Two LCU teams have made it through to the Irish Senior Cup Semi-Finals. From the Quarter Finals, there was one guaranteed place from the Leinster v Merrion. Only Clontarf made it through from the remaining three North v South encounters. As it turned out all four games proved to be somewhat one-sided encounters with two 100 run plus margins and comfortable chases leading to six and seven wickets victories in the others.
With five bowlers picking up wickets Clontarf never let CSNI settle in Castle Avenue and the visitors were never to really recover from being six down for 68. They fought hard to add another 100 runs but a total of 164 was never going to be enough. Clontarf duly knocked off the runs with Bill Coghlan leading the way for the second time in the weekend, together with a quick-fire 50 form Andrew Poynter. The pick of the Clontarf bowlers were Sameer Dutt [3/31] and Shariful Islam [3/39].
None of the Pembroke bowlers was spared by Waringstown as Sydney Parade saw perhaps the most powerful batting side in the country hit 15 sixes and 29 boundaries in amassing 358/2 in their 50 overs. An undefeated 175 at better than a run a ball from James Hall provided the backbone but there was a second century Adam Dennison and a 64 from Shaheen Khan in double quick time. There was really no coming back from this and although Lorcan Tucker [70] got his second half-century of the weekend Pembroke were never really in the hunt.
Merrion also put together a big score in Rathmines where John Anderson [140] led the way with another century in a score of 335/8. Leinster had moments and as long as George Dockrell [74] was at the crease had an outside chance of reaching the target. But once he fell there was not enough left in the tank. Wickets were well spread among the Merrion bowlers.
In the final game Phoenix’s terrible weekend was brought to an end. Once again it was their batting that failed to deliver and with their top order reduced to 77/5 they were on the back foot from early on. From this position getting to 180 was a good effort with Fletcher Coutts [77] holding the tail together. But despite losing a few wickets early on Strabane were not unduly troubled and ended up victors by six wickets.
So the semi-final make see one team each from the two Norther Unions and two from Leinster. It is a very strong line-up with no real surprises - Strabane and Waringstown are currently second in their respective Premier Leagues and Leinster is represented by the two two teams in the current local table. So no easy matches in the SF and all four teams will be looking for a home draw.