Coleraine Third XI made a good fist of their first cup game away to Bready on Sunday but eventually succumbed to a five wicket defeat.
Coleraine’s innings was all about one man: the returning Steven Harper, after a six year spell on the sidelines.
Harper found himself at the crease early on in the Coleraine innings and looked liked a man who had never been away.
He saw off the new ball and then set about building a competitive total, dominating in a partnership with of 85 with Neil Morrison.
Harper brought intensity to the Coleraine innings with decisive calling and the firepower to put away the bad ball.
He proved that class is permanent with his knock of 64, including four fours and two sixes.
The Coleraine innings lost a bit of momentum with the loss of Harper and Morrison (29) in quick succession but Matt Preston (11 not out) and David Hodges (10) plundered some late order runs to end the innings on a high. Coleraine would have been pretty content with their total of 184-8 from their 30 overs which kept the required rate above six runs per over.
In reply, Coleraine’s Greg Jordan found prodigious swing with the new ball and soon had Bready on the back foot. ‘Kiwi’ drew a top edge from Dale McGonigle who lobbed a catch to Harry Nutt at midwicket.
‘Kiwi’ then trapped Tyler Faulkner plumb in front of his stumps to leave Bready two down with only 37 on the board.
Debutant Aditya Admane was whipping up a brisk pace and had Kartik Shukla caught by Neil Morrison in the covers. When off-spinner Adam Bell breached the defences of Harry Mutch Bready looked a long way off at 63-4.
However, the combination of ‘old hands’ David Ward and Adam Warnock took the game away from Coleraine with some brutal hitting.
Coleraine pushed the field back in search of a catch but the chances just wouldn’t fall to hand. When David Hodges broke the partnership through a carefully-judged catch by Matt Preston on the boundary, Coleraine had a glimmer of hope with 30 runs required.
However, Warnock stepped up through the gears to finish the match in double quick time. Coleraine will feel that this was one that they let slip after dominating for much of the game.
They play Glendermott at home this week and will need to find extra incisiveness with their bowling if they wish to book a spot in the semi-finals.
