Returning Internationals Lead YMCA to Victory over Malahide in Rain-Affected Clash

Harry Tector and Simi Singh played crucial roles in a 5-run DLS victory for YMCA over Malahide in the LHW Financial Planning Senior League Cup on Saturday.

Tector was playing on a different track to his teammates as he hit seven boundaries in his 41, before Singh showed his class with the ball to take 2-8 off his four overs.

It all could have been so different for Malahide however as they seemed to be on top at many stages throughout this rain-interrupted match.

From the opening over when Jimmy Newland (3-22) bowled a wicket-maiden to remove opposition captain Jack Tector, Malahide took wickets at regular intervals throughout the YMCA innings.

David O’Halloran (3-0-10-0) was tough to put away while Alistair Frost (3-18) removed Curtis Campher (5), Tim Tector (11) and Bobby Gamble (0) all to catches at point by Alan Reynolds. The first a very good effort coming over his shoulder.

All the while, Harry Tector remained at the other end. Tector played some beautiful shots, one through mid-wicket and a reverse sweep through point were particularly eye-catching. 

When Newland returned to remove Tector and bowl Cassidy in the same over to leave YMCA 80/8 however, Malahide once again seemed on top. The Anders boys responded though.

Tom (14 off 7) and Rory (13 off 9) powered YMCA to 112/8 off the reduced 17 overs. With the DLS adjustment, the target became 116 in 17 overs for Malahide and it was hard to tell where the momentum was.

Enter Arjun Muntha (25) and Alan Reynolds (17). They came out firing with some outstanding clean striking to rocket the score to 33 off 2.5 overs. What followed swung the match back towards YM.

Reynolds skied a Tom Anders delivery to deep mid-wicket where Wilhelm de Klerk did really well to take a great catch as the ball came down with snow on it in the swirling wind.

Singh then bowled his first over, going for just one run, and the Malahide momentum was halted. When Muntha tried to cut Singh and feathered through to Cassidy in the 7^th over, Malahide were 50/2 and needing to start again.

Greg Ford 13 and Alistair Frost 10* were keeping up with the DLS par score, particularly with rain in the air and more forecasted.

When Singh picked up his second wicket as Ford top-edged a sweep and Mikey O’Reilly bowled Turner with the very next ball, Malahide were 67/4 and the equations had all changed.

By the end of that O’Reilly over Malahide were 72/4 and five runs short of the DLS mark. 

At this point, the rain returned with a vengeance and kept the players off the field for good this time. This meant a narrow 5-run (DLS) victory for YMCA in a game that ebbed and flowed and could have gone either way in the end.

Elsewhere in Group B

Railway Union, kept pace with YMCA, defeating Clontarf by 15 runs at Park Avenue. Glenn Querl’s 22 not out was the top score as Railway made 109/7 off their allocation, with Conor Kelly taking 3-15 off his four overs. The Clontarf chase was rocked on its heels to be 6/3 at one stage, as they were bowled out for 94 in 19 overs. Prabanshu Kamal took 3-21, while Alex Stiles (2-10), Hashir Sultan (2-13) and Oliver Perry (2-15) took two each.

At Terenure, there was a tie between the home side and North County on DLS. County batted first and made 140/8 with Niall McGovern making 43, while Zubair Khan took 4-29. At the end of the 17^th over, Terenure were 122/4, Mick Cotter 63* striking a three off the final ball before the end of play to draw the sides level on DLS.

There was no play possible between Balbriggan and The Hills at Jack Harper Memorial Park. 

In Group A

Phoenix stayed top of the group with a nail-biting victory over North Kildare in the Phoenix Park. Aaron Cawley (3-8) and Theo Dempsey (3-17) led the way as Phoenix bowled North Kildare out for 75. In the reply which was disrupted by rain breaks, Anees Ahmad took 6-16 as the visitors threatened a real shock with Phoenix reduced to 30-8 at one stage. Joey Carroll held things together scoring 35 not out to bring Phoenix to the brink of victory with just one over left. However, the umpires then determined that time had expired and awarded penalty runs to Phoenix to hand victory to the home side by a narrow margin.

Leinster defeated Dublin University by 8-wickets at Observatory Lane. Saqib Bahudar (3-11) and George Dockrell (3-21) took three wickets apiece as Trinity were restricted to 109/6 despite a half-century from Diarmuid Tucker (52). Monil Patel’s 61 off 42 deliveries (9x4,1x6) eased Leinster to victory with five overs to spare.

Rush had the better of a high-scoring affair, as they beat Merrion by 5-wickets in Kenure. John Anderson (77) and Sean Stanton (57*) made half-centuries as Merrion amassed 177/5 in the tight confines of Rush. Nathan McGuire (56 off 26) got the chase off to the perfect start and Stephen Doheny’s 78 not out took his side home with nine balls to spare.

LHW Financial Planning Leinster Senior League Cup 20-over

Group B

Malahide v YMCA, Malahide, Saturday August 22^nd

YMCA 112/8 17 Overs (H Tector 41; A Frost 3-18, J Newland 3-22, C Shoebridge 2-31)

(Adjusted DLS Target 116 in 17 overs)

Malahide 72/4 12 Overs (A Muntha 25, A Reynolds 17; S Singh 2-8)

YMCA won by 5 runs by DLS