Pembroke lift Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup

Pembroke totally dominated Waringstown in all disciplines, cruising to a 135-run win in the final of the Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup.

It was the first time the club has inscribed its name on the Bob Kerr Trophy and when history is written it may single out this game as the one that marked a watershed between the Waringstown era and the Pembroke one.

A young talented side overcame a tricky start, recovering from 96-4 thanks to a stand of 148 by Shaheen Khan (101) and Theo Lawson (63) which wrested the initiative which was never lost. 

Barry McCarthy (37no off 21 balls) and Ryan Hopkins (21 off 12) ensured the total soared past 300, finishing one short of the cup final record of 317 set by Railway Union in 2010 - a losing score as it turned out thanks to Duckworth Lewis. 

There was no fear of weather interruption on a glorious day at the Vineyard, and once Barry McCarthy rattled the stumps early on to remove James Hall and Kyle McCallan, it was all Pembroke.

Greg Thompson played a captain’s knock before he was dismissed by Jack Balbirnie, who ran through the tail in an excellent spell of 4-16. 

Balbirnie with his brother Andrew and the Tuckers and Lawson’s, ensured Pembroke became the third club to field three sets of brothers in a winning ISC side.

They were preceded by the McCrums, McCollums and Hunters of Lurgan (1988) and the Armstrongs, Mooneys and Murphys of North County (2001.

Shaheen Khan was man of the match but a first major  senior trophy for Pembroke since 2001 has surely heralded a glorious era down Sydney Parade. 

This article first appeared in the Sunday Independent and is reproduced with kind permission of the author, Ger Siggins