It hardly seems to matter whether we have a hard or a soft border - it is still difficult to get information about what is happening matches once Leinster teams travel north. The exception was the CIYMS v YMCA match where Live Scores were available throughout the day.
Lack of good information [more will no doubt trickle through over the next couple of days] means that the report on the days events is more about the outcomes than the proceedings.
Leinster teams had a mixed day, evidence of the greater challenge posed by Northern teams this year. D1 teams had a bad day with YMCA and Phoenix both exiting the competition. Perhaps fortunately the other two D1 sides with difficult away draws in the North West had their games abandoned. Pembroke and The Hills now have the chance to take on their NW opponents on home territory - greatly enhancing their chances.
The two D2 sides did better. The outstanding result of the day must surely be Balbriggan’s win over Lisburn by five wickets [details will have to follow] though it would appear [from the Cricket Europe website] to have involved more runs from Connor Fletcher. Merrion were the second team to take a scalp from among the Premier League teams in the NCU, though this was less of a surprise. Even after losing two early wickets - one in the first over and that John Anderson run out soon after - Merrion’s strong batting line-up assessed itself with a major partnership between Michael Lewis [90] and Jamie Brown [124]. Even when this partnership was finally broken the sight of the Joyce brothers [Dom and Ed] coming to the wicket did not offer much comfort for the visitors. In the end Merrion made 260/5 off 42 overs. Muckamore came out guns blazing and were 19 off two overs but were soon set back as Max Neville, bowling with considerable pace, accounted for the openers. The innings proceeded carefully, never falling too far behind the required run rate but equally never on top of the bowling. With the left arm spin of Tom Stanton and Brown working together wickets began to fall and despite a spirited innings from I Hussain [67] the total proved beyond Muckamore who were all out for 162 [reduced overs] and lost by 62 runs. Four wickets from Brown completed a very good day for him but three wickets from Neville and two from Stanton were also important.
The match between Coleraine and Waringstown was abandoned to the weather and Instonians defeated Brigade.
The two [D2] sides from Leinster in the National Cup with home draws accounted for their opponents in double quick time. Downpatrick were bowled out for 80 and Malahide won by seven wickets. Nearby Rush accounted for their opponents Killycooney for one less run and ended up winning by nine wickets. Terenure [v Limerick] had a very exciting game and finished off a very successful weekend by winning by means of a super over. Limerick batting first scored 197, with top score being extras [37]. Terenure were in considerable trouble at 67/6 but somehow managed to close on a over reduced total of 182, only to lose their final wicket on the last ball. Eight runs in the super over probably did not feel like enough - but in this case it was ample.
North Kildare were well beaten by County Kerry who made 214/4 and then bowled out NK for 132. The final game was abandoned to the weather and Knockharley now have home advantage in the re-fix against Newbuildings.
So the final state of play - two Leinster teams through to the Quarter Finals of the ISC and two still to play R2 matches. Three Leinster teams through to the QFs of the National Cup with one still to play.