Hills Hold Nerve in Final Ball Thriller – Saturday June 26th

Not for the first time this season College Park witnessed a low-scoring thriller and, unfortunately for the Students, they were once again on the wrong side today as The Hills secured a four-wicket win off the final ball.

Needing seven off the final over, Will Archer looked like he’d settled all nerves by guiding a full delivery to fine third man to leave the Fingal men requiring just a single with two balls remaining. Instead, he struck the next delivery to point leaving Luke Clinton to face the final ball, his first, with one still needed for victory.

Max Neville delivered full length, Clinton swung and missed, but Pretorius couldn’t gather cleanly behind the stumps which allowed Clinton and Sameer Dutt to scamper through for the winning bye.

The Hills were chasing 97 for victory after Trinity made 96/5 off their 20 overs. Dylan Blignaut (1-15) and Tomas Rooney Murphy (1-11) removed both openers leaving the Students’ 15/2 at the end of the opening powerplay.

Nicolaas Pretorius showed all his experience to marshal the middle order with an unbeaten 45 at just better than a run-a-ball. On a slow deck for scoring, Pretorius’ 45* was full of good running as well as the only six of the innings over cow corner and an improvised reverse sweep for one of his two boundaries.

In reply Mark Donegan (43) kept the strike rotating with plenty of good running and matched Pretorius with just a single maximum, a beautiful pick up off his pads over square leg. He did use a couple of lives however, in being dropped on both 17 and 29.

It was the introduction of the evergreen Conor Hoey that put the first seeds of doubt in the visitors’ heads. Hoey’s four overs going for just nine runs as the squeeze really begin to be put on The Hills.

Indeed, it was a huge personal milestone for Hoey that triggered the final over excitement. In having Rooney-Murphy caught at mid-wicket, Hoey had his 300^th wicket for Dublin University. A remarkable achievement for another legend of the Leinster club game.

When Donegan followed his captain back to the hutch in the 19^th over, The Hills needed nine off seven deliveries and we were set up for that enthralling final over drama.

Sports Hub Leinster Senior League Cup Group D

College Park

Dublin University v The Hills, Saturday June 26

Dublin University 96/5 20 Overs (N Pretorius 45*, S Gupta 18; T Rooney-Murphy 1-11)

The Hills 97/6 20 Overs (M Donegan 43; J Atkinson 2-12)

The Hills won by 4 wickets

Elsewhere in Group D, North County had 6-wicket win over Phoenix at Inch. Stephen Moreton’s 35 was the only score of note for a Phoenix side who were bowled out for 62. Eddie Richardson taking three for eight in his four overs including a maiden.

Richardson ensured he collected player of the match honours with an unbeaten 27 to guide County to a comfortable chase inside 12 overs.

In Group A, YMCA made it two wins from two visits to Kenure with a 4-wicket victory over Rush. Cillian McDonnell and Bobby Gamble each took 3-12, including the wickets of top-scorers Ehtesham Ahmed (25) and Asher Abbasi (21), as the home side were bowled out for 88.

Tom Anders’ unbeaten 32 saw YMCA to victory with an over to spare, despite Jarred Barnes spell yielding 4-15.

Elsewhere, Terenure had their first victory of the season with a 3-wicket home win over Leinster. Hayden Sharland (2-16) and Aidan Doyle (2-19) led the bowling as Leinster were held to 122/7 off their allocation.

Daniel Wicks top-scored with 30 as Terenure secured the victory with three balls and three wickets to spare.

In Group B, Malahide avenged last week’s defeat on home soil, as they returned from the Mardyke in Cork with a 32-run victory. Callum Riches was the undoubted star of the show as he struck 31 in the visitors’ 140/8, before taking 4-26 as Cork County were bowled out for 108.

Alan Reynolds (41) and Arjun Muntha had laid the foundations for victory with 60-run opening stand for Malahide.

At Park Avenue, Railway Union ensured back-to-back victories over Clontarf with a 46-run victory. Hashir Sultan (57) hit a half-century that included four boundaries and four sixes, while Kenny Carroll (41) maintained his great form as the home side amassed 153/3 at half-time.

Despite Clontarf’s top four all getting starts, Fakhar Zaman (2-11) and Andy Jackson (2-18) led the Railway bowling to restrict the visitors to 107/6 off their 20 overs.

Group C saw a 52-run win for Merrion against North Kildare. Merrion made 131 with Michael Lewis (43), Dom Joyce (27) and Max Sorensen (26) top-scoring. The North Kildare reply was kept in check and restricted to 79/8 as Merrion captain Tom Stanton took 4-8.

The other game saw Balbriggan travel to Sydney Parade and return with a tight 3-run victory. Chris de Freitas was in top form once again with the bat as he scored 45 and skipper Nathan Rooney 29 as Balbriggan made 135/9 off their 20 overs.

In response, a magnificent 72 not out from Theo Lawson was in vain for Pembroke as the wickets were shared and they could only muster 132/7.