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The Hills v Waringstown:  Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup quarter final, played at Milverton, Friday 23rd July

What a strange day!  Two very good sides met at Milverton in the rearranged Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup quarter final, but neither The Hills nor Waringstown performed to anything like their capabilities.  It was as if fear of losing was dominating the desire to win, as if fear of playing badly dominated desire to play well.

Waringstown won the toss and batted, and Kyle McCallan and Andy Cousins made a slow, nervy start against Max Sorensen and Luke Clinton.  I was standing behind my Canon with the porno-sized lens and couldn't remember a shot worth recording.

Cousins, on 1, had a flake at Sorensen.  The ball skewed over Mike Baumgart at cover.  He turned, ran back, but as the ball came over his right shoulder he failed to hang on to it.  Somebody unkindly remarked that if you're going to lob the fielder, Mike, at 5' 7'', is the guy to lob.

After 10 overs it was 24-0.  The Hills took their bowling Power Play immediately, and both batsmen got after Nazeer, replacing Sorensen from the road end, to add 29 runs in the five overs.  Jeremy Bray came on for Luke Clinton from the Blackhills end and immediately caused problems with swing and lift.

With the score on 65, Peter O'Donnell standing up behind the stumps, failed to hold on to a nick from McCallan off Nazeer.  Then a fuller, straight ball did for Cousins (with the help of the umpire's finger) for 24. James Hall never settled, and lobbed Bray to van der Merwe at point six runs later.

Another quick wicket would have put Waringstown under the cosh, but Lee Nelson and McCallan progressed to 87 at drinks.  Albert van der Merwe was now bowling his off breaks from the road end, and getting so much turn that he felt the need to go round the wicket to avoid bowling leg-side wides.

McCallan and Nelson soldiered on, putting away the bad ball.  Kyle's 50 came in the 31st over with the score on 113.  Nelson should have been caught by Mark Dwyer at deepish mid wicket off van der Merwe when on 31, which would have made it 137-3, but the chance went a-begging.

Bray finished his spell with 2/36, and Waringstown called for the batting Power Play.  Mike Baumgart wisely recalled Max Sorensen, and three good overs from Max plus two less good overs from Albert yielded 27 runs, leaving the visitors on 177-2 off 44 overs, Nelson having just reached fifty.

Luke Clinton replaced Sorensen when his ten overs were bowled (0/26), and had the by now aggressive Nelson caught behind for 62.  McCallan followed two runs later for 81, bowled by Nazeer.  Waringstown then dribbled to 213/6 off 50 overs, surely twenty runs short of par, even on a less than friendly pitch.

Luke Clinton's ten overs cost 33.  Nazeer and van der Merwe, going for 45 and 56 respectively, will think they might have done better.  So neither side could have been satisfied with their efforts, and the usual splendid tea could only have been enjoyed by the neutrals.

Victor Mpitsang bowled at a decent pace and straight, while Simon Harrison swung the ball away from the right-handers at a more gentle lick.  Neither offered any freebies, and Darryl Calder had accumulated five when he was bowled by Mpitsang in the fifth over.

Three overs later Baumgart wafted Harrison to Allen and it was 14-2.  Through my Dirk Diggler lens I could see clearly that Jeremy Bray's defence was rock solid as he got right forward, but he wasn't giving himself many boundary opportunities.

van der Merwe was equally unambitious, and the bowling Power Play only moved the score from 17-2 off 10 to 41-2 off 15.  By now Kyle McCallan and Gary Kidd were bowling their very different spinners, but getting none of the lift and less of the turn that The Hills's bowlers had got.

Singles is the way to keep the scoreboard moving, especially with a left- and right-hander, but Bray's call sold his partner down the Swannee, van der Merwe run out for 27 and the score on 56-3.  A dozen runs later Bray swished at Kidd, top-edged and was caught by Jonny Bushe for 24.

I can't think of a better 5 and 6 in Dublin Senior cricket than Max Sorensen and Nazeer Shoukat, two guys quite capable of adding the required 156 runs in 25 overs.  Naz, normally a poor starter, looked good, but Max was in the horrors.

He was dropped twice before playing horribly across the line to be lbw to tyro Josh Hall – it may not be long before he joins brother James on the Ireland A side – after all, he's from the north, and most likely very kind to his gerbils.

Mark Dwyer is another who flatters to deceive (unlike his father, who does neither).  Two lovely shots and he was gone, caught behind off Queenie McCallan, and it was 126-6.  Tomas Murphy dug in, and with Naz gave a glimmer for The Hills.

Naz had pulled/torn a thing muscle while bowling, and now called for a runner.  For a while the bold Albert scampered Naz's runs, and the score got to 147, when Naz slogged Kyle to the elder Hall.  Five runs later Joseph Clinton miscued Nelson's first ball to Jamie Matthews.

Lee's father could certainly bowl, but Nelson fils was banished to the outfield after one over as Mpitsang and Kidd were asked by Bushe to put The Hills out of their misery.  Murphy resisted with some bold shots, but having lost “George” O'Donnell and trying to protect Luke Clinton (why?), ran himself out for 44.

The Hills were all out for 190 in 48.2 overs, a very poor response from such talented players.  But take nothing away from Waringstown: two guys batted well before and especially after let-offs; and three guys bowled well – Mpitsang (1/24), Harrison (1/15) and McCallan (2/32).

The Co. Armagh side must now be favourites to beat Merrion at home and become the first NCU side this century to reach the final of the Irish Senior Cup.  But before they get all 11 players onto Ireland A, again, they're going to be buried by Railway Union.