Shortly after 6 o’clock on Friday evening Nigel Jones captain of Civil Service North (CSN) lifted aloft the TCH Down Democrat Challenge Cup on the balcony of Downpatrick Cricket Club ending a nine-year barren spell for the club.

This was the club’s 36th appearance in the final and the 21st time they had won the trophy.  All their previous victories had been under their previous existence as North of Ireland prior to the amalgamation with Civil Service and ushers in a new era for the club now based at Stormont.

It would be wrong not to begin by paying tribute to the Downpatrick club who hosted the event.  On Tuesday evening an emergency meeting of the Northern Cricket Union came close to postponing the showpiece final due to the condition of the ground and the forecast weather conditions.

The ground survived two inspections on Wednesday and Thursday morning as the ground staff marshalled by Ivan Reid put in a Herculean effort by working virtually round the clock in the 72 hours leading up to the scheduled start.  Prior to the trophy presentation, Kieran Moloney, CEO of the sponsors, Down Democrat and the large crowd who had just witnessed a pulsating game acknowledged their efforts.

This was a game that just when it seemed that one side was about to take the decisive advantage the other somehow clawed their way back into it.  If the old adage that catches win matches is to be believed then certainly CSN were value for the win.

The men from Stormont held onto four that would have graced any game at any level but paradoxically could have been made to pay for a glaring drop by Michael Heaney at point when James Hall was on 16.

Waringstown appeared to have the ascendancy when after dismissing CSN for 150, when despite the loss of Lee Nelson LBW to Jones with the score on 5, Hall and Irish international Kyle McCallan added 34 for the second wicket.

Wayne Horwood, who earlier had been dismissed for a duck, dropped one short and McCallan who was on 19 and looking in complete control mistimed a pull shot; Jones diving forward at mid on took the catch.

When McCallan departs early in the game it is often referred to as a defining moment such is his presence in the side, but for many the real moment when destiny intervened in favour of CSN came at 52 for 2.

James Hall who looked at though he was about to put his stamp on another cup final had just brought up the Waringstown 50 hitting John Costain down the ground for six, when he attempted to repeat the shot off Horwood.  Corin Goodall on as a substitute fielder for the injured Jones sprinted 20 yards to his left and dived full length stuck out his left hand and held the finest one handed catch you are ever likely to see.

From there Regan West (right) took control with his left arm spin as on the drying wicket he seemed almost to be able to make the ball talk.  52 for 2 became 83 for 7, as the TCH Challenge Cup seemed to be well on the way to Stormont without Waringstown even putting up a fight.

West had Simon Harrison caught off a top edge again superbly by Jones running backwards and Johnny Bushe did not even look for the umpire’s finger as Charlie Beverland snapped up the chance at short leg.

Two of the youngsters in the CSN team then combined to remove Andrew Cousins.  Michael Heaney who possibly was only bowling because his captain was injured pitched one up and Cousins drove powerfully in the air to the deep extra cover boundary; Beverland running round judged not only the trajectory of the ball but the slope of the hill right in front of the disbelieving Waringstown fans and plucked the ball out of the air.

When Dave Cheater joined Peter Hanna even the most ardent of Waringstown followers were struggling to see a way out but the unlikely pair clawed the Villagers right back into it with a 59 run partnership for the eighth wickets, suddenly at 142 for 8 they were the favourites.

Cheater with 27 from 31 balls hit three boundaries and included a six that almost went as high as the distance it travelled before bouncing halfway up the car park.  Hanna provided support throughout and by now CSN were starting to look ragged in the field as extras advanced to top score on the Waringstown card.

Suddenly the pressure that comes as you see the finishing line in a cup final struck, Hanna the non-striker called Cheater for a single he clearly did not want and the pair had time to have a conversation about who was departing as they stood at the same end.  Cheater now obviously unsettled though he would bring the line closer with one big hit, but instead only found the waiting hands of West at long off to give Horwood his third wicket.

Finally the TCH Challenge Cup was in touching distance and the game ended in a moment of controversy, as Stuart Kidd could not believe he was adjudged to have edged West behind to deputy keeper Gary Wilson (right).  As CSN celebrated a four run victory, he stood looking at umpire Mark Hawthorne, shaking his head disconsolately.

Seven hours previously Waringstown captain Simon Harrison had called correctly and had no hesitation inserting CSN on what was not unexpectedly a damp wicket.  Cheater and Harrison bowled a fine opening spell and Harrison was parsimony itself as he bowled 10 overs straight at the cost of just 7 runs.

Cheater first bowled Horwood and then just as he was threatening to take control as in the semi-final against North Down, Wilson was bowled behind his legs for 23. 

Harrison then threw the ball to the experienced Simon Stokes; West lashed at his first ball but could only find Gary Kidd at cover point, two balls later Stephen Dyer’s miserable run with the bat continued as he edged to keeper Johnny Bushe.  37 for 4, CSN by now deep in the mire with only captain Nigel Jones of the established batsmen left, time for Waringstown to turn up the temperature.

Inexplicably though McCallan seemed somewhat out of sorts, bowling 3 consecutive wides and he and fellow international spinner Gary Kidd, seemed content to bowl to negative fields rather than crowd the batsman.  In my opinion it would have been a brave man who would hit over the top with four wickets gone and still 30 overs to go.

Instead though the batsmen were able to defend, regroup and take some relative easy singles, by drinks it was 71 for 4.  Almost immediately after McCallan tempted Arthur into a top edge and James Hall took the catch.

Heaney joined Jones in the middle and the pair added 53 for the 6th wicket.  Jones brought up his 50 with an edge past keeper Bushe for 4.  He departed almost immediately for 51 to his first real loss of discipline as he tried to hit McCallan over the top with Gary Kidd taking the catch. 

His innings was 152 minutes, 127 balls with a six and 4 fours, perhaps not pretty to watch but 24 runs more than any other batsman on the day and one suspects that had he been given caught behind to a confident appeal when he had scored just 17, then CSN would have capitulated.

John Costain and Colin Andrews added an unbeaten 12 for the last wicket, massively important in the context of the game.  Equally so the fact that it took CSN to the psychologically important 150.

McCallan took 3 for 22 and there were two wickets each for Gary Kidd, Cheater and Stokes.

Jones was obviously delighted with his team and his own individual contribution as he accepted both the Down Democrat Man of the Match trophy and the inaugural Bill McCarroll Memorial Award.  Wylie McKinty NCU Chairman and one of the MOM adjudicators, did admit later that in the absorbing final 30 minutes the decision making panel had changed their minds three times!

Winning CSN team with Kieran Moloney (CEO TCH Down Democrat) and NCU Chairman Wylie McKinty.

That just about sums up the game, it was never over till it was over, credit to both teams for serving up a game that will be talked about for years to come.  This one had more drama in it than an Agatha Christie thriller.

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