Holders CIYMS to tackle North Down in Challenge Cup final

The Belmont club have been the dominant force in local cricket in recent seasons, picking up four trophies in the historic 2019 campaign and are back in yet another decider at The Green.

Their record under captain Nigel Jones has been phenomenal and when the lights shine brightest and they’re on the biggest stage, CIYMS tend to put in their best performances.

It has been a relatively disappointing season for them compared to the high standards set, winning only four of eight Premier League games and losing in the Twenty20 Cup semi-finals - but Jones and his squad are raring to go.

“It’s great, especially after last year, that we have the opportunity to go for the cup again,” he said. “The boys are excited about it and we talk about it every time – it’s a privilege to play in this competition and that’s the way we view it.

“We will be going in fully focused and giving our best efforts.”

CIYMS have a star-studded squad with current Ireland all-rounder Mark Adair leading the way while the likes of Jones, James Cameron-Dow and Jacob Mulder have all earned international caps.

It’s only a matter of time before newest signing Graham Kennedy is added to that list and their strength-in-depth has been reflected by the number of players that have had notable campaigns.

Five batsmen have scored more than 380 runs – including Jones, who averages 50.60 – and it’s been pleasing for him to watch players chip in at different points.

“It’s a brilliant squad,” he added. “Chris Doc has been calming for us at the top of the order and we know what he brings.

“We have guys like Jason van der Merwe – you can never write CIYMS off when he’s in the team and I think he’s a fantastic player.

“He goes a bit under the radar and all of a sudden can be scoring at a decent rate and have more on the board than you think.

“We know guys like Mark Adair loves these occasions and also James Cameron-Dow and Jacob Mulder.

“There are plenty of guys who can step up and we are lucky to have that depth.

“I’m sure they will all be keen to show what they can do.”

Jones has won the competition on five occasions across an illustrious career with CSNI and CIYMS - but even after all that success and those experiences, these moments are still just as big.

“The older I get, the bigger the game is better for me,” he said. “It tends to get me up for the game and I tend to focus a bit more and have more edge to my game.

“If you can’t get up for these games then you won’t get up for any game.

“No matter how many times you play in it or what age you are, they are always great fun.”

It’s a slightly different scenario for North Down, who are the most successful team in the history of the competition after lifting the famous trophy 32 times.

But the last of those came in 2011.

The Comber side – playing the final on home turf – haven’t made a showpiece appearance since 2012 when they lost to Instonians, and at least eight of their squad will be playing in the biggest game of the year for the first time.

Included in that is captain Alistair Shields, who wasn’t involved in the 2011 success and missed the 2012 final due to Ireland Under-19 commitments in Australia.

The 27-year-old has grown up at North Down, progressing through the ranks up until now, the point where he will lead his boyhood club onto the field for a Challenge Cup final and he admits it’ll be a proud occasion.

“It’s a proud moment for myself,” he said. “I’ve played for the club since I can remember so to captain the firsts in a cup final is going to be a proud day for me and I’m really looking forward to it.”

For a club like North Down, a decade-long wait to be back at this stage is far too much, but they’ve now assembled a squad capable of competing on all fronts and have been threatening a run like this after picking up the Robinson Services Cup last season.

It’s a big moment for everyone involved but despite the achievement of getting this far, Shields is determined to take one step further.

“We’ve probably targeted it too much (recently),” he added. “There has always been talk of how great it would be to play a final at our place and we’ve probably put too much pressure on ourselves.

“We’ve tried to avoid any chat about that until we won the semi-final and it seems to have worked because we’ve had a good run this year!

“It’s always a big occasion at the club.

“Even watching the final over the last few years you realise it’s a prestigious competition and everything that goes with it like the history, the day and the effort that’s put in from the sponsors and Union.

“It would be much sweeter to come out on the winning side.

“Nobody remembers who came second so we will be doing our utmost to win.

“Hopefully we can put in a good performance.

“It’s a final so anything can happen on the day.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you