McClintock fireworks propel Bonds Glen to Championship crown

Bonds Glen powered their way to the North West Championship title in spectacular fashion, earning promotion to the Premiership after a season in which their batting strength proved too much for most opponents.

The Bee Gees possessed a line-up capable of taking attacks apart, and nobody embodied that destructive approach more than former Ireland international William McClintock.

McClintock enjoyed an extraordinary campaign, passing 1,000 runs with 1,039 at an average of 69.27 and a remarkable strike-rate of 184.2. His tally included three centuries, five half-centuries and an astonishing 104 sixes from just 15 innings.

The defining innings came against Letterkenny when he smashed an Irish record 339, an extraordinary display of power hitting which will take some beating. Yet Bonds Glen were far from a one-man batting side.

Overseas professional Danie Rossouw amassed 951 runs at 55.94, hitting two hundreds and eight fifties, while Heinrich Roberts contributed 710 at 41.76 with two centuries of his own. With Dhram Singh adding 423 runs, opponents were frequently placed under enormous pressure long before Bonds Glen reached their middle order.

Their success was not simply built on boundary hitting either. The bowling unit was one of the major reasons the Championship trophy ended up at Bonds Glen.

Singh was outstanding, taking 36 wickets at just 14.42 and collecting three five-wicket hauls. Sam Kincaid claimed 24 at 14.83, while Roberts completed an excellent all-round season with 22 wickets at 16.95. Samuel Haslett took 20 wickets and Mark Robinson 19, giving Bonds Glen enough variety and depth to defend the sizeable totals their batting regularly produced.

There was valuable support throughout the side. Stephen McGowan supplied late-order power with 236 runs at better than a run a ball, while Adam Thompson contributed in both disciplines when called upon.

Promotion will inevitably bring a much sterner examination next summer. Premiership attacks are unlikely to offer quite as many scoring opportunities, while Bonds Glen’s bowlers will face deeper batting orders on a weekly basis. But they will not make the step up lacking confidence.

A Championship title, a fearsome top order and a season in which McClintock rewrote the record books have given Bonds Glen considerable momentum. Indeed, their recruitment has began already with the signing of two-time Premier league winner Rachit Gaur.

The challenge for 2027 is to prove that the same aggressive formula which carried them out of the Championship can also make them competitive among the North West elite.

BONDS GLEN – TOP 10 BATTERS

1. William McClintock – 1,039 runs, average 69.27, HS 339, 3 hundreds, 5 fifties, 104 sixes  
2. Danie Rossouw – 951 runs, average 55.94, HS 193, 2 hundreds, 8 fifties  
3. Heinrich Roberts – 710 runs, average 41.76, HS 125, 2 hundreds, 3 fifties  
4. Dhram Singh – 423 runs, average 22.26, HS 89, 3 fifties  
5. Samuel Haslett – 379 runs, average 18.95, HS 61, 1 fifty  
6. Stephen McGowan – 236 runs, average 23.60, HS 66*, 1 fifty  
7. Adam Thompson – 234 runs, average 21.27, HS 38  
8. Johnny Haslett – 171 runs, average 17.10, HS 60*, 1 fifty  
9. Sam Kincaid – 127 runs, average 15.88, HS 29*  
10. Mark Robinson – 126 runs, average 15.75, HS 36*  

BONDS GLEN – TOP 10 BOWLERS

1. Dhram Singh – 36 wickets, average 14.42, BBI 5-15  
2. Sam Kincaid – 24 wickets, average 14.83, BBI 4-30  
3. Heinrich Roberts – 22 wickets, average 16.95, BBI 4-32  
4. Samuel Haslett – 20 wickets, average 27.75, BBI 3-17  
5. Mark Robinson – 19 wickets, average 24.74, BBI 4-24  
6. William McClintock – 7 wickets, average 21.57, BBI 4-33  
7. Stephen Dunn – 7 wickets, average 45.14, BBI 3-50  
8. Adam Thompson – 6 wickets, average 10.67, BBI 2-9  
9. D Rossouw – 6 wickets, average 16.33, BBI 3-17  
10. Jack Morrow – 2 wickets, average 8.00, BBI 2-16