HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR GRAHAM AND STRABANE

Strabane wicketkeeper-batsman Conor Graham believes the Red Caps are heading firmly in the right direction after their six-wicket derby victory over Fox Lodge capped another encouraging weekend for the club.

The win at Ballymagorry effectively ended Fox Lodge’s outside hopes of challenging for the Premiership title, while strengthening Strabane’s grip on fourth place with three league games remaining.

It was a sixth Premiership victory of the campaign for a side widely tipped to be involved in a relegation battle before the season started.

Instead, Strabane are pushing hard for a top-four finish and Graham feels their progress is reward for the work put in during the winter.

“We had a good win on Saturday and it’s always nice to win the local derby against the Foxies,” said Graham. “Even though we were missing a few boys, the lads from the seconds stepped up for us with the ball and it was great to see Andy Mullen back to his best taking four wickets.”

Having restricted their Tyrone neighbours to a manageable target, Strabane completed the chase with six wickets to spare.

Graham played his part at the top of the order with an important 40, while Aaron Gillespie again demonstrated his class with a commanding innings before experienced campaigner Kevin Gallagher helped steer the visitors safely over the line after a brief wobble.

“We were good with the bat,” added Graham. “Aaron was his typical self, just a different class to take over the chase, and even though we had a little wobble, Kev’s experience to see us home was a great knock. It was nice to get a 40 myself. I’ve been getting a few starts lately, so it was about time I scored some runs. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to kick on and get a big one up top before the season ends.”

Strabane’s campaign has contained plenty of evidence that their improvement is no flash in the pan.

Victories over defending champions Donemana and Brigade at Beechgrove have highlighted their ability to compete with the leading sides, and Graham believes the foundations for their progress were established long before the first ball of the summer was bowled.

“On the season, it’s been a solid year,” he said. “Looking to build on staying up last season, we had a strong winter of training and I feel like it has really carried us through the whole year.

“We’ve put together some really strong performances this year, beating Donemana and then Brigade away. We’ve had some slip-ups, but overall we’re happy with where we are and we’ll be looking to finish the season strongly and secure a top-four place.”

There is an increasingly positive mood around Strabane Park that extends far beyond the men’s senior team.

Strabane Women secured the Division Two title in recent days, sealing an immediate return to the top flight following relegation in 2025.

Their success, allied to rapid growth within the club’s youth structure, has added considerably to the optimism surrounding one of the North West’s most famous clubs.

“On the club as a whole, we’re in a brilliant place at the moment,” Graham said. “The women won promotion back to Division One, which was really important for the development of our younger cricketers.

“Our youth is back up and flying. Three years ago we had no teams in the North West youth leagues and now we have under-11, under-13 mixed and an under-11 girls team. We’ve had those these last two years and we’re really excited to be adding an under-15 mixed team and under-13 girls team next year for 2027.”

Graham has been central to that revival alongside Ciaran Patton, with the pair investing considerable time into rebuilding the youth section.

There was further recognition of that work this week when talented youngsters Abaigh Gillespie and Abbey-Gale McGarrigle were selected in the Ireland Under-16 squad.

“Myself and Ciaran Patton have put a lot of hard work into the youth at the club and it’s great to see it paying off now,” Graham added. “We have some really talented cricketers coming through again, which is great to see, and that’s headlined by Abaigh Gillespie and Abbey-Gale McGarrigle getting picked in the Ireland Under-16 squad this week.

“I’m very proud of those two talented and hardworking kids. They’re an absolute pleasure to coach.”

For Graham, the combination of a competitive senior side, a promoted women’s team and a rejuvenated youth pathway suggests Strabane’s recent progress could be only the beginning.

“I feel like the only place Strabane can go now is up,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing where the club is going to go on all fronts.”