Downpatrick Cricket Club 1849

🏏THE President NORMAN 🟢 v THE Chairman JACK 🔵 fund raiser

TWO RUNS. EIGHT RUNS. EIGHT SLIPS. AND FOUR DECADES OF CRICKET KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONED!

An evening at Downpatrick Cricket Club! 💚

The annual President’s XI v Chairman’s XI delivered everything we love about village cricket — competitive cricket, big hits, spectacular catches, questionable tactics, dramatic appeals, strange noises, BBQ, brilliant banter… and a two-run thriller! 😂

Junior Ferguson captained the President’s XI 🟢, while Chairman’s XI were led by our Aussie special import Noah “Aussie” Densley 🔵 after Jeremy ditched as usual last minute busy at the bar.

🏏 THE TWO-RUN THRILLER

The Chairman’s XI posted 165 from their 20 overs, setting the President’s XI a challenging chase.

Junior Ferguson’s President’s XI fought all the way and took it right down to the final over.

🔥 8 RUNS NEEDED TO WIN!

Noah Densley made the big call and handed the ball to Downpatrick Club Manager Ravi Ningegowda.

Ravi held his nerve and successfully defended the total and was wondering himself how all it happened. Thanks to the boundary line superb catch when Sammy Irwin almost smashed a six and won the game for President XI. Rumours go that Sammy Irwin had a secret deal with Ravi to throw away his wicket and loose the match. An investigation has been launched.

🎉 CHAIRMAN’S XI WIN BY 2 RUNS!

Two runs!

Cue celebrations, arguments over the final over and approximately 47 different opinions on what should have happened! 🤣

💥 STEPHEN FERGUSON — 35 OFF 12!

Stephen Ferguson provided the fireworks with a brilliant 35 from just 12 balls. 🔥🏏. He is now under pressure to make a return to play senior cricket from his all new fans.

👏 DYLAN McCANN — SPECIAL MOMENT

Club legend Derek McCann’s grandson, Dylan an aspiring NCu cricketer represented the Chairman’s XI and was looking superb with the bat before falling to a spectacular catch that left the crowd genuinely stunned.

A proper “did you SEE that?” moment! 👏😂

😂 EIGHT SLIPS!

Then came Noah Densley’s tactical masterclass.

Club Manager Ravi Ningegowda was asked to open the bowling…

And Noah decided eight slips were required.

Yes.

EIGHT.

Not one.
Not two.
Not three.

EIGHT SLIPS! 🤣🤣🤣

It looked like Noah was setting up a cricketing ambush!

And somehow… it worked.

Ravi defended the final eight runs and the Chairman’s XI won by two.

Aussie tactical genius confirmed. 😂

📋 KEIKO — OFFICIAL SCORER & CRICKET PHILOSOPHER

A special mention to Keiko, our official scorer for the evening.

After watching some of the events unfold on the field, Keiko was reportedly left scratching his head, wondering whether the scorebook needed a new category altogether! 😂

After four decades of cricket knowledge, the evening apparently had him questioning everything he thought he knew about the game.

We’re not saying the match was confusing…

But when your official scorer starts questioning 40 years of cricket experience, you know Downpatrick has produced something special! 🤣📋🏏

🎵 THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK OF CHAOS

Huge thanks to the ladies on the music desk, who provided sound effects and anthems for virtually every action on the field.

Boundary? 🎵
Wicket? 🎵
Appeal? 🎵
Drop? 🎵
Something completely random happening? Definitely 🎵!

At times it was less cricket match and more Downpatrick Village Cricket: The Musical! 😂🎶

🍔 THEN CAME THE BBQ…

Once the match finished, the BBQ was fired up and the banter carried on.

The cricket finished.

The arguments didn’t.

The scorecard closed.

The WhatsApp group opened. 😂🍻

👏 THANK YOU TO THE TEAM BEHIND THE EVENING

🏏 Umpires: Club legends Brian Ferris & Philip Lennon

📋 Official Scorer: Keiko — and our apologies for making you question four decades of cricket knowledge! 😂

🏆 Presentation: Jeff Maguire

🤝 Hospitality: Club Manager Ravi Ningegowda & Main Contact Jeremy McCready

☕ Tea Ladies: Our evergreen heroes — keeping everyone fed, watered and functioning! ❤️

🙏 Castle Sports World: Match ball and player kit sponsorship

🙏 AdRi Ventures: Day management and food catering coordination

❤️ CRICKET WITH A CAUSE

Behind all the laughs and madness was a genuinely important purpose.

The evening helped raise funds for children affected by cancer, bringing players, families, supporters and the wider community together for a fantastic cause.

A massive thank you to everyone who played, donated, sponsored, volunteered or simply came along to support the evening. ❤️

165 runs.
8 needed.
8 slips.
2 runs decided it.
40 years of scoring experience questioned.
1 unforgettable evening. 😂🏏

The official result:

🏆 CHAIRMAN’S XI WIN BY 2 RUNS

The unofficial result:

EVERYONE WON… EXCEPT THE PRESIDENT’S XI! 🤣🍻

💚 CRICKET • COMMUNITY • CHARITY • CRAIC 💚

🏏 Downpatrick 3rd XI Secure Convincing 85-Run Victory Over Amigos Belfast 2nd X1 in the NCU Development cup

Winning the toss, Amigos Belfast 2nd XI elected to bowl first, but Downpatrick’s batsmen quickly put their opponents under pressure, posting an imposing 175 for 5 from their allotted 25 overs.

The standout performance with the bat came from Jiso Chacko, who scored an excellent 54 from 55 balls, Arun Geethakumari provided valuable acceleration with a superb 39 from just 27 balls, Joshua Jose contributed a steady 22 from 30 balls, while Renil Xavier added 18

Downpatrick’s total of 175/5 gave them a strong platform, and their bowlers then delivered an impressive display to dismiss Amigos Belfast 2nd XI for just 90 runs in 17.2 overs.

The bowling attack was led brilliantly by Moncy Ninan, who produced a remarkable spell of 3.2 overs conceding just 17 runs and taking 5 wickets. Dhilneesh Joseph also played a key role, claiming 2 wickets for only 2 runs from 2 overs, while Jijo Mathew, Arun Geethakumari and Reneesh Ravi each took a wicket.

Amigos Belfast struggled to build partnerships throughout their innings difficult to deal with Downpatrick’s disciplined bowling attack and the brilliant catches taken by Jijo, Arun, Dhilneesh and Joshua, along with the 100% effort and commitment shown by every player on the field, were the pillars of the team’s success.

A commanding all-round performance from Downpatrick 3rd XI, with contributions from both bat and ball ensuring a convincing finish to the campaign🏏👏

Good luck to Amigos Cricket Club for rest of the matches this season.

Thanks to Samosa King Cafe by Namaste Belfast for providing the match teas for the finals. Special thanks to AdRi Ventures for the event day management.