Munster Reds Win Tight Encounter Against Leinster Lightning in Inter-Provincial Cup
Munster Reds secured a hard-fought victory over Leinster Lightning in a thrilling Inter-Provincial Cup match played at Sydney Parade on 15th May. Chasing a target of 174, Munster secured a four-wicket win.
Leinster Lightning First Innings Summary
Leinster Lightning’s batting innings got off to a shaky start as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Opener Neill Delany top-scored with a patient 44, but none of the other batsmen could convert their starts into significant scores. Munster’s bowling attack was disciplined, with Josh Manley 4 for 57 off 10 key to the success, with Brandon Krugers 1 for 15 off 6 overs keeping the pressure on and being the pick of the bowlers. Leinster were eventually bowled out for 173 runs in 41.2 overs. Leinster Lightning’s batting innings started poorly, with opener Hand dismissed for just 17 runs in the 7th over. Tector and le Roux followed soon after, departing within a couple of overs of each other. The score remained precarious for Leinster as they continued to lose wickets, with no batsman able to build a substantial
Munster Reds Second Innings Summary
Munster’s chase began steadily with opener Brandon Kruger having a steady 31 before being stumped by Lynch, and McCarthy putting on a decent partnership. Ollie Medcalfe was so close to a maiden 50 but just fell short with a score of 49. However, wickets started to fall after the drinks break, with Hoey (3-51) being the most successful bowler for Leinster. However it was a Liam McCarthy 41 not out and Ryan Joyce who saw the side home and a victory for the Munster Reds.
Highlighting Young Talent: In a major positive for Munster, young seamer Hassan Khan, a homegrown Munster player from the Cork Harlequins club, claimed his maiden List A wicket during Leinster’s innings. Hopefully first of many.
Man of the Match: A strong case can be made for both Josh Manley, Ollie Medcalfe and Liam McCarthy (Munster) for their crucial contributions in the match.
Leinster Lightning Strike First to Clinch Victory over Munster Reds in Inter-Provincial Trophy Clash
Leinster Lightning secured a convincing six-wicket victory over Munster Reds in a thrilling encounter of the Inter-Provincial Trophy at Sydney Parade on May 16th.
Opting to bat first, Munster Reds got off to a shaky start, losing opener Brandon Kruger cheaply to a delivery from Sean Harbinson. Despite a valiant knock of 54 from Benjamin Calitz, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, thanks to some disciplined bowling by the Leinster Lightning attack. Dhruv Leus was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 26 runs. Munster Reds eventually limped to a total of 159/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
In reply, Leinster Lightning openers Stephen McGil and Tim Tector started cautiously. However, once McGil departed in the third over, Tector took charge, smashing a brilliant 65 off just 43 deliveries. He found good support from Chris De Freitas (31) as the pair stitched together a crucial 89-run partnership for the second wicket. Although wickets fell towards the end, Leinster Lightning chased down the target comfortably with 18.3 overs to spare.
Tim Tector was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock. His aggressive batting display took the pressure off the other Leinster Lightning batsmen and laid the foundation for their victory. The win takes Leinster Lightning to the top of the Inter-Provincial Trophy points table.
