A Weekend of Strong Performances as the Season Reaches Its Finale
It was another important weekend for Maghera Cricket Club, with all three senior men’s sides in action and plenty of positive performances across the teams.
The 1st XI continued their push for League 1 survival with an important victory over North Fermanagh. With just one game remaining, the equation is now simple: a win in their final fixture will secure their place in League 1 for another season.
The 2nd XI brought their League 4 campaign to a close against champions Erne 1st XI, while the 3rd XI produced an excellent performance against Coleraine 4th XI, narrowly falling short in a four-run thriller. Both sides can take plenty of positives from their final league fixtures and from the progress made throughout the season.
With the 1st XI now facing a decisive final fixture, attention turns to one last push to finish the season on a high.
Maghera 1st XI vs North Fermanagh 1st XI - League 1
Saturday 22/8/26 - The Rainey
Maghera 1st XI kept their League 1 survival hopes firmly in their own hands with a 37-run victory over North Fermanagh 1st XI at the Rainey.
Winning the toss, Maghera elected to bat but found the early going difficult, with the North Fermanagh opening bowlers maintaining a tight line and length during the first ten overs. Wickets fell at regular intervals, with Maghera reaching 24/1, 45/2 and 68/3 without being able to establish a significant partnership.
Despite the lack of a major partnership, valuable contributions throughout the innings allowed Maghera to build a competitive total of 168. Denton Cant scored 34, while Trevor Dougherty contributed 16 before Scott Dougherty top-scored with an excellent 55. Surya Amaravadi added a further 16 as Maghera set North Fermanagh a challenging target on a slow Rainey outfield.
North Fermanagh made a steady start to their reply, but Maghera’s bowlers continued to apply pressure and picked up two important wickets to leave the visitors 77/2 at the drinks break.
The decisive spell came immediately after drinks, as Maghera took three wickets for just five runs to reduce North Fermanagh to 82/5. From there, the pressure remained firmly on the visitors, with Maghera maintaining their energy and discipline in the field. North Fermanagh were eventually bowled out for 131, giving Maghera a well-earned 37-run victory.
Surya Amaravadi was the outstanding bowler, finishing with excellent figures of 4/18, while Anu Sanjeewa claimed three wickets. Denton Cant, Aaron Stewart and Anilkumar Sebastian took one wicket each.
The fielding was another significant factor in the victory. Maghera held onto several difficult chances, including excellent boundary catches from Kenny Irvine, Surya Amaravadi, Denton Cant and Scott Dougherty, while Trevor Dougherty produced an outstanding wicket keeper catch down the leg side.
The victory leaves Maghera’s League 1 survival hopes firmly in their own hands. With the final match of the season coming next weekend, a victory would guarantee Maghera’s place in League 1 for another season.
It was another complete team performance from the 1st XI, and they will now turn their attention to the final fixture of the season, home to Fox Lodge 2nd XI.
Maghera 1st XI - 168/9 (40) def North Fermanagh 1st XI - 131 (36.2)
Written by Scott Dougherty (Club Captain)
Maghera 2nd XI vs Erne CCC 1st XI - League 4
Saturday 22/8/26 - Enniskillen
Maghera 2nd XI travelled to Enniskillen for their final league fixture of the season, facing League 4 champions Erne 1st XI.
Erne posted a challenging total, but Maghera competed throughout the innings, with a strong team effort and plenty of determination from the opening delivery to the final ball.
The playing surface made scoring difficult, with the ball often losing pace after pitching. Maghera’s bowlers adapted well to the conditions, consistently hitting their areas and making the Erne batters work hard for their runs.
Caleb Caskey was the pick of the Maghera attack, claiming an excellent three wickets from his 5.4 overs and breaking several important partnerships at crucial stages of the innings. Charlie Mainwaring, John Andrews and Ratan Thapliyal also contributed with important wickets as Maghera continued to apply pressure.
Rory was another positive, showing plenty of promise with the ball against a strong Erne batting line-up and gaining valuable experience at this level.
In reply, Jamie Reid produced the standout innings of the day, scoring 34 from 32 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes. He showed excellent intent and composure in challenging conditions.
Sean Bentley provided valuable support at the other end, contributing a patient 18 from 38 balls to help steady the innings and absorb pressure during an important period of the chase.
Although Maghera were unable to chase down Erne’s total, the 2nd XI can take plenty of positives from their final league outing. The performance showed the determination and team spirit that has been evident throughout the season, with several individual performances providing encouragement for the future.
Erne CCC 1st XI - 225 (26.4) def Maghera 2nd XI - 105 (20.3)
Written by Roger Talbot (2nds Captain)
Maghera 3rd XI vs Coleraine 4th XI - League 6
Sunday 23/8/26 - Coleraine
Maghera 3rd XI produced an excellent all-round performance against Coleraine 4th XI, narrowly missing out by just four runs in a thrilling contest.
The Maghera bowling attack set the tone from the outset. Selvapriyan Natarajan was outstanding, claiming an impressive 5/13 from his five overs and making a significant impact on the Coleraine middle order. The performance also brought his first wickets for the club.
Swethankh Shanmughan provided excellent support with three wickets, including two early breakthroughs, while Henry bowled a disciplined spell and removed the Coleraine opener after he had established himself at the crease with 57.
Sarah and Rory also worked hard through difficult spells to keep the pressure on the Coleraine batting line-up, while David Jones contributed a maiden over as Maghera continued to make regular inroads.
Coleraine were eventually bowled out for 192 inside 29 overs, leaving Maghera with a challenging but achievable target.
The chase was led by an outstanding innings from Rory, who produced one of the performances of the season with 71 from 66 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. His innings took Maghera to 124/3 and kept the side firmly in contention throughout the chase.
Selvapriyan Natarajan added a composed 25, rotating the strike effectively and maintaining the momentum, while Swethankh Shanmughan contributed a hard-fought 16.
With the match finely balanced, late contributions from Henry and Alana Menary kept Maghera within touching distance of the target and took the contest right into the final over. Maghera eventually finished on 188, falling just four runs short of victory.
Despite the narrow defeat, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance. Selvapriyan's first wickets for the club, an excellent contribution from Swethankh, Rory’s outstanding 71 and a determined chase against a strong Coleraine side all highlighted the character within the 3rd XI.
The result was a fitting reflection of the team’s competitive spirit, with Maghera pushing the game right to the final over and coming within four runs of a memorable victory.
Coleraine 4th XI - 192 (28.3) def Maghera 3rd XI - 188 (29)
Written by Roger Talbot
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