Coleraine Cricket Club’s Under-15 team ended Donemana’s domination of North West boys cricket on Sunday as they defeated the All-Ireland champions by nine runs in the final of the Under 15 Knock out Cup.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first on an excellent Eglinton wicket. Coleraine got off to a flying start as their prolific opening partnership of Scott Campbell and Paul Douglas added 41 for the first wicket inside seven overs.
Despite the high quality of the opposition bowling both batsmen looked assured at the crease and showed their class with a number of sublime cuts and cover drives for four. Following Douglas’s dismissal for 17 Scott Campbell was joined at the crease Hamzah Khan who consolidated Coleraine’s good start.

They took the score onto 62 before Campbell fell to a line catch from Gary McClintock as he looked to up the ante. Having lost their star batsman Hamzah Khan shouldered the responsibility and kept the Coleraine innings on track with a mature 27 not out which included two rare boundaries.

Khan received great support from Michael Macraild who chipped in with a crucial 10 not out at the death to help Coleraine post 103/3 off their allotted 20 overs.

Donemana started confidently with David Barr and Mark Pollock looking solid and running aggressively between the wickets. However. Coleraine’s opening bowlers Michael Macraild and Paul Douglas stuck to their task well and kept the run rate below the required 5 an over. This good start was augmented by spinners Rishi Chopra and Scott Campbell who kept Donemana bogged down with their relentless accuracy.

As the required run rate crept above a run a ball Donemana’s batsmen felt compelled to hit over the top and this led to Coleraine’s first wicket when David Barr was caught by a fabulous catch on the boundary by Andrew Findlay. The next few overs proved crucial as Coleraine kept up the pressure on their opponents.

The game was decisively swung in Coleraine’s favour when Rory Handforth forced Mark Pollock into a false shot and was dismissed by a stunning diving catch by Matthew McCook at short line leg. His departure for a well made 40 as vital to Coleraine’s chances as two relatively new batsmen came to the crease needing 30 from just 3 overs.

Rishi Chopra then had the dangerous Scott Laird caught by Jamie Gardiner at point in the eighteenth over and Rory Handforth restricted Donemana to five in the penultimate over meaning that a farther 19 runs were needed from the last six balls. Captain Scott Campbell then stepped up to the plate to bowl the final over and had the presence of mind to push the field back to the boundary knowing that boundaries were essential if Donemana were to win.

William McClintock was run out coming back for two off the second ball of the over after a great piece work in the deep from Luke Caulfield. Campbell then held his nerve and had Gary McClintock stumped by Matthew Douglas off the final ball to spark jubilant scenes amongst the Coleraine players and supporters.

During the presentation ceremony Davy Caldwell, secretary of the Derry Mid-Week League, praised the quality of cricket on display and paid tribute to an exceptional Coleraine side for breaking Donemana’ s stranglehold on the trophy. He then named Scott Campbell Man of The Match for his match-winning 26 and figures of 4-0-17-1. After years of losing out in finals it is fantastic to see a Coleraine team finally realise their potential.

After the game no-one vas more delighted than coach Stephen McCartney. He commented, "This was a memorable win and I was so pleased that every single one of our players contributed to the victory. This is one of the most successful boys teams to ever go through the club and although we will lose a number of these guys from boys’ cricket next season it will be exciting to watch them progress into senior cricket next ear"

Coleraine Under 15s: Scott Campbell (Captain). Paul Douglas, Hamzah Khan, Rishi Chopra, Michael Macraild., Rory Handforth, Matthew Douglas, Luke Caulfield, Matthew McCook (all Coleraine Inst pupils) Andrew Findlay and Jamie Gardiner.