Armagh v Laurelvale. The Mall Saturday 12/06/2010

Armagh registered their first win of the 2010 Ulster Bank Division One Section One season after a thrilling encounter with local rivals Laurelvale in which the momentum changed several times throughout the match and in which both teams had opportunities to take the win. Armagh made only one change from the previous weekend against Muckamore with Andrew Bratten replacing Matthew Steenson in the side. Laurelvale captain David Sinton won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first with the Mall looking in quite superb condition.

Laurelvale’s start was brisk as the Armagh bowlers struggled to hit a good length with Hogg looking in good touch. Harry Doyle began to find his rhythm though and took the first wicket when Henry edged through to a diving McCarter. Runs continued to flow at a good pace as Stinson then Bratten struggled to find a rhythm and were punished by Hogg and McClelland who ran well between the wickets. Armagh needed a breakthrough and found some inspiration when Hogg was superbly caught by Russell at cover off the bowling of Bratten. McClelland continued to live dangerously and survived a chance when he was dropped by Villiers at cover, although he kept his composure to run out Pearson at the non-strikers end. That made the score 102-3 and what followed was a remarkable passage of play where Armagh completely dominated proceedings, strangling any runs and taking regular wickets as David Bullick and Alan Whitcroft bowled superbly. McClelland reached his half century with a strong drive but Bullick had the last laugh when he was plumb lbw from the very next ball. Whitcroft then took centre stage as he had Sinton caught by Doyle at point, Hughes edged through to McCarter standing up and Bullick took a terrific catch over his head at mid-wicket to remove Lawrence Edgar. Laurelvale had now slipped to 119-6 and were in danger of being dismissed cheaply but to his credit Lee Edgar battled hard with support from Burns to take the Villagers over 150. Burns gave Doyle a second wicket and McCarter a third catch when he edged behind as Armagh kept things tight in the closing overs. Edgar himself was bowled for a well played 44 in the final over to give Michael Hoey a wicket he deserved for his fine display of bowling as Laurelvale’s innings closed on 171, Whitcroft the star of the show with five maiden overs and three wickets for only twenty runs in his ten overs.

Armagh were sure to want a good start with the match pretty much in the balance but didn’t get it with Phil Doyle adjudged caught behind off Burns from only the second ball of the innings. Dean Lester chipped to mid off and when Russell was sensationally run out by a direct hit from deep-backward-square leg Armagh were wobbling at 20-3. Armagh needed calm heads to rebuild their efforts and Michael Villiers looked like the man for the task as he seemed in good touch from the off, getting some support from Bratten and Bullick who will have been disappointed to get out when they looked well set and Armagh looked up against it at 73-5. Harry Doyle was the new man at the crease and together with Villiers the pair looked to reduce the hundred runs still needed for victory. Despite tight bowling from the medium pace of Edgar and Conn and the spin of Pearson and Hughes, Armagh were able to accumulate steadily and Villiers reached his first half century for Armagh with another assured stroke. With the target dropping steadily Laurelvale needed something special and found it when Lawrence Edgar produced a terrific direct hit to run out Doyle for a really well played 31 in a 69 run stand that had given Armagh an opportunity. Hoey was dismissed lbw without scoring as the large crowd at The Mall grew ever more nervous, but those nerves were eased by a breezy contribution from Whitcroft who initially supported Villiers and then went on the attack to take consecutive boundaries from the bowling of Conn to seal a superb win by three wickets. Villiers remained unbeaten on 84, a chanceless innings that contained ten boundaries which was undoubtedly the significant contribution behind Armagh’s success.

Armagh captain Gareth McCarter was naturally delighted with his team’s win. “It’s a great relief to get the first win of the season under our belts and we certainly had to work hard for it. The way we turned things around in the field after Laurelvale’s brisk start was superb so credit for Whitcroft, Bullick, Doyle and Hoey who were brilliant and were backed up by our catching and fielding. When we batted we were under pressure but Michael Villiers played the knock of his life to get us home.

As Holywood are still in the Senior Cup, Armagh do not have a league fixture on Saturday but are in action this Sunday in the rearranged fixture with Cliftonville.