On Sunday the seconds made the journey to Derriaghy and on winning the toss the Derriaghy skipper chose to bat first. Johnnie McElhinney made the early breakthrough when he dismissed the opening batsmen for 4. Dean Hodge was unlucky not to pick up a wicket in his first spell. Change bowlers Gareth Gaw and Jonathan King kept up the pressure on the Derriaghy batsmen and in his first over he bowled R. Teeney for 16.

Gaw saw some close LBW decisions turned down by the umpires but he got his name in the wickets column when Alan McKee held on to a sharp catch at backward square leg. He would pick up one more wicket in an excellent spell of nine over that only conceded 14 runs. Much to the surprise of the watching Larne supporters David Tweed was asked to bowl ahead of Graeme Leitch. He repaid the faith shown by his skipper when he chipped in with one wicket courtesy of a one handed diving catch at cover from Dean Hodge.

Dean Hodge was then brought back into the attack and he ripped through the lower order to pick up 4 wickets for only 28 runs and dismiss Derriaghy for 115.

In reply to the Derriaghy score Hodge was back in the thick of the action as he started the Larne innings in partnership with Alan McKee. Before McKee had gotten into his stride Hodge was already belting the bowling to all parts of the small ground. One six cleared the protective fencing and just missed hitting a passing Mercedes car. McKee then continued his good form from the day before as he gracefully drove two deliveries to the long on boundary.

Just as he was settling in he was adjudged LBW for 10, the umpire convinced that the ball would have hit the stumps. Johnnie Baxter played one lovely shot through mid wicket for 4 but then somewhat controversially ran himself out next ball. Hodge then played his first loose shot of the day and was caught on the long off boundary for 48.

David Tweed then followed him back to the pavilion almost immediately for a duck. Graeme Leitch then inexplicably called for a suicidal single and was beaten by a direct hit from short fine leg. This left the Larne team in a precarious position at 87 for 5 with 29 runs still needed for victory and still numerous overs left to get them.

Brian Spence (24 no) once again played a cool innings and together with John Higginson (8 no) he saw Larne safely over the finish line with nearly 24 overs to spare much to the relief of Larne skipper Gary Moore and the watching Larne faithful, the winning margin being 5 wickets.

Scoreboard :-

Derriaghy : 115 all out (D. Hodge 4-28, G. Gaw 2-14, J. King 1-19, D. Tweed 1-19,
J. McElhinney 1-29)

Larne : 116 - 5 (D. Hodge 48, B. Spence 24no)

Larne won by 5 wickets.