WINS FOR PEMBROKE, MERRION & MALAHIDE -IBI CORPORATE FINANCE ROUND-UP (AUGUST 18TH)

This afternoon's action in the IBI Corporate Finance Premier League saw the gap maintained in the title race, as both Pembroke and Merrion recorded full points victories, whilst Malahide saw off Balbriggan to stay above the bottom placed side in the league.

The first result of the day came from Sydney Parade, where a Pembroke side which saw Padraic Flanagan replacing Olly Riley, faced off against a Phoenix team which featured just three of their all-Ireland winning side from Saturday. Pembroke got on top early on, with a wicket for each of their three seamers, Flanagan, skipper Nick Stapleton & Byron McDonough, before Gavin Hoey and Paul Lawson went to work, taking three wickets apiece as their visitors were skittled out for just 107, teenager Benjamin Thomson the only player to show any level of resistance, finishing unbeaten on 39. The Pembroke chase took just 98 deliveries, as having lost Tim Tector for 20 with the score on 38, Diarmaid Tucker played a sedate 31* in support of number three JJ Garth, who was unbeaten at a near run-a-ball 43, seeing an extremely straightforward 9 wicket win completed in the 17th over.

Merrion travelled to Observatory Lane, where they batted first, and their side, which featured just one enforced change from Saturday's narrow loss, recovered from the early loss of star man Stephen Doheny, not losing their second wicket until Swapnil Modgill and John Anderson had added 68. Following a brief wobble, Anderson shared a second fifty run stand with Pete Francis. Another solid stand of 48 between Anderson and Jamie Forbes saw Merrion to the brink of 200, and when that milestone was passed with Anderson in the 90s, the number three opened his shoulders to bring up his century from 140 balls. He was eventually run out from the final ball of the innings, finishing with 111 from 144 deliveries, showing off his seemingly unwaning abilities and relentless professionalism in the face of disappointment the day before. Merrion's work was far from finished, however again with the ball they could only be described as extremely professional, three early wickets for Francis putting their foot in the door, whilst Sam Harbinson's burst in the middle saw him claiming 2/15, Max Sorensen rounding off a brilliant day for the away side taking 3/1, to bowl Leinster out for just 100, and secure 25 points that keep them at the top of the table.

Finally in Balbriggan, Malahide batted first and thanks to 76 from Jeremy Martins, as well as 73 from Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin at the top of the order, piled up a very strong total of 267/8 in their 50 overs. There were no other scores in excess of 20, however Balbriggan will have been extremely disappointed with conceding 42 extras in their bowling innings. Sebastian de Oliveira was the pick of the bowlers for the home side taking 3/47, whilst Kashif Ali also pitched in taking 2/28. Balbriggan's response was remarkably similar in make-up to the Malahide innings, as their opener Ghanim Dara top scored with 67, whilst there was 60 for skipper Chris de Freitas in the middle order, however with nobody else passing 15, it was an extremely stiff task, as three wickets apiece for Kelvin Donnelly, Jeremy Martins & Mohit Sane saw the away side running out 52 run winners, and claiming 22 points for their cause.