DUBLIN UNIVERSITY LEAP TO THE TOP - U23 DISTRICT CUP!

It was a beautiful day in College Park for the first T20 double header in the U23 District Cup. Trinity took on South Leinster at 1:30 who were then replaced by North Leinster for the 5pm fixture.

Trinity won the toss in the early game and elected to bowl first on something of a tacky wicket after plenty of weekend rain. Ethan Clarke led the charge for South Leinster, top scoring with 48 he was supported by Arshad Safi and Daniel Forkin in an innings that lost wickets too frequently to put Trinity under any real pressure in a disciplined bowling display. They eventually finished on 116 all out.

With the ball South Leinster started strongly, removing Cosgrave and Vincent early. That brought together Jamie Forbes and Andrew Boulton, who proved the mainstay of an assured chase from the students. Forbes was eventually removed for 20 while Boulton finished on 63* ensuring his side ran out comfortable winners with 9 balls to spare.

In the second game North Leinster won the toss and for the second time in the day the side doing so saw fit to bowl first. It looked like an inspired decision as the reduced Trinity to 35/3 after the powerplay. However Vincent stook around and with support from the Swaroop and the tail dragged his team up to 122, the Trinity skipper eventually finishing with 40. Sebastian De Oliveira was the pick of the bowlers with 4/11 from his 4 overs.

North Leinster’s chase never really got going as they were reduced to 34/4 after 8 overs of their reply. Atkinson dealing the damage with 3 big wickets. North Leinster mounted something of a comeback through Langan and Martins as they added 30 for the 5^th wicket. However another flurry of wickets sunk their hopes as they limped to 99/9 off their 20 overs.

With just one game remaining for them, Dublin University top the table, and only ‘winning out’ for North Leinster would see them be able to haul in The Students and snatch the title from their grasp!