DUNDALK SECURE GS JUNIOR CUP WITH SENSATIONAL RUN CHASE!

An unbelievable display of hitting this afternoon saw Dundalk claiming the GS Cricket Junior Cup this afternoon, as they took just 11.2 overs to chase down Swords 137, with the runners up again suffering heartbreak in the final this season.

Having won the toss, Dundalk elected to bowl first, and at the halfway stage the decision looked vindicated, as they had kept Swords to just a run a ball for much of the innings.

They hadn’t reckoned however on the onslaught from Nikhil Panikar, who’s 40 off just 16 deliveries included 5 maximums and guided his side to 137/6 in their 15 overs.

Swords then started like a house on fire with the ball, reducing Dundalk to just 5/3 inside the first 2 overs, before the fightback began. Firstly through a stand between the skipper Syed Ibnan and Sanju Thomas, who added 48 in just 5 overs before the latter was carelessly run out for 24.

This however only brought Emran Popalzi to the crease, and he decided that fireworks were the order of the day. He and the captain added the next 85 runs in just 27 deliveries, as Ibnan finished unbeaten on 59 from just 26 balls, a knock featuring 3 boundaries and 6 maximums, whilst Popalzi made that look sedate, as his unbeaten 42 took just 16 balls, finding the boundary five times and clearing it three more.

That stand saw the target reached in just 11.3 overs - a brilliant chase which sent the champions into delirium.

Congratulations to Dundalk on being crowned the GS Cricket Junior Cup winners for 2026. Well done to all players, coaches, officials and supporters associated with the team on this brilliant achievement!