On Friday night, after the 26th NCU Challenge Cup triumph in their history, the Waringstown vintage of 2018 were basking in another historic moment. The trophy cabinet in the Roy Harrison Pavilion at The Lawn when the players, officials and supporters returned home from Comber, was full to the brim with five senior cups. There would barely have been room for the famously bulky Challenge Cup alongside the Irish Cup, the NCU Premier League trophy, the Lagan Valley Steels T20 Cup and the Ulster Cup. It’s been an almost unprecedented 12 months of success for the villagers, culminating in yesterday’s thumping Twenty20 Cup final triumph over North Down. So just how good are the Waringstown of 2017/18 and indeed how good have they been during this decade? It is fascinating to draw comparison with this Waringstown team’s success since 2011, when they won a Challenge cup and Irish Cup double, with North Down’s almost complete domination of the previous decade. Since 2011, Waringstown have won all of the major 50-over competitions on three occasions; the Premier League title in 2013 (shared with Instonians), 2015 and 2017, the Challenge Cup in 2011, 2013 and now 2018. Most significantly, there has been a trio of Irish Cup triumphs in 2011, 2015 and 2017, with a losing final in 2016 and the prospect of another final if they beat Strabane later this month. There have also been four Twenty20 Cup success since 2012, including the last three. On the flip side Waringstown haven’t… [Read full story]
Leave a Reply