Foundations for North Down's unbeaten start set by a superb partnership between Aniruddha Chore and Alistair Shields

​Now under the leadership of Peter Davison after Shields stepped down ahead of the 2023 campaign, the Comber outfit have kicked off the season by beating Woodvale, Cliftonville Academy and CSNI to keep pace with table-toppers CIYMS.

The Chore-Shields opening combination has passed 50 in all three of those matches with each scoring two half-centuries apiece heading into Saturday’s crunch clash against Waringstown.

In 2021, the duo put on a season-high partnership of 264 in victory over the Villagers and Chore feels their friendship off the field helps them thrive together on it.

"At the start of the season he had a chat with me saying 'we can't both open one of us will have to drop down' and I told him 'no, I think we're the best partnership in the league. You and I have to open' and touch wood we've started off really well again,” he said.

“Ally is a perfect foil for me. We complement each other really well and I like how he bats.

"We understand each other very well. I've only been here for three years but Ally is someone I know very well off the field too.

"I have coffee with him and chat about cricket and we will be slinging to each other an hour before training starts.

"That has made the difference understanding each other on a personal side."

Last season was a disappointing one for North Down, winning just half of their league games and crashing out in the second round of the Gallagher Challenge Cup.

It feels like a fresh start this time around with Naushad Shaikh coming in as overseas professional, Irish international Jacob Mulder returning from CIYMS and his dad Bret has been appointed Director of Cricket at The Green.

"The boys have shown good intensity on the field, everybody is wanting to win and everybody is positive so that has really helped to start the season well,” added Chore.

"We've had a number of changes within our management with Bret Mulder coming in as Director of Cricket.

"He came over and we did a few sessions with him at the start of the season.

"It has been different this year with the preparation that has went in during the winter and that has really helped us prepare well and the results are there.

"We've won three out of three and I would put that down to the work we've done during the winter."

There’s also added responsibility for Chore, who was named as Davison’s vice-captain and he will be looking to juggle that with returning to the form that had him top the 2021 run charts with a sensational 1,157 at an average of 77.13, scoring 50+ on 10 occasions.

"I enjoy it because Daisy has had a lot of chats with me on and off the field and as a wicketkeeper I have the best view in the game,” he said.

"I always like being an integral part of the team and now being a vice-captain has helped me be more involved and to do whatever I can to help the team."