PEMBROKE SECURE FINAL SPOT AS LAWSON SWEEPS YMCA ASIDE

A superb innings of 70* from just 54 balls this evening for Theo Lawson was the catalyst for an excellent victory for Pembroke, as they defeated YMCA by 7 wickets to secure their place in the BUAKIT Premier League final against Merrion in Sydney Parade on Saturday.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, YMCA got off to a flying start with Jack Tector (40) and Rory Anders (25) took the score rapidly past 60 inside the first 6 overs of the innings, with the host side looking like they were staring down the barrel of a massive score.

Gavin Hoey's spell of 4/26 from 4 overs included accounting for both openers, as well as one of the better deliveries witnessed this season to clean bowl Tim Tector all in the space of 14 runs. His wickets, along with tight spells from off-spinners Paul Lawson and Scott Ruttle helped Pembroke restrict YMCA to just 51 runs in the final 10 overs, and a total of 135/6 in their 20 overs.

The Pembroke chase got off to a shaky start, as Danny Hogan and Gavin Hoey were both dismissed cheaply to leave them 19/2 in the 4th over. This brought Fiachra Tucker and Theo Lawson together and the pair set about target number one of the 96 runs Pembroke required to reach the Premier League final.

Progress was relatively pedestrian for a number of overs as the pair laid a foundation for the innings, until the 15th over, Mikey O'Reilly's 3rd, which saw Lawson sweep a four and a six, taking Pembroke within touching distance of the final. In the next over Tucker launched Sam Streek straight for 6 to secure qualification before being stumped by Elliot Johns off the following delivery.

With 39 needed from 4 overs, JJ Garth joined Lawson, who brought up his half-century in the 17th with a two hammered out to cow corner. It was the 18th however where the number three really went for the kill, taking Rory Anders for 16 including a massive 6 from a free hit to bring the finish line into sight.

Mikey O'Reilly came back excellently from his earlier punishment, bowling the penultimate over for just 6 meaning Pembroke required 9 from the last to win. Streek bowled the final over to Garth who picked off a couple of twos, followed by a single, before Lawson reverted once again to his signature sweep shot where he found the deep square leg boundary and secured a 7 wicket win with just 2 balls to spare.

AT SYDNEY PARADE
YMCA - 135/6, 20 overs (J Tector 40, R Anders 25; G Hoey 4/26)
lost to
Pembroke - 136/3, 19.4 overs (T Lawson 70*, F Tucker 34)
by 7 wickets