PEMBROKE CONFOUND THE WEATHER - AGAIN!

IBI CORPORATE FINANCE PREMIER LEAGUE & CHAMPIONSHIP (22.7.2023)

In a day of cricket decimated by the ongoing unseasonal weather, only one senior level fixture was completed - and that game took place outside the province at The Mardyke in Cork!

Cork County lost to Pembroke by 8 wkts on DLS

Cork County 88 All Out (27 overs; Abdul Ghaffar 43; Zack Micklewright 5-19, Nick Stapleton 3-28)

Pembroke 63-2 (9.1 overs; Nick Stapleton 29*, Diarmaid Tucker 23)

In a game ultimately reduced to 27 overs per side, table toppers Pembroke continued their winning run at The Mardyke.

Batting first, Cork County never got going in the face of some excellent and disciplined Pembroke bowling. Zack Micklewright & Nick Stapleton reduced Cork to 40-8 after just 13.3 overs. The weather then intervened with Cork having limped to 57-9 off 18.

When play resumed, Abdul Ghaffar (43) dominated a last wicket partnership of 39 with Hamdullah Safi to ensure Cork at least batted through the adjusted 27 overs to post 88 all out.

Set 61 to win on DLS, Pembroke set about chasing down the target with great purpose as Diarmaid Tucker and Nick Stapleton combined well to take the score to 39-1 off just 7 overs when the rain briefly returned with the visitors just 22 runs short of victory.

Thankfully the players returned after a short stoppage and Stapleton (29*) wasted no time in seeing Pembroke to a remarkable win.

Pembroke are progressing towards an unassailable position in the Championship as they bid for an immediate return to the Premier League for 2024.

Terenure v North Kildare - match abandoned

North Kildare 260-8 (50 overs; H Maroof 60, N Boda 46, J Uddin 31, B Zaman 29, B Nabi 27; K Shetty 2-38, D Vaughan 2-38, S Lynch 2-41)

Terenure 49-4 (10.3 overs; S Lynch 26; H Maroof 2-11, N Monon 2-13)

Despite the adverse weather across the country, Terenure managed to host some cricket as North Kildare batted first and scored an excellent 260-8 off their full 50 overs. Opener Hussain Maroof top scored with 60 but there were also solid contributions from others including Nurulain Boda (46 off 33), Josh Uddin (31 off 19), Badeeu Zaman (29) and Bakhtyar Nabi (27).

Whilst the Terenure bowlers struggled, Kripesh Shetty and Dónal Vaughan each chipped in with figures of 2-38 whilst Séamus Lynch also contributed with the ball taking 2-41 off 7.

North Kildare then made immediate inroads with the ball to reduce the home side to 49 off the first 10.3 overs for the loss of the first 4 wickets before the rain intervened and persisted.

Terenure were probably the happier side when the rain clouds rolled in!

YMCA v Leinster - match abandoned

Leinster 108-3 (15.4 overs; Bilal Azhar 45, Monil Patel 31*; Ash Burton 2-12)

In the only Premier League game to see any play, Leinster batted first at Claremont Road in a game reduced to 23 overs per side.

Sadly this game was also ultimately a victim of the weather but not before the visitors had scored 108-3 off 15.4 overs. Bilal Azhar opened with 45 (3 X 4s, 2 X 6s) and Monil Patel was unbeaten on 31* when the rain returned.

Ashley Burton had taken 2-12 off his 2 overs.