MCU Premier Division

MCU One Day 50 Overs • 15 September 2024 Adare Manor, Limerick

Limerick CC 1st XI 268/8 Cork Harlequins CC 1st XI 92

Result: Limerick CC 1st XI won by 176 runs

The final fixture of the year in the Premier Division took place at Adare Manor on Sunday, with both teams hoping for a strong finish to their respective campaigns. The visitors had a number of regular First XI players who were unavailable, so that gave opportunities to youth and players who would usually turn out for the 2/3/4th XI teams.

Batting first, Limerick set about their business of setting a competitive total for the visitors to chase. Openers Sourabh Teke (27) and Nishant Kumar (26) looked calm and untroubled at the crease to get proceedings underway. That changed when Quins Captain Barry Vosloo tossed the ball to young 16 year old seamer Aidan Brokenshire, who dismissed both openers in quick succession to give Limerick an early wobble. 51-0 became 59-2. At the other end, Anvesh Bogavelly was growing in confidence and striking the ball beautifully. Along with partner and club stalwart Sarfraz Ramay, the home side pressed home their advantage with a partnership of 108. Sarfraz fell just shy of a deserved 50 off the bowling of Shivam Kislay, a sharp chance to Aidan in the covers. That brought Arslan Anwar to the crease, who added a quick-fire 27 in a 72 partnership with Anvesh, who was motoring towards a century. He duly reached the milestone in just 112 balls, including 8 fours and a towering six, to raptuous applause from the Limerick bench.

Arslan Anwar chipped in with a handy 27 off 24 balls. Once he was dismissed by Sidharth, a mini-collapse of sorts occurred, but by that stage Limerick had already amassed a big total. Looking at a score of 300+, the Cork Harlequins bowling unit stuck to the task at hand and took regular wickets. Limerick ended their innings on 268. Best figures for Quins were Sidharth 9-0-38-3, and Aidan Brokenshire 7-0-36-2.

When it came to the Cork Harlequins innings, it was imperative that the visitors made a good start with the bat. The exact opposite occurred, and Quins found themselves 20-5 in the ninth over, and game rapidly slipping away. Skipper Barry Vosloo was one of only two Cork batters to reach double figures, with a creditable 41 as he played a lone hand. Youth player Deneth Sumanasinghe provided some resistance with a hard-fought 14, but ultimately Quins subsided to be all out for 92 in the 31st over. A comprehensive win to the home team, and a strong finish to their 2024 campaign.

Best bowling for Limerick CC:

Ramoji Alla 9-2-19-4 at a miserly 2.11 RPO and Waqar Ahmed 2.1-0-10-2

Match Report: MCU Division 2 A – Week 24

Match Overview

• Date: 15 September 2024
• Venue: Lisronagh Castle Grounds, Clonmel
• Competition: MCU One Day 40 Overs
• Teams: Limerick CC 3rd XI vs. United Cricket Clonmel 1st XI
• Result: United Cricket Clonmel 1st XI won by 1 wicket

First Innings: Limerick CC 3rd XI Batting

Limerick CC 3rd XI put up a total of 191 runs in their allotted 40 overs, ending their innings with a score of 191/10. The innings saw some solid contributions but lacked the finishing touch, which proved costly.

Key Moments:

• Sharan Narke was the standout bowler for Clonmel, claiming 5 crucial wickets for just 14 runs, including the key dismissals of Patel and Nagaraju.
• Mohammad Ayan Ullah anchored the middle order for Limerick, scoring a patient 39 runs off 73 balls before being run out.
• Waqas Mehmood (75 from just 52 balls) and Divyesh (36) played significant roles with the bat, but the loss of wickets at crucial moments prevented Limerick from posting a more formidable total.

Detailed Ball-by-Ball Summary:

• 0.1 – 1.6: Limerick began cautiously. Narke and Shoaib Khan made early inroads, removing key batsmen and maintaining tight control.
• 7.1 – 8.6: Quick wickets fell as Narke dismissed Nagaraju and Shoaib Khan cleaned up Pawar.
• 16.1 – 21.6: A partnership between Ayan Ullah and Mehmood built some momentum, but Shoaib Khan and Narke continued to apply pressure.
• 26.2 – 39.6: The innings ended with Limerick struggling to accelerate. Narke and Francis capitalized on the lower-order batsmen, wrapping up the innings for 191.

Second Innings: United Cricket Clonmel 1st XI Chase

United Cricket Clonmel 1st XI chased down the target of 192 runs with just one wicket remaining, finishing at 192/9. It was a nail-biting finish with Clonmel scraping through in the final overs.

Key Moments:

• Zubin Cleetus anchored the innings with a crucial 42 runs off 68 balls, holding the chase together amid falling wickets.
• Mehmood (4-41) and Ayan Ullah (2-30) were pivotal in putting pressure on the Clonmel batsmen but were unable to seal the win.
• Malik and Ayan Ullah were effective with the ball, taking key wickets but ultimately falling short.

Detailed Ball-by-Ball Summary:

• 0.1 – 5.7: Clonmel’s innings started cautiously with Narke and Shoaib Khan managing to keep the Limerick batsmen at bay.
• 10.7 – 13.6: Qamar and Babar provided some attacking flair, but Limerick’s bowlers, especially Prabhakar and Babar, kept the pressure on.
• 21.1 – 26.1: Khan and Shah were crucial in breaking partnerships. Shah in particular had a vital role in stifling the run-rate.
• 31.7 – 36.4: Despite losing wickets, Clonmel’s middle order held firm. Cleetus and Bedadhaluri contributed crucial runs, with Bedadhaluri scoring a quick 14 runs before falling to Malik.

In the end, it was a thrilling finish as United Cricket Clonmel 1st XI secured the victory by a slender margin of just one wicket, a testament to their resilience and determination in a close contest. Babar Ali scored an excellent 49 and Cleetus 42. Limerick extras totalled 42, exactly twice that of Clonmel, and that made all the difference in a tight match.

Summary

The match showcased the competitive nature of Division 2 A cricket with both teams putting up a spirited fight. United Cricket Clonmel’s victory by one wicket highlights the dramatic and unpredictable nature of the game, ensuring an exciting conclusion to the week’s cricketing action.

Match Report: MCU Division 2 A – 15 September 2024

Venue: Knockshigowna Cricket Grounds, Nenagh

Nenagh CC 2nd XI vs Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI

Result: Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI won by 4 wickets.

First Innings: Nenagh CC 2nd XI

Nenagh CC 2nd XI batted first and posted a competitive total of 205 for 7 in their allotted 40 overs. Key contributions came from Teja (48), Vimal (41), and Gaddam 32 as well as a rapid 29 off just 13 balls from Prasanna.

The innings saw some effective bowling spells from the Limerick Blasters. Notable performances included:

• Mohan (4/41) and Prestige Jaison (2/21) both took crucial wickets in the early and middle overs

Highlights from Nenagh’s innings:

• Teja scored 48 off 55 balls before being dismissed by Mohan.
• Prasanna’s late cameo included 3 big sixes to boost the total to a defendable score.

Second Innings: Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI

Limerick Blasters CC 2nd XI chased down the target of 206 with 4 wickets to spare, finishing at 209 for 6 in 39.6 overs. The chase was anchored by a combination of steady contributions and crucial late hitting, although 3 early wickets meant the innings looked in dire straits for a while when Clonmel were reduced to 3-17 in only the sixth over.

Key Performances:

• George Raju played a decisive role with an unbeaten 89, including 4 fours and 3 sixes.
• David Philip provided great support with a robust innings, scoring 38 and hitting several key boundaries.

Highlights from Limerick Blasters’ innings:

• Raju hit a six and a four in the 36th over to see Clonmel over the line.

Final Analysis:

Limerick Blasters’ well-paced chase and smart lower-order batting secured their victory. Their ability to handle the pressure in the latter stages of the innings, coupled with disciplined bowling in the first innings, earned them a well-deserved win.

Nenagh CC’s strong start with the bat and some impressive individual performances were not enough to defend their total, as Limerick Blasters capitalized on crucial moments in their chase.