Supermac century helps Donemana win the cup

THERE are small margins between glory and failure and that was never more evident in the NW Senior Cup final last weekend.

Donemana captain Gary McClintock was dropped in the first over of the game while yet to score, and went on to make 112 in a Man-of-the-Match display, pipping team-mates Andy McBrine and Anuj Jotin to the individual accolade.

After a very even first day, Donemana switched gears and totally dominated Saturday’s play to win by 203 runs in front of a packed Beechgrove and the skipper was delighted as the Tyrone side lifted the trophy for a 24th time.

“It’s certainly brilliant to have the trophy back at Donemana again and I am sure the whole village feels the same,” said McClintock.

“I thought we were the better team over the two days with some brilliant performances from our players. Batting first and having runs on the board is hard to beat in a final so when we lost the toss, we certainly didn’t mind getting stuck in to bat first.

“We knew the first ten overs were going to be tricky so we tried to see off the new ball and then push on and with our batting line up that’s something we are very good at.

“We posted two good scores in our innings and we knew if we bowled well, we were in with a good shout.

“Scra (Andy McBrine) and Anuj Jotin were top class again with the ball and big Dave O’Sullivan bowled brilliantly as well at the end. I think we deserved to win and thankfully it’s only once a year as the head is still very sore after the celebrations!”

Donemana are back in Premiership action on Sunday when they play Bready at home. The game has been pushed back a day as The Holm is hosting the Intermediate Cup Final on Friday and Saturday between Donemana II’s and Fox Lodge II’s.

Jota jetting out

The Senior Cup final win was the last appearance of the season for Donemana all-rounder Anuj Jotin who has flown home to play in a T20 tournament. The Indian professional certainly made an impact at The Holm with his haul of 39 wickets and 969 runs.

“It’s been a great time for me at Donemana and I’ve really enjoyed myself both on and off the field,” said Jotin. “It was brilliant to sign off on a winning note with a trophy. I found the two-innings final a great innovation. The supporters on both sides were exceptional and created a brilliant atmosphere that really lifted the team.

“The game was very much in the balance on Saturday morning, but myself and Andy put on a century stand and that gave the perfect launching pad for our hitters down the order. Our game plan was to bat to as near 40 overs while keeping the board ticking along. It worked perfectly.

“Andy and myself didn’t talk too much in the middle, we knew what we had to do and got on with it. There were a few bits of information about particular bowlers or field placings. He has so much experience both locally and internationally, and he was great to bat with. His innings was an exceptional one.

“Once we had nearly 300 on the board, we knew we would be hard to beat if we bowled and fielded to our potential Things went our way and I was delighted to pick up four wickets, including the big fish of Peat Salmon…I and the team really celebrated that one. There was a bit of emotional release for me after that because he had almost single-handedly beaten us in the league last week, and was particularly severe on me. I felt I owed the team back and to take those wickets in the win was redemption of a kind.

“I’ve loved my time and the people at Donemana. We share the same competitive spirit and it couldn’t have gone much better for us both. I’m not sure if I will be back in 2026 because of the regulations, but hopefully something can be sorted out. I would certainly love to return. It’s been among the happiest times of my life.”