Lisburn begin new season with tough home game

The team spent last week end involved in two friendlies both against North West opposition.

On Saturday they travelled to Brigade and in a 40 over game found the home side in early season form.

Brigade managed a massive 301 for 5 in their allotted overs with Barr and Hussein putting in 123 for the first wicket and suffered from a vicious innings by Robinson later who scored 56 in just 18 balls to take the game away from the visitors.

The bowling from Lisburn was far from penetrative with Carl Williams[1 for 44], Callum Atkinson[1-21] and Richard Simpson[1 for 33] the only bowlers to take a wicket.

Lisburn’s reply was never threatening with only Davey Simpson with 73 off 48 balls the only batsman to get the measure of the Brigade attack.

Robert Rankin managed 20, new captain, Adam Berry, 21 and new wicket keeper Simon Olphert with 25. Lisburn totalled 192 for 6 in their 40 overs losing by 109 runs.

On Sunday they moved on to Strabane and again lost, this time by 5 wickets.

Lisburn batted first and the opening partnership of Robert Rankin and Ricky Simpson added 80 before Simpson was dismissed for 34.

He was followed by Rankin with 48 but later in the innings, Lisburn’s new professional Cody Shetty showed his talent in his first match with an impressive 53 off just 27 deliveries.

He was assisted by another new member David Cleary who scored 31. Cleary is an Australian who is on a holiday break in Ulster and hopes to play for the club while he is here.

The Lisburn total was not enough to stop Strabane from winning by 5 wickets with overs to spare.

Mark Berry was Lisburn’s best bowler with 2 for 16 in his 5 overs. Cody Shetty had 1 for 36, Callum Atkinson, 2 for 18 and David Cleary 1 for 16 as Strabane reached 194 for 5 to win by 5 wickets.

Lisburn will not take a lot out of these two friendly outings and will be strengthened for the match against Waringstown on Saturday.

Steven Lazars, who recently moved from Ballymena, will improve the middle order batting and he will be more than useful with his left arm spin bowling.

Lisburn will have to face this early severe test with some discipline if they are to defeat a Waringstown team which has been near the top of the Premier League tree for the last three seasons with a very impressive team which bats deep and has a fine variety of bowlers in it’s attack.