Limerick CC Women Ease To Victory over Cork County CC Women
Limerick CC Women 1st XI secured a comfortable five-wicket victory over Cork County CC Women 1st XI in their MCU Womens T10 League clash at Adare Manor.
Batting first, Cork County put up a respectable total of 44/0, with Sara Kamel top-scoring with 15* in the allotted 10 overs.
In reply, Limerick’s chase was never truly comfortable, with Sara Kamel snaring two early wickets. But once Holly Westmoreland (19*) and Sana George (11*) took guard, they wrestled back the initiative and drove on, scoring freely to see the Shannonsiders home with nearly 3 overs to spare.
The match was a thrilling contest, with both teams fighting hard until the very end. Ultimately, Limerick’s batting depth proved to be the deciding factors.
Nenagh CC 2nd XI Edge Past Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI
Nenagh CC 2nd XI secured a thrilling one-wicket victory over Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI in their MCU Division 2A encounter at Knockshigowna Cricket Grounds.
Batting first, Limerick Blasters posted a decent total of 242/8 in the allotted 40 overs. Top scorer for the visitors was Aromal, who scored 50* off 44 balls, including 3x4s and 3x6s, in a fast-paced innings. Healthy contributions from Prestige Jaison (46) and Arun Mohan (43) boosted the score well over 200. Nenagh’s bowling attack was led by Sri Teja, who who claimed 3-45 from 7 excellent overs.
The home side took the field with a challenging total to chase down. Mohesh top-scoring with 43 runs, and Jomy Joseph just behind on 42. But Nenagh’s chase was never truly comfortable- the batsmen struggled to maintain a consistent run rate as wickets fell at regular intervals. The tail enders did an admirable job to get Nenagh over the line, though it must be said Blasters were the architects of their own demise, bowling no fewer than 61 extras, or 10 free overs to help ensure the home side took the points.
MCU Senior Cup Final: Cork County CC 1st XI vs Cork Harlequins CC 1st XI
The Mardyke, Cork – 1st September 2024
In the flagship match of the season, Cork County CC 1st XI emerged victorious in the MCU Senior Cup Final, defeating Cork Harlequins CC 1st XI by 35 runs to claim the prestigious title.
Cork County CC 1st XI Innings: 301/7 (50 Overs)
Cork County’s innings began steadily, with openers Ross Durity (41 off 77 balls) and Benjamin Marris putting up a solid partnership. Marris was the standout performer, anchoring the innings with a well-crafted century, scoring 102 off 128 balls. His innings was built on a mix of patience and timely aggression, which provided the platform for Cork County’s imposing total.
However, it was the middle and lower-order fireworks that propelled Cork County past the 300-run mark. The crucial death overs saw a flurry of boundaries and sixes, particularly from the County Pro Mark Andrianatos, who added 61* in quick time. Hassan Khan’s final over was especially eventful, with Fenn blasting 10 runs off the last two deliveries to finish the innings on a high. He ended proceedings on 10 from just 2 balls.
Key Moments:
- 40.2 Overs: Marris reached his century but was dismissed shortly after by Matt Brewster, caught by S. Powale.
- 43.6 Overs: Andrianatos kept the momentum going with a huge six off Hassan Khan.
- 49th Over: The final over saw two quick wickets fall, but Fenn’s aggressive hitting ensured Cork County finished strong, ending their innings at 301/7.
Bowling Highlights for Cork Harlequins:
- Hassan Khan and Ryan Joyce were the pick of the bowlers, each picking up key wickets during crucial phases of the game.
Cork Harlequins CC 1st XI Innings: 266 All Out (49 Overs)
In response, Cork Harlequins started well, the opening partnership of Adam Hickey and Sumantu Powale almost mirrored the Cork County opening stand- the first wicket falling with the score on 111. A couple of quick wickets to Fenn sent Brewster and Ryan Joyce back to the pavilion in quick time, and the momentum of the match shifted in favour of the home side. Devon Joyce shored up the middle order with an excellent 41 off 48 balls to keep Quins in the hunt, but partners could not stay with him to maintain the required momentum. Despite some resilient batting efforts from Shivam Kislay and Kieran O’Reilly, they fell short of the target, ending their innings on 266 in the 47th over, 35 runs adrift of Cork County’s total. Sam Finn was the pick of the bowlers, who almost single handedly turned to match with 4-46 off 10 overs, and Mark Adrianatos chipped in with 3 wickets and a stunning outfield catch to mop up the tail. Nabeel Anjum took 2 quality wickets to stem the flow of runs in the middle order. It was a case of an all-round bowling performance that stymied the Quins reply and brought the curtain down on their challenge for victory.
Result: Cork County CC 1st XI won by 35 runs.
Cork County’s all-around performance, with contributions from both their batsmen and bowlers, secured them the MCU Senior Cup, marking a memorable end to their season. MCU President Jack Filen was on hand to present the winning side the Senior Cup and medals, and also to commiserate with the Cork Harlequins side, who were in the hunt for the large part of their innings. It was a match for the ages, and a fitting end to witness such a high quality performance from two talented sides in the Blue Riband tie of the cricketing calendar in Munster.
