Good pre-season for Victoria

Victoria will be pleased with how things have gone with their pre-season.
The Victoria team which travelled to Cornwall.The Victoria team which travelled to Cornwall.
The Victoria team which travelled to Cornwall.

They have had some good opening partnerships combined with some steady middle order batting and some good tight bowling has helped to back this up

Captain Andrew Gray is very optimistic moving into this year when he hopes to right some wrongs following last years relegation, and urges all members and any new hopeful members to attend training which starts 6.30pm on Mondays and Thursdays.

On the weekend of Saturday 16th April, Victoria made the long and enjoyable trip to the South West corner of England to play a team Based in the Cornish village of Beacon.

Victoria opted to have a bat to make the most of the fast outfield, a decision that was duly backed up by a fantastic opening partnership.

Gray trusted the opening talisman of David Reiman and Robert Black. The pair got off to a great start with ten coming for the first over as they made the most of some early season lose bowling and picking up some early valuable runs.

Black eventually fell in the 18th over for a very well deserved 24 and an opening partnership of 59. This brought captain Gray to the crease who looked to get off the mark early, and surviving through to drinks with the opener Reiman. Play resumed after drinks with the score 62-1, Reiman and Gray looked to up the scoring rate, picking up some valuable ones and twos, and using the outfield well to pick off the odd boundary.

The partnership was broken after an excellent catch behind from the Beacon keeper as he stood up to the spin of Proctor taking a bottom edge of Gray to remove him for 29.

Reiman now being joined by his 3 partner Bunting, looked to follow up from the previous overs was caught at point by some well handled juggling to remove him for a very valuable 31. Gary McClune was next to the crease as he aimed to keep the scoring rate ticking over, blasting his way to a short sharp 7 before falling to an excellent stumping.

Bunting now being joined by McClelland as he lived up to his typical nature in making his first scoring shot a well guided 4, after a short but valuable partnership with Bunting, it was the latter to fall in the dying overs after being bowled by the Beacon opener Dowling who proved very valuable as he was reintroduced into the attack.

Victoria finished their innings on 161-6 after their allotted 40 overs.

Bunting finished with excellent figures of 8-1-34-5,but Victoria came out on the wrong side of a very close game.

Last Saturday Victoria played Enniskellen.

Victoria scored 149-3 off their 25 overs. The Victoria bowlers got on top and Enniskillenfinished 60-6 after their 25 overs.