Grosvenor In View Magazine 2025

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SPORTS TEAMS

well and were confident in our abilities. We once again won the toss and elected to bat, making a strong start through Matthew’s 17, unlike last week, Grosvenor excelled through the middle overs with Dominik scoring a blazing 50 of just 40 balls, including 8 x 4’s and 1 big 6. He was ably supported by Alfie who added another 32 to the tally. Grosvenor finished on 156 after their 20 overs. This was an exceptionally good score on a scorching day, but we knew we would need to field and bowl well to get the result over the line. Once again Grosvenor started really well with the ball, with 1 wicket each for Daniel B, Zach and David, reducing Campbell to 32 for 3. Grosvenor kept applying good pressure in the field which was rewarded through a well taken run out by Dominik. Campbell fought their way back into the game through a half century from their No4, but a great piece of fielding from Daniel B saw him removed for 56. Grosvenor then continued to bowl excellently, leaving Campbell 11 short of the target after their 20 overs. An excellent performance all round from Grosvenor. Next up was RBAI, who are a powerhouse of school cricket. We knew this would be a tough challenge but one that we were up for and believed we could win. Grosvenor this time were made to bowl first, but through 3 wickets each from Zach and David followed by 2 from Dominik, left RBAI reeling at 50 for 9. At this point, Grosvenor standards slipped away and a big partnership from the last wicket left RBAI on 107 of their 20 overs. We were disappointed with the effort in the second half, after such a great start. This total we knew was chasable, but with big boundaries against a top school, we knew this was going to be no easy chase. Grosvenor failed to get off the mark well, but a strong partnership between Alfie (35) and Zach (16) left Grosvenor 23 runs short with a huge 6 overs remaining. A few big shots from Dominik and Zane Greenlees saw Grosvenor over the line, it what was a confident and controlled batting display. This win pleased me most as it showed that were we capable of chasing a good score and executing our batting skills under pressure which had been our undoing in the previous seasons. Building on from this, we played a strong Bangor Grammar School team at home under gloomy skies. Grosvenor lost the toss and were made to bowl first. This was an anomaly for the team, so we knew we would have to bowl well to give our batters a chance at chasing the target. Unlike so many games this season, Grosvenor did not start well with the ball, with Bangor’s openers putting 62 runs for the opening partnership. A big break through from Daniel quickly followed by a run out from Ethan Reid, saw Grosvenor back into the game. 2 more wickets fell to the hands of Alfie, following on from some tight fielding from Grosvenor leaving Bangor on 111 after their 20 overs. Grosvenor started well in reply with Ethan scoring a run a ball 13, this was a great knock from Ethan doing what was needed for the team at the right time. Having this steady base at one end, allowed Dominik to do what he does best, dispatching the

Bangor bowlers all around the ground, to finish on 42. This left Grosvenor only requiring 13 runs after the fall of his wicket, which was easily finished by Zach and Zane. Another strong performance with plenty of learnings. Next up saw a rematch against Methodist College Belfast. We knew they would be seeking revenge so we knew we would have to execute our skills well to have any chance in this game. Again, Grosvenor won the toss and elected to bat with Benny Cooper (Year 9) stepping up with a very strong 18 runs. Due to the unpredictable weather, the game was reduced to 16 overs, something Grosvenor had not anticipated. Due to this, Grosvenor lost a few quick wickets trying to up their run rate, although the ship was once again steadied by Alfie & Zach leaving Grosvenor with a defendable score of 85. Grosvenor again stared very well with the ball, with David & Zach unlucky not to pick up an early wicket. The breakthrough came at the introduction of Daniel B. Daniel has been an instrumental part of our bowling attack this season, always picking up key wickets at key times, he once again delivered in this match. A super spell of bowling in the middle overs by Oliver Kane, Karsten Close (Year 9) and Dominik saw MCB requiring 10 off the last over. Zach was the man bowling the pressure over and after a nervous start he managed to pick up 2 wickets in the final 2 balls of his over meaning Grosvenor won a thrilling game by 3 runs. This game was the highlight of our season, beating one of the top 3 schools in cricket is no mean feat. Everyone preformed excellently with a special mention to Benny & Karsten who played superbly against a year above opposition. This match saw the end of our league campaign, but friendlies against Belfast Royal Academy and Belfast High School were still to come. We travelled to Roughfort playing fields for what promised to be an entertaining encounter. Grosvenor again won the toss and elected to bat with a strong start needed against a strong bowling attack. This was delivered through a strong partnership from Benny and Dominik which left Grosvenor in a very strong position. Looking to build on from this strong start Grosvenor lost a few to many wickets in the middle overs. This was once again down to not rotating the strike enough and relying too much on Boundaries. We did finish with a flurry though thanks to the hands of Daniel B, who played a few delightful strokes on his way to a run a ball 15. This left Grosvenor on 121 after their 20 overs, a strong score but a few less than we would have liked at the halfway stage. We knew early wickets would be the key, but Grosvenor did not start well with the ball, allowing BRA’s destructive number 3 to pull away and leave his side in a demanding position. The introduction of spin, however, saw a breakthrough for Grosvenor, removing the danger man for 43. Some tight bowling from Karsten, Alfie, Zach, and Ollie in the middle overs, left BRA requiring 10 runs off the last over. Once again Zach was the man with the ball. He bowled extremely well under pressure and delivered 3 wickets in the over, only conceding 5

GROSVENOR IN VIEW > 2024/25