Sam Murphy after his undefeated 50.
Simi Singh with 81 and 54 not out from Sam Murphy led YM to a 90-run victory over Rush in a rain affected first round match in the IBI Corporate Finance Leinster Senior Cup.
Initially a 40 over tie, YM were 49/2 when the rain intervened after 8 overs. It initially looked like that would be it for the day, but Dale McDonough’s crew worked their magic.
On the resumption Harry Tector and Simi Singh in particular, were determined to up the run rate in what was now a 31-over aside match. They put on 88 for the 3rd wicket before Doheny bowled Tector.
Singh, continuing on from his league 109 yesterday, smashed 81 off 66 balls before McGuire was rewarded for his bowling performance trapping him LBW.
Wicket-keeper batsman Sam Murphy had stepped into Singh’s shoes, displaying a powerful array of shots and continued to push the YM run rate along passed seven an over.
Murphy went on to finish his innings unbeaten on 54 off 42 deliveries. He was ably supported by Bobby Gamble who finished on 24 not out as YM struck 239/5 off their 31 overs.
Rush needed to get off to a quick start if they were to have any chance of chasing the revised Duckworth Lewis target of 234, 7 and a half runs an over. Jarred Barnes had other ideas however. Doheny and Gull were dismissed in the first over, both caught behind by Murphy, the second a great take down leg.
Jeremy Bray clipped a lovely boundary off his legs to start his innings but when he picked out Harry Tector at backward point in the 4th over, Rush were 10/3 and in serious trouble.
Sam Streek bowled Conor Mullen before Neil Rock cut another Streek delivery to the safe hands of Barnes at 3rd man. Rush were now 51/5.
Viswanath and Ramnathpur fell in quick succession and Rush at 76/7 were staring down the barrel.
What followed was a spirited counter-attack as Alex Neary (23) and Shahid Iqbal (34*) put on 53 for the eighth wicket. This was the highest partnership of the innings and included a great six and a square pull for 4 from Neary off Barnes.
Barnes had his revenge and his 3rd wicket (3-21) when he bowled Neary in the final over.
At the end of their 31 overs Rush had made 143/8 which meant a 90-run defeat and it is YMCA who go through to the next round of the IBI Corporate Finance Leinster Senior Cup.
IBI Corporate Finance Leinster Senior Cup
At Claremont Road:
YMCA 239/5 (Singh 81, Murphy 54*; Neary 1-25)
Revised Target: 234
Rush 143/8 (Iqbal 34*, Viswanath 31; Barnes 3-21, Streek 3-22)
YMCA win by 90 runs (DLS)