricky Owens will be very content with how his Section Three Champions are progressing. Downpatrick on the other hand seem to be finding things difficult, but can look at Saturday’s visit from bottom place Armagh as a chance to get their season going after a tough start. It may be a new cliché, but the game at the Meadow is already a mid-season “eight-pointer”.

Armagh find themselves on their own at the bottom after another comprehensive defeat, this time at Seapark Oval to Holywood; who have another home game to look forward to this weekend. Armagh continually seem to get themselves into decent positions with the bat and then throw it all away, this time falling from 92-2 before drinks to an eventual 142 all out, albeit sparked by a lively spell of bowling from Philip McCormick who took 4-31 after being expensive early on. The low score was no problem to Holywood’s Australian pair of Sharkey and Roscoe who both recorded half centuries in a professional nine wicket win. This weekend sees a Down derby between Holywood and Dundrum with very little between the teams on the league table. After a narrow defeat to Lurgan the Dundrum boys will want to get back on the winning track, fired by giant in-form pace bowler Lee Connor.

Lurgan just scraped past a determined Dundrum challenge last weekend as the home teams total of 183 was only passed with two wickets remaining in the late overs as Craig Irwin with 60 led the way. Two defeats in the previous round of games had dropped Lurgan back to third place, but they will see this weekends home fixture to Muckamore as a chance to make the promotion race very much a three way battle. Muckamore did not have a league fixture last weekend, but they did win their Twenty/20 Shield pool on the Sunday. Rumours suggest that professional Indrajeet Kamtekar has taken on the captaincy in recent weeks so it will be interesting to see if that makes any change in fortunes. Certainly the match up between Kamtekar and his opposite number Niranjan Godbole, below, of Lurgan has the potential to be superb fayre as the two great Indian batsmen and indeed great friends come up against one another.

Just to clarify, this weekend’s full fixture list reads:

Ballymena v Saintfield
Lurgan v Muckamore
Downpatrick v Armagh
Holywood v Dundrum
Laurelvale v Woodvale

Sunday also sees two teams from Section Two pit their wits against the big boys in the Metal Technology Twenty/20 Cup. Many felt that last weekend’s matches in the Shield lacked much buzz when stripped of the coloured clothing, but the pyjamas and the white ball will be back for the Cup competition, with groups being hosted at Upritchard Park, Wallace Park, Queensway and Middle Road, suggesting that runs will not be scarce at four great venues for batting. Group A sees the quaintly titled “Downpatrick Cricketers” up against the “Titans” of North Down and the “Gryphons” of Bangor. Group B holds the other Section Two representative as the “Woodvale Warriors” match up with the “Waringstown Villagers” and the “Lisburn Lions” There should be some great cricket on display.