I never planned on staying in Ireland… but now it feels like home, beams well-travelled Ben Calitz
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Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Lisburn left reeling after late Semi-Final heartache as wait for maiden Irish Senior Cup triumph goes on
Needing 19 with two overs remaining, Balbriggan's Jordan Hollard took a liking to Faiz Fazal, plundering 18 off the penultimate over to tie the scores. Josh Manley trapped Matthew Hollard off the first ball of the final over, but last man Kashif Ali held his nerve to get the winning runs with three balls left. In truth, Lisburn only had themselves to blame as they had four overs unused in their under-par total of 254 in ideal batting conditions. Ross Adair hit seven fours and two sixes as he raced out of the traps with a 34-ball 46. Faiz Fazal made 63 and there was also a half-century for Ben Calitz, who top-scored with 72 (six fours, three sixes). David Miller chipped in with 26, but the other seven batters had single-figure scores in a real curate's egg display that would ultimately come back to haunt them. There were three wickets apiece for Andy Darroch and Sebastian D'Oliveria, while Matthew Hollard picked up two. Balbriggan seemed on course for a routine win as top scorer Cameron Rowe, with 73 (six fours, two sixes), and Dylan Lues (45) shared a second wicket stand of 100 to leave them 142 for two. However, Lisburn rallied, with three wickets each for Ryan Macbeth and skipper Neil Whitworth reducing the hosts to 197 for seven. Jordan Hollard, though, was still there, and he timed the chase to perfection, with his unbeaten half-century breaking Lisburn's hearts. The Final will be an all-Leinster affair as Eoghan Delany's century helped two-time winners Clontarf to a 104-run win over Malahide. That decider is scheduled to be at Bready on August 16, but the governing body may now switch to a Leinster venue given the two Finalists are from the same region. There was also disappointment for Carrickfergus in the National Cup Semi-Final as they lost another close contest, going down by just nine runs at home to County Kerry, making it a Cup double for the Kingdom after their triumph over Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC last-four on Saturday. Khurram Iqbal clubbed 10 fours and two maximums in a hard-hit 80 that got Kerry up to 223, with runs too for Alam Morshed (36) and Yaqoob Ali (23), while there were two wickets apiece for Robin Arbuthnot and Alex Haggan. The hosts were without influential skipper CJ van der Walt, and the absence of his consistent runs in the middle-order was to be a crucial factor in their loss. Much depended on overseas professional Atish Varape, and the joy that greeted his dismissal for 35 by the Munster side meant they knew its significance, too. Iain Parkhill top-scored with 43, while there were runs down the order too from Alex Haggan (24) and Jay Parkhill (23), but the required rate had climbed to double digits, meaning their target was always just out of reach. They fought all the way but in the end finished on 214 for nine, with Kashif Mehmood and Alam Morshed each taking three wickets. Kerry will meet County Galway in the Final after the Connacht side thumped Terenure by a whopping 208 runs at The Lydican. Meanwhile, Holywood kept their NCU Women's title hopes alive with a 25-run win over Muckamore at Moylena. Overseas player Madison Landsman was the star of the show as she thumped nine fours and three sixes in a 25-ball 62, adding 40 with Erika Simms (29) in a total of 148 for seven – two wickets apiece for Nikki Niblock and Jenni Jackson. The Moylena side made 123 for eight in reply, boosted by the concession of 53 extras by Holywood, but luckily for them, it didn't prove fatal. The wickets were shared, with Lola Raphael picking up three and Lara Maritz two. Holywood's next match is against table-toppers Waringstown, where a win for the Seapark side would leave the pair level going into the final game of the season.
Belfast Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Waringstown and Instonians locked at summit as duo back up Cup wins with League triumphs
The Shaw's Bridge side again opted to bowl first in their clash with third-placed Lisburn, and once again their bowlers responded to the challenge by restricting them to 186 in an innings that never really got going. Ross Adair (20) and Nigel Jones (26) got starts, but only when Ben Calitz was in full flow did Lisburn get a foothold in the contest. The Irish passport-holding South African hit three sixes and fours in a 42-ball 47, adding 83 for the fourth wicket with skipper Neil Whitworth (36). However, Cian Robertson spun his left-arm magic, claiming four wickets for just 23 to put the home side firmly in control. Shane Dadswell (three for 30) and two wickets for Ben Rose reaffirmed the advantage, and a final total of 186 looked to be well short of challenging. Cade Carmichael had missed out in Saturday's Cup win, but the Irish international cashed in with a brilliant 77-ball 117 that included 15 fours and four maximums to break the back of the chase. His century means that he is the leading run-scorer in the League with 473 runs, just ahead of Jason van der Merwe. Carmichael added 112 with Rob McKinley (24), and that allowed Inst to coast to a six-wicket win in the 28th over – Dadswell bringing the game to a hasty conclusion by thumping three fours and a six in the final four balls. For Lisburn, a 2025 season that promised so much is in danger of falling apart, with their main hope for silverware now resting on the Irish Senior Cup where they travel to play Balbriggan in the last-four. Waringstown kept pace with Instonians thanks to an emphatic seven-wicket win at Cliftonville Academy in a match reduced to 25 overs. Abhishek Raut hit a 32-ball unbeaten 56 as the home side posted what looked a competitive 174 for five – Varun Chopra making a run-a-ball 36 (five fours) and Hayden Melly 27. The Topping brothers, though, made light work of the chase as they shared an opening stand of 125 in just 80 balls. Morgan hit eight fours and six sixes in a 56-ball 87, while younger brother Sam's 36-ball 53 included five fours and three maximums. John Glass claimed two wickets, but the seven-wicket win was sealed in the 19th over. Woodvale and North Down shared a dramatic tie in a see-saw game at Ballygomartin Road – a result that saw both happy to get something from the match in the end. Stevie Saul just missed out on a century, getting two from the final ball of the North Down innings to end on 99 – seven fours, four sixes – adding 127 for the fourth wicket with Mickey Copeland as they made 193 for five in 35 overs. Woodvale looked beaten as they slumped to 78 for six, but Carl Robinson's 51-ball 64 got them right back into contention as he added 104 in 17 overs for the seventh wicket with Zara Khan (49 not out). Some 17 were still needed from the last two overs when last man Anek Anil joined Khan, but they chipped away and the equation came down to three from the final ball. Anil managed to scramble two, ensuring a share of the spoils. North Down finished in the top six for the split, while Woodvale's two points meant they moved off the bottom above Templepatrick. Meanwhile, in the North West, there was a real shock as leaders Donemana lost by 42 runs to bottom side Bready in a rearranged game. David Rankin top-scored with 64 as Bready posted 194 for seven – four wickets for Jordan McGonigle, who came out of retirement to compensate for Andy McBrine's unavailability. Teenager Travis Faulkner took three wickets as the League leaders slumped to 62 for seven, and although they rallied with runs for brothers Billy (38) and DJ Dougherty (28), Faulkner returned to claim his fourth in a victory that lifted Bready off the bottom of the table.
Belfast Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Lisburn left flying the flag for NCU in Irish Senior Cup semi-finals
Ross Adair and Neil Whitworth were the Lisburn heroes in a tense contest at the five-times winners. Chasing 229, Adair raced out of the traps as he thumped 10 fours and six sixes in a 48-ball 85, completely dominating an opening stand of 113 in 13 overs that had Lisburn almost half way to their target. Alan Mathew's three wickets and two for Johan George had Lisburn nerves jangling at 198 for seven but, crucially for them, skipper Whitworth was still there. His cool head saw the Wallace Park side over the finishing line, making a vital unbeaten 52 (four fours, two sixes). 2022 winners CIYMS could only manage 167 at Malahide, with overseas professional Herman Rolfes top-scoring with 58 (eight fours) and Carson McCullough making 42. James Newland was the destroyer-in-chief, taking six wickets. A fourth wicket stand of 67 between Jeremy Martins (40) and Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (28) put Malahide on top and, despite two wickets apiece for John Matchett and Carson McCullough, the Dubliners squeezed home by three wickets. Balbriggan ended Donemana's dreams with a six-wicket win at Jack Harper Park. The North West side were dealt two blows beforehand with William McClintock and David O'Sullivan both ruled out. Anuj Jotin was again in the runs as he top-scored with 61 in a Donemana total of 220 for nine, with Jamie Huey (33) and Andy McBrine (21) also in the runs. Jordan and Matthew Hollard shared a combined five wickets. The reply was a cagey one initially with Donemana taking early wickets, but Cameron Rowe and Chris De Freitas shared a match-defining fourth wicket stand of 99 in 18 overs to put the hosts firmly in control. Rowe hit nine fours and three maximums in a top-score of 78, while De Freitas (71 not out) added a further 65 for the fifth wicket with Farooq Nasr (37) as Balbriggan eased to victory in the 44th over. Favourites Pembroke were beaten at Clontarf, for whom Seamus Lynch scored a century and Cillian McDonnell claimed a hat-trick. Carrickfergus won a real nail-biter in the National Cup, holding their nerve to clinch a one-run win at Adamstown. Atish Varape hit an unbeaten 112 adding 159 with Prince Sharma (45) in their total of 234 for three. They needed them all as Richard Hood kept his cool in a tense final over that went down to the last ball. Ballyspallen are in the hat after a seven-wicket win at Terenure. South African Test player Eddie Moore showed his quality as he made 142 from just 97 balls (13 fours, 10 sixes) to make light work of a 242 target. Moore shared a third wicket stand of 187 with Graham Kennedy (61 not out), with the Ireland A international earlier having claimed four wickets in the Terenure innings. Glendermott made the long trek to Kerry but lost by 56 runs, despite five wickets for Ben Mills and 41 from skipper Alan Johnson. Meanwhile, in the NCU Women's Premiership, North Down shocked leaders Holywood, beating them by five runs. Rebecca Webster hit an unbeaten 58 for the Comber side, while four wickets for Gracie Keenan sealed the victory. Waringstown are the new leaders after a 56-run win at home to CSNI. Charlotte Lyons made 54 and Abigale Gerken an unbeaten 31 in a total of 151 for three. Naomi Matthews then took four wickets to seal the win. In the North West, Strabane beat Bonds Glen to win the Sperrin Springs Cup. Mark McNulty's unbeaten 25 and three wickets for Andrew Mullen were the highlights of the 38-run win for the Tyrone side.
