North Fermanagh travelled to Limavady on Saturday to play The Nedd in the first round of the North West Senior Cup and turned in a superb performance to win by a margin of 75 runs and progress to meet St Johnston from Donegal in the second round after they overcame Coleraine.
Skipper Lionel Semple won the toss and decided to have a bat first, and what a very important toss to win, as the runs became harder to come by as the game progressed. Mark Roulston opened the batting with John Carlin and lost their first wicket for 5 runs as Carlin was caught off the bowling of Burns for1.
Ian Wilson joined Rolston and brought the score to 60 before Wilson was caught off the bowling of Smith for a patient 18 which included four boundaries.
Niall Murray came to the crease and departed quickly for 5 but at the other end Roulston was playing some beautiful strokes and coupled with some solid defence prompted one senior North Fermanagh senior member to describe him as being one of the best players at the club since ex Irish International Brendan Donaghy.
Emlyn Andrews joined Rolston with the score at 65 for 3 and commenced immediately to dominate the bowling attack. In what was a lesson in hard hitting and aggressive stroke play he quickly raced to 46 before being caught on the boundary off the bowling of Wilson with the score at 147 having scored eight 4's and one 6.
Meanwhile Rolston was showing patience and had passed his half century to the delight of his team mates and spectators alike and a Century looked to be on the cards, but opener Burns was introduced back into The Nedd's attack and bowled Rolston when he had made a majestic 86 which included 16 boundaries. Chris Faris, Jim Maguire and the veteran Wesley Wilson added useful runs at the end and the final total from 47.3 overs was a very respectable 193 for All Out.
The Nedd began their run chase and faced with a formidable North Fermanagh total got off to the worst possible start and were quickly reduced to 20 for 5 and once again it was largely due to the impressive Rolston, only this time with the ball. Wattleworth and A Murray opened the bowling and both produced good spells to restrict the home team run chase, giving away only 17 runs between them off a combined total of 11 overs and taking one wicket each. Rolston's first over was a triple wicket maiden and he finished with figures of 6 for 48 from 7 overs. The Nedd never really looked like troubling North Fermanagh and only V O'Hara (39) and a late flurry from Bobby Magee (27) impressed.
North Fermanagh really deserved their victory and can be well pleased to have overcome a difficult hurdle in The Nedd, but they must be really encouraged by the performance of Andrews.
And with Roulston showing real class who knows what lies ahead for the rest of the season.
This weekend the 1st travel back to The Nedd in the league and the 2nd's travel to Ballyspallan also in the league.
