Senior Cup quarter-final ties postponed as umpires strike for the weekend

St Johnston's Scott Macbeth is caught by Killyclooney's Kenzie Hall, during Friday night's Sperrin Springs T20 Cup Final. Picture by Lawrence Moore

Five of Saturday’s new Premier and Championship group games went ahead as scheduled on Saturday with the matches between Donemana and Ardmore and Brigade v Newbuildings both postponed due to the weekend’s early rain.

The matches that did go ahead were played without umpires after the North West Umpires and Scorers Association voted to withdraw their services for the weekend as a protest over current disciplinary measures.

The North West Union took the decision to postpone Sunday’s four senior cup quarter-final ties, suggesting that both they, and the clubs, would prefer that official umpires would officiate these knock-out ties.

The NWCU’s official statement read: “The Union has been liaising with the Umpire’s Association since Friday morning in a bid to avoid this situation and we will continue to work with various parties next week.

“Whilst a number of today’s games have gone ahead with club Umpires, we believe that it would be unfair to stage tomorrow’s Senior Cup quarter finals without qualified officials.

“We have continued to work today to try to find a resolution that would let those matches go ahead as scheduled, however that has not been possible. We understand that this is obviously disappointing and frustrating for everyone involved that tomorrow’s senior cup games will now be postponed. A new date for those matches will be set and announced shortly.”

On the field of play the two Premiership matches that did get played were one-sided affairs.

A second-string Fox Lodge side could only post 77 at home to Eglinton, and even that represented a recovery, as they were 27 for 6 at one stage.

Ramey Harpur (37) and Joe Faulkner (10) were the only players to reach double figures as they added 40 for the seventh wicket.

Richard Wylie picked up three wickets, while there were two apiece for Lee Ritchie, Robbie Millar and Mark Averill.

Tommy Orr hit 4 fours and a six in his 41 not out, sharing an unbroken second wicket stand of 52 with Robbie Millar (26*) as Eglinton eased to a nine-wicket win.

Bready are still unbeaten after a comprehensive six-wicket victory at home to Coleraine.

An impressive bowling display had the Bannsiders reeling at 55 for 7 and 78 for 8, with three wickets for Irosh Samarasooriya (3-6) and two for Gregory McFaul (2-16).

They staged a recovery of sorts with David Cooke (37no) and skipper Stephen Hutchinson (16*) adding an unbroken partnership of 44 for the ninth wicket, but a final total of 122 for 8 was never likely to trouble the Premiership leaders and so it proved.

Although Jamie Magee fell early in the chase, David Rankin and Irosh added 94 in 12 overs for the second wicket, before Rankin fell for 44 from 38 balls (6 fours, 1 six).