Cork and Balbriggan both travelled to Togher for their Division 2 Re-Fix. The weather was fine for the evening fixture in Laois. Balbriggan won the toss and decided to bat first.
Balbriggan opened up with Ehtesham Ahmed and Conor Fletcher. Fletcher fell lbw to Jeremy Benton for 0 when the score was 5. Farooq Nasr joined Ahmed in the middle and immediately set about the Cork attack. All bowlers suffering. The score had raced to 103 when Ahmed was caught by Aaron Cawley off the bowling of Harry Fitzpatrick for 31 from 21 balls with 4 fours. Nasr was then joined by Timcen Maruma and the pair batted brilliantly through to the end of the 20 overs. Maruma 59 not out from 36 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes, a couple of memorable switch hits for six. The star however for Balbriggan was Farooq Nasr finishing up 115 not out from just 67 balls. Nasr smashed the ball all round the park hitting 12 fours and 5 sixes. Balbriggan finished up with 221 for 2. Cork were set the daunting task of scoring 222 runs in their 20 overs. Cork's Bowlers toiled hard and most suffered. Jeremy Benton 1-39 and Harry Fitzpatrick 1-32 the wicket takers.
Needing a little over 11 runs per over Cork opened with Cormac Hassett and Jeremy Benton. They got the perfect start Hassett hitting 25 in the first two overs. He fell soon after when the score was 30 caught by Abdul Samad off the bowling of Duane Harper for 27, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes. At 42 Jeremy Benton was caught by Conor Fletcher again off Harper. Cawley next to go when the total was 56 bowled by Harper. Harry Fitzpatrick batted well for 35 from 33 balls before being run out by Kashif Ali. Peter Barlow was run out by Timcen Maruma for 0 and Diarmuid Carey went the same way, run out by Kashif Ali again for 0. Ross Durity was bowled by Kashif Ali, ever in the game, for 28. Sajid Khan not out 2 and Brian Kelleher not out 3 the two batsmen there at the end. Balbriggan did well with the ball, Duane Harper 3-22 and Kashif Ali 1-24 the wicket takers. Farooq Nasr 0-20, Ehtesham Ahmed 0-28 and Timcen Maruma 0-37.
In the end 222 proved too many for Cork to chase and Balbriggan won by 89 runs.
Cork County (0 pts)
Balbriggan (25 pts)