Old rivals clash in final

The duo, who are well in the mix for the Long’s Supervalu Senior One title, are expected to produce a thrilling encounter in what is the show piece game of the North West calendar.

Both sides have players missing, the Beechgrove side will be without skipper and opening bowler Mark Simpson, who’s on holiday, while the Holm men have teenaged duo Ryan Hunter and Andrew McBrine on Ireland under 19 international duty.

For Donemana skipper Richard Kee he’s hoping his side can go one step further in this year’s competition after suffering cup final heartache last year to Bready.

“It’s great to reach the final, especially after losing it last year and because of that we’ll be going all out to try and win it this year,” he insisted.

“Brigade have been playing really well the last couple of months especially Johnny Thompson and Iftikhar Hussain is also starting to come into the runs, so it’s going to be a very difficult match and we’ll be taking nothing for granted.

“We have been doing very well and I think we have only been beaten two or three times this year and we have won maybe 14 or 15 matches.

“We won the Faughan Valley Cup last Sunday, we still have the semi-final of the Irish Senior Cup and we are still going strong in the league, so at the minute everything is looking good for us.”

Kee also admits that Hunter and Andrew McBrine’s absent is a big loss to his side, but he’s confident whoever comes in can step up to the mark.

“The two boys going away it’s great for them going away to Australia for the World Cup, but they are arguably our two best batsmen and we will miss them, but there is plenty of good players to come in, we have Graeme Boyd coming back in there, so whoever comes in it’s up to those boys to take up where Ryan and Andrew left off.”

Kee is expecting a large travelling support from the community to make the short trip to Magheramason.

“I would imagine that we’ll bring a big crowd with us to Bready, we are always well supported, in fact our supporters are the best about, so hopefully we can lift the trophy for ourselves and also for the supporters.

“It was disappointing last year losing in the final, so hopefully fingers crossed this weekend I’ll be able to lift the trophy,” concluded the Donemana skipper.

As for the Waterside men their main man this season has been Johnny Thompson.

The all-rounder jets back in from Ireland A duty tomorrow as he prepares for a final against his old club.

“Being from Donemana I wanted to meet them in the final, because it will be good banter between us,” he joked.

“If we bring our A game to Bready on Friday and Saturday then I don’t think Donemana will be able to stop us, but it depends who turns up on the day.”

Thompson also conceded that the absence of Mark Simpson is a major blow for them, but he remains confident of victory if he and his team-mates can edge themselves in front after the first innings.

“Mark is definitely a big loss for us, but we’ll gave one of the younger guys like Nick Donnell a chance to get to bowl. Hopefully one of the young guys will step up to the plate and replace Mark.

“If you can go out and post 250 plus after the first day, then it’s hard to come back from that; but we’ll go and give our all and see how we get on,” conceded Thompson.

The final at Bready gets underway on both days from 12noon and admission is £5 for adults and £3 concessionary.