Graham Hume's return helps reignite Waringstown's League title challenge against Instonians
Shane Dadswell cleared the ropes three times in an enterprising 35, but two wickets apiece for Daniel van der Merwe, James Cameron-Dow and Greg Thompson saw Instonians bundled out for just 81.
Sam (41) and Morgan Topping (19) knocked off 59 of those in an opening partnership to all but seal the win, with Sam top-scoring with 41 (4 fours, 1 six).
Muckamore's replacement professional Madhav Kaushik hit the ground running with a match-winning half century at North Down to give the Moylena side their first points of the campaign.
The Indian cleared the ropes four times and hit four fours in a 25-ball 54 to help Muckamore to 151 for seven – runs too for Jamie Magowan (25) and Jason van der Merwe (20) – while Ally Shields claimed four wickets.
In a tense chase, Ryan Haire's 31 gave the Comber side a shout, but his dismissal with 22 needed off two overs proved decisive as Muckamore won by 17 runs.
Templepatrick are still searching for their first win of the season after they crashed to a 70-run loss at CSNI.
Marc Ellison hit six fours and two sixes in a top-score of 58 from 52 balls as the Stormont side made 156 for five, with 26 apiece for Sean Davey and Adam Leckey.
Charlie Swart top-scored with 41 (five fours, one six), but received little support as they were bowled out for 86. Teenagers Harry Dyer (4-7), Finn Lutton (3-17), and Seb Yeates (2-5) doing the damage.
Meanwhile, in the NW T20 Cup, the four group winners who will play in the Faughan Valley Cup Semi-Finals have been decided.
Newbuildings captain Ross Hunter took five wickets, including a hat-trick as his side beat Bready, while Donemana finished unbeaten after a 20-run win over Killyclooney that saw the McClintock twins each hitting five sixes and Anuj Jotin taking four wickets.
Andy Millar's half century ensured Eglinton progressed, while holders Brigade got the 11 runs they needed from the final over – boundaries for Josh Wilson and James Smallwoods breaking Coleraine hearts in a thrilling two-wicket win off the penultimate ball.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
James Shannon can give Instonians the edge in Gallagher Senior Challenge Cup Final, says Cian Robertson
James Shannon has been given a surprise recall to the Instonians starting line-up for their Gallagher Senior Challenge Cup Final against Waringstown at Stormont on Friday (11am). The 35-year-old former international hasn't featured in the senior side for over three years, but injuries and availability issues mean Shannon makes the starting XI for the Shaw's Bridge side after impressing in their Junior Cup run.
New Statesman
9 hours ago
- New Statesman
Price caps could see sports fans suffer
Sponsored by Viagogo With ticket demand at an all-time high for live sports and entertainment, the government is exploring introducing price caps on resale markets as a way to 'protect' fans. While well-intentioned, this risks doing more harm than good for fans, argues Rob Wilson, professor of applied sport finance and head of executive education at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). What is the connection between price caps on ticket resale and financial harm for sports fans? The introduction of a price cap could unintentionally increase the very thing the government is seeking to eradicate. Capping resale prices doesn't reduce demand – it simply shifts where that demand is met. Without access to regulated resale platforms, and with demand often far outstripping supply, desperate fans will turn to where they see sources of tickets: social media, unverified sites and underground platforms. This is where fraudsters lie in wait, offering tickets that don't exist and employing social engineering techniques to scam fans out of their hard-earned money. Unlike regulated resale platforms, these channels offer no guarantees, no refund policies, and no accountability. We don't need to look too far afield to see this harm in action. Tickets recently went on sale for Ireland's first ever regular-season NFL game, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings, to be played on 28 September at Dublin's Croke Park. It's set to be a show-stopper. Dampening the excitement is news from the digital bank Revolut. The bank, which has three million customers in Ireland, says it has seen a marked increase in ticket scam reports since the tickets went on sale. When analysing data from its Irish customers in the fortnight following the on-sale date (17-30 June) compared with the previous two weeks (3-16 June), Revolut found an 80 per cent increase in the number of ticket scam victims during the second fortnight. It's no wonder that the bank has been strongly advising punters to look out for the most common tactics of fraudsters and to stick to official resale sites, rather than attempting to buy from social media. Research by the consultancy firm Bradshaw Advisory backs this up. Its research indicates that ticket fraud in Victoria, Australia and Ireland – both jurisdictions with a resale price cap – is nearly four times higher than the UK. If rates of ticket fraud in the UK were to increase to those seen in Victoria and Ireland, the research suggests the cost to consumers could be £1.2bn per year. What effects are being overlooked? While well intentioned, limiting ticket resale with the introduction of price caps makes it harder for fans to resell tickets safely and legally. Fraudsters know this and take advantage in unregulated markets that rely completely on trust, through encrypted messaging apps, social media and on websites that operate beyond the reach of UK law. Meanwhile, fans lose access to the safe, regulated resale options that offer transparency and consumer protection. It's easy to look at price caps as a quick fix but more consideration must be given to the knock-on impact of their introduction, not just to fans but to the entire sports industry. How might price caps harm the UK sports industry? Price caps don't just affect fans – they can damage the business models of major UK sporting events. Take Wimbledon, for example – the most prestigious tennis event in the world. It's not surprising that earlier this month the All England Lawn Tennis Club warned the government that proposals to cap the price of resale tickets to live events could endanger the tournament, given the sale of debenture seats is a critical source of funding. Wimbledon's debenture system – where premium seats are sold long-term and can be legally resold – has raised over £500m for venue upgrades and fan facilities. Implementing a price cap threatens to weaken demand for primary issuance by limiting the ability of holders to recoup their outlay or even profit by selling them on when they can't attend. Wimbledon relies on this model during the two-week grand slam window to fund necessary improvements, the venue's infrastructure, fan experience and global standing. Resale price caps would directly threaten this vital funding and put the future viability of this iconic sporting institution at risk. Do price caps solve other problems in the ticketing market such as bots, or allocation fairness? Price caps don't stop bots. It's a problem that needs to be cut out at source – ie the primary market, where tickets are originally sold and where bot activity takes place. Existing legislation outlawing bot technology, such as the UK government's 2018 ban, does exist but more needs to be done to enforce these laws with primary sellers and eradicate bots. There still hasn't been a prosecution under this law in the seven years since it was passed. Taking a further step back, there is evidence that for some events the majority of the venue's inventory has already been sold or placed by the time tickets go on sale to the general public. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe These tickets get locked up in presales, sponsorship deals, VIP access, or exclusive credit card offers. This means that consumers are already at a massive disadvantage in securing a ticket. The lack of supply is a real driver of rising prices. If you don't fix transparency or tackle monopolistic control over ticketing, fans will continue to feel shut out, no matter what the resale policy says. What should the UK government do instead? If policymakers want to help fans, they need to target the root causes. First, they should enforce existing laws against bots and speculative selling. Second, improve transparency around how many tickets are actually made available, with the introduction of interoperability within the ticketing market. Third, encourage competition by opening up the primary ticketing market. And finally, allow safe, flexible resale with clear guarantees for fans. The goal should be fan-first flexibility, not rigid price controls that fail in practice. Are there any real-world examples that show price caps working or failing? Price caps have not been implemented in many places and there appears to be a good reason. Evidence from reputable research bodies points to the harm price caps do to fans with soaring fraud. We only have to look across the Irish Sea where one of the country's largest digital banks is reporting an 80 per cent increase in ticket fraud for the country's first NFL game – and a 48 per cent rise in the amount of money lost to ticket-related scams. Ireland's resale laws were designed to protect fans, but with no functional resale market, thousands are left empty handed or else turn to risky alternatives. With the UK government currently deliberating on whether or not to introduce price caps, I would urge those responsible to review those markets where price caps are in place and are harming fans. We are fortunate to have a lens on the unintended consequences of price caps in these markets and we must learn lessons. Furthermore, the stark warnings from sporting institutions like Wimbledon and banks like Revolut must be heeded. An attempted short-term fix by the government could risk initiating significant harm for huge swathes of fans across many industries as well as the entire UK sports industry. Any words of advice to policymakers? Good intentions don't always make good policy. If we want to protect fans, we should build systems that prioritise safety, access and competition, not create restrictions that push fans into the dark. A resale cap might look like a solution, but, in reality, it just changes where the problem shows up next. Related
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
'She'll thank me one day'
This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with is a selection of your submissions: Sol: It started as an anti-Manchester United! Growing up just outside Manchester, all my friends were passionate about Manchester United. I just didn't want to follow the crowd. My mate mentioned Liverpool and I was away... passion and red for of Indian background, my dad didn't follow football (more cricket) but an old English lady next door introduced me to football and became my second mum - my soccer mum! Loud Saturday nights in front of Match of the Day followed (RIP Jimmy Hill), downing Pontefract cakes with dandelion and burdock and I didn't look back! Send us your pictures and stories here Send us your pictures and stories here (LINK TO THAT CLUB'S RICH MEDIA FORM, external)
