1st XI v Victoria (home) Portadown 1st XI extended their winning streak in the league with a 97 run win over local rivals Victoria. Despite the poor weather, Portadown were able to fulfil their fixture in humid conditions at Chambers Park last Saturday. After winning the toss, Hammond decided to have a bat, and openers Paul Edgar and John Haddock continued their good form from the Clogher match, putting on 41 for the 1st wicket. Unfortunately when Edgar was sent back to the pavilion, Haddock followed just 5 balls later for a stylish 26. That left the town on 41-2 with two fresh batsmen at the crease. The visitors were buoyant, but Ross Whitfield and Ally Harland dug in and frustrated the Victoria bowlers. However just as Harland was beginning to play well he smashed a drive straight to the man in the covers. James Edgar was next in, and alongside Whitfield, brought the score past the 100 mark. Edgar was playing beautifully, timing the ball well and hitting some massive shots for six, but eventually fell for 33, with the score on 107. Gary Murphy joined Whitfield in the middle, and after playing two classy straight drives for runs, Whitfield popped one straight back into the hands of the bowler to exit for a well-played 22. Elder brother David Whitfield came in at number 7, and he and Murphy enjoyed a 72 run partnership in which they completely dominated the bowling attack. Murphy was playing in typically aggressive fashion, hitting any poor ball to the boundary and making 1s and 2s off the better balls, while Whitfield took a liking to spinner Reiman, hitting 3 enormous sixes, which if it wasn’t for the trees would have landed on the other side of Northway. Both men fell within a few runs of each other, Whitfield making 25, and Murphy a brilliant 65. The score was 212-7 with only a handful of overs left, but Roshan Jose took full advantage of them, smashing a quickfire 18 and bringing the final score up to 239 for 9 off the 50 overs. A pretty impressive score from a pitch with little to offer the batsmen gave the town team plenty of confidence going into the tea break. With regular opening bowlers Gary Murphy and Jeff Haire running in at the Victoria batsmen, Portadown were confident of taking a few early wickets and they weren’t disappointed as in the second over Murphy got his first of the day, courtesy of a diving one-handed catch by wicketkeeper Haddock. Haire (1-25) also picked up his customary early wicket in the next over, tempting the batsmen into a mistimed hook which was well caught by Ross Whitfield. That left the score on 1 for 2 wickets as the two Victoria dangermen, Reiman and Bunting, arrived at the crease. Both batsmen played solidly, not giving many chances, and it took a superb pick up and throw by Ross Whitfield to run out a stranded Reiman after a breakdown in communication. James Edgar and Roshan Jose were bowling by this stage and were giving nothing away, and with the score on 46, Jose got his reward – the prize wicket of Bunting, caught at point by Ryan Caddell. Number 5 batsmen McClune, centurion a few weeks ago, was beginning to get the better of the Portadown bowlers and along with McClelland accelerated the scoring rate. The introduction of spinner Hammond (1-35) put paid to McClune’s afternoon on 22, a flighted ball beating the bat, and Haddock doing the rest with a sharp stumping. With the score now on 73 Portadown were confident in wrapping the lower order up quickly and getting home early, but young batsman McClelland batted intelligently and refused to give his wicket away. The other Victoria batsmen were not as obdurate however, as Jose (2-22) and Murphy (2-20) picked up their second wickets of the match. McClelland brought the game right to the final over but could do nothing as Edgar’s pace saw him caught behind by Haddock for a well-played 42. Edgar (2-27) also captured another wicket in the over to complete the innings and leave the score on 142. A comprehensive victory in the end, which leaves the town 4 points clear at the top of the league, but Hammond will be looking for another big performance when they take on third placed Donaghadee this Saturday at Chambers. Club Sponsors