Saintfield V Armagh 28/06/08
Armagh better, but still beaten.
Armagh’s run of defeats continued after a four wicket loss to Saintfield on Saturday but only after a much improved all round team display had given Armagh a real hope of getting something out of the game only to fall just short with a few overs remaining. Armagh were missing Michael Villiers at a family wedding so Matthew Steenson came into the side, plus David Bullick and Gareth McCarter were fit to play after injury concerns in the past week with back and thumb respectively. Andrew Bratten won the toss and elected to bat on the immaculate Saintfield pitch but the team had the worst possible start when young Steenson was dismissed off only the second ball of the game. However, Charudatta Kulkarni came to the crease and together with Colin Russell began to repair the damage of that early setback with some controlled batting. Sixty-one had been added when Russell was caught out for 28, but Kulkarni continued steadily and recorded his second half century for Armagh CC. Gareth Robinson fell in close to a sharp diving catch, but Lloyd Hamilton was able to build a solid stand with Kulkarni, making sure to give the talented Indian a lot of the strike as the Armagh score accelerated steadily. The two shared a super partnership of 85 before Hamilton was caught behind attempting to flick a bouncer and indeed Bratten was bowled first ball giving Saintfield a hat-trick chance that Mark Elliott was happy to survive. These wickets actually fell with Kulkarni on a score of 99, but he was not to be denied as a single took him to a terrific century that was applauded warmly by a growing crowd at the Desemene. Kulkarni was in something of a running battle with Saintfield’s tall opening bowler McBriar who was doing his best to unsettle the diminutive Armagh pro but would have been astonished to see his next ball smashed over the long off boundary for six with a quite remarkable baseball style smash. Kulkarni was finally caught on the boundary off the final ball of the 49th over for 112, a score that contained 16 boundaries and 2 “sixes”. Armagh’s innings closed on 201-8 as a few late runs were added but a competitive score nonetheless.
With a brief rain delay after tea and clouds looming overhead, Armagh knew that taking early wickets was going to be the key if a Duckworth/Lewis calculation came into play. Saintfield clearly hadn’t read that script though as Tommy Stewart and Captain Ricky Owens made an attacking start and made the most of their luck to build a stand of 69 for the first wicket. Andy Bratten was a touch unfortunate to bowl straight through his ten over spell without a wicket, but Bullick found the breakthrough when he had Stewart lbw. Saintfield were happy to rebuild and with left hander McCavery content to play second foil to Owens as he passed his half century with several smashing strokes to the short boundary. The game was hastily getting away from Armagh until Bullick was able to get rid of Owens in his final over with a fantastic swinging delivery to finish a decent spell. Harrison came and went quickly as the pace of Kulkarni induced an edge through to McCarter, and when Mark Stinson clean bowled past a heave from professional Noel David the Saints were 146-4 and in a touch of trouble. McBriar came and went fairly quickly when his luck ran out as Stinson had him leg before. McCavery was still at the crease and the home side could be confident as the assured left hander remained, although he had a left off when Bratten dropped a tough slip chance in Kulkarni’s last over. He did fall with 25 to win though as Bullick took a good catch on the boundary to give Whitcroft a well deserved wicket. The same combination was desperately unlucky not to repeat the success a few balls later as McGowan escaped, and Saintfield got to victory with 16 balls remaining with some assured shots from Wheeler.
After the game Andrew Bratten was understandably disappointed that his team hadn’t managed to complete a great victory. “I thought that although 201 was a decent score although we probably left a few runs out there after our middle order didn’t support Charu as well as they could have done. We bowled and fielded better as a unit than against Holywood and with a bit better luck we would been celebrating a win tonight. Kulkarni in particular didn’t deserve to be in the losing team, he batted virtually the entire innings for his century and bowled with the pace and discipline we have come to expect from him.
This weekend Armagh are back on the Mall and the bottom side desperately need a victory against Muckamore; the only team that the city side have managed a win against to date in the 2008 summer. If the side can manage to repeat the spirit and commitment of that early season win then they will have a good chance of taking the crucial points. Mark Elliott and Alan Whitcroft will be absent due to holidays, but Michael Villiers will hopefully return at the top of the batting order. Saturday’s game starts at 12 noon.
Scorecard can be found here | 
