Cup final postponement comes as bitter blow for North Down

Due to the inclement local weather this week, it hasn’t been possible for hosts Waringstown to prepare an appropriate wicket in time at The Lawn, so the showpiece decider has been moved to next Sunday (30 August) at the same venue, starting at 3pm.

It is a bitter blow to North Down who will now be without Irish international Paul Stirling for the final as the batsman is set to join up with his Northants team-mates ahead of their Vitality T20 Blast campaign.

Despite the postponement, both sides will still face off this weekend with a Robinson Services Cup encounter at The Green (2pm).

They are joint-top of the table on 16 points while both sides have only lost one league game apiece so far in the shortened 2020 campaign.

CI’s defeat came against Instonians but captain Nigel Jones believes it has helped his side to refocus heading into the business end of the season.

“As I’ve said for the last couple of years, it’s very rare where you go through a season without losing a game,” he said.

“As long as when you lose you’re learning quickly from it and it’s not a knockout game or one that will derail you.

“That loss against Instonians wasn’t the worst thing for us because it certainly sharpens the mind again and reminds us that we have to be switched on.”

They welcomed Mark Adair back into their side for cup semi-final success against Lisburn and he also picked up three wickets in last weekend’s 18-run win against Waringstown.

The 24-year-old, who helped the Northern Knights to a two-run victory over the North West Warriors on Thursday, will have a big say with both bat and ball for the rest of this season.

“It’s great to have him back,” added Jones.

“You expect him to turn up in those big club games and put in a performance. He’s very keen to take on that top-order role with the bat for us and we know what he can do with the ball with his skill. It’s a big positive to have him back in the team.”

Allen Coulter has also been in the wickets, picking up nine in all competitions, including figures of 4-14 last Saturday.

With the likes of Jacob Mulder, James Cameron-Dow and Ted Britton bowling in the middle overs, Coulter has an important role to play at the start.

“He plays a big role for us,” said Jones.

“In T20 cricket, the biggest thing is taking wickets.

“Containing the score is great and helps put the pressure on but you want it to lead to wickets and you get that with Allen Coulter, who has been quality over a number of years.

“He nails his yorkers, hits a good length and is a key bowler for us.”

Today’s fixture will now likely be Stirling’s last in a North Down shirt for this season and captain Alistair Shields says it has been great to have him involved.

“It’s been great,” he said.

“He has lots of experience and even for me as a captain he is full of good ideas. It’s been great to watch him bat. He has been playing well and if he can bat for 10 or 15 overs, we are going to be in a good spot.”

The Comber side have a number of players performing at a high level with Shields scoring over 200 runs, Ruhan Pretorius contributing 195 runs to add to 10 wickets and Carl Robinson also stepping up.

It should be a great advert for the local game with the form both teams are in and Shields is expecting a tough test.

“They are a good side,” he added.

“They have plenty of spin options and Coulter and Adair are up there with the best bowling attacks in the league.”