Godbole ton helps Lurgan secure first league win

An undefeated Niranjan Godbole century and a tight bowling and fielding display helped Lurgan to their first league points of the season with a convincing 65 run victory over Bangor in their Ulster Bank Section 1 clash at Pollock Park on Saturday.

Batting first, Lurgan’s innings had got off to a bad start when Callum Grieve was run out for 4 with the total on 14. Then, with the total on 40 Teddy Tully was caught off the bowling of Burns for 10. This brought Niranjan Godbole in to join Jack Harrison and their third wicket century partnership ensured the Town side were going to post a competitive total.

Harrison had just completed his half century when he was stumped off the bowling of Nicky McCollum for 53 with the score on 142. Godbole however was in fine form and he brought up his century just before the conclusion of the 50 overs, an innings that included nine fours and a six to leave him on 102 not out, with Peter Maxwell on 8 not out and a total of 217 for Bangor to chase for victory.

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Lurgan were looking for an early breakthrough and the tight opening overs of Ollie McCollum and Callum Grieve eventually paid off with McCollum getting the breakthrough, having Parker caught by Tully for 2 with the score on 12. The introduction of the spin attack of Andrew Bingham and Niranjan Godbole kept the run rate down and Bingham struck for the first time when he had Burns caught behind by keeper Richard Clarke for 21. With the total on 70 Clarke snapped up another catch, this time off Godbole and Keenan was gone for 31. This signalled the beginning of a Bangor middle order collapse. Nicky McCollum was trapped leg before by Bingham, then the Bingham / Clarke partnership removed English caught behind and Nixon stumped, all of them without troubling the scorer.

Bangor were left reeling at 72 for 6 at the halfway stage with any hopes of winning the game pinned on professional Taimur Khan.

However he was soon running out of partners again with McLarnon, King and Prince departing in the space of 3 runs and the visitor’s innings finally ending with a run out to leave Bangor all out for 151 in the 41st over, and Khan undefeated on 76.

Andrew Bingham was the pick of the Lurgan bowlers, his 10 overs bringing 4 for 31, Niranjan Godbole had 2 for 29 off 10 with Ollie McCollum and Peter Maxwell taking a wicket each.