Shettigar snatch downs Kestrels early

Ballycastle Bats - 190* vs Kenmare Kestrels - 60

	Bats	Kestrels
Keeper	Malkin	O’Hare (C)
Chasers	Quigley	McNally
	Evans	O’Flanagan
	Thomsonicle	Watkins
Beaters	Smeek	Tuckett
	Nutter	Crumb
Seeker	Shettigar (C)	Denshaw

The Bats and the Kestrels each suffered first round losses, but signs were positive for both. The Bats were competitive against a supreme quality Magpies side, while the Kestrels were unlucky to lose narrowly to the Harpies after clearly being the better team throughout.

Both line-ups were rewarded for their strong efforts, with the only change coming in goal for the Bats with Alexandra Alford dropped in favour of Xavier Malkin. But the change had little effect on the Bats leaky defence, with Deirdre McNally taking the Kestrels to a 30-0 lead within five minutes. It was Beaters Rubens Smeek and Nobby Nutter who were arguably more responsible than Malkin, with the pair communicating poorly. On one occasion Nutter struck Smeek with a Bludger off his own bat.

Luckily for the Bats, their Chasers were once again on the Quaffle. For sixteen minutes the high-speed game went almost goal for goal, with the Kestrels leading 60-40. Then from nowhere, the match was over. After a disappointing failure to catch the snitch last week, Ajax Shettigar was keen to avoid suffering three consecutive Seeker defeats for the first time in four years. But no-one expected the catch to happen so fast.

Shettigar’s astonishing vision reigned supreme once again. He was somehow able to spot the snitch against the background of blow sky from a hundred feet below. Florentia Denshaw was barely able to move as the blurry figure of Shettigar fired directly upwards and intercepted the snitch amidst the clouds.

BALLYCASTLE BATS - 190: Quigley 2, Evans 1, Thomsonicle 1, Shettigar Capture

KENMARE KESTRELS - 60: McNally 4, Watkins 2

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: AJAX SHETTIGAR (BATS)

Note: The entire Quidditch community is united in relief tonight with the successful discovery and recovery of missing Prides Keeper Jericho McCormack. He was found on the far coast of the Isle of Wight, transfigured into a Newt and buried under the tidal sand of a Kelpie lair. He is currently recovering in St Mungo’s.