Clontarf completed a comfortable 87-run victory over Pembroke in the IBI Corporate Finance Leinster Senior Cup semi-final on the back of 83 from Conor Kelly and 3-12 from Ropu Islam.
The overnight and early morning rain put doubt over the fixture at all. However, good drying weather and exceptional work on the run-ups from Dale McDonough meant a 22 over match starting at 4.30pm was possible.
Conor Kelly has opened the batting for Clontarf in T20 cricket this season and he did so here in red ball cricket as well. Kelly outshone the big-hitting Bill Coghlan as the openers put on over a hundred in just 11 overs.
A run of 6-4-6-4 in the 9th over saw Kelly bring up his 50 off 30 balls as he combined power and finesse in equal measure.
An outstanding spell of bowling from Jack Balbirnie (4-0-22-4) pegged Clontarf back to 125/4 and could have swung the game Pembroke’s way.
Bobbo Forrest (48) had other ideas. A 52-run partnership in 5 overs with David Delany took Clontarf passed 200.
Both fell to successive balls in the final over, but Clontarf had made 205/7 off their 22 overs and set a formidable target for Pembroke to chase down.
The home side needed a fast start to build momentum in their chase, instead it was Clontarf who started quickly.
Delany and Joe Morrissey took wickets in their first overs, reducing Pembroke to 2/2.
A double wicket maiden from Ropu Islam put Clontarf firmly on track for a berth in the final. Andrew Balbirnie fell LBW, before Forrest took a stunning catch having initially moved the wrong way behind the stumps. Five overs bowled, and Pembroke were 22/4 chasing 206.
When three wickets fell for 2 runs around the 14th over, Pembroke’s race was run. Andrew Poynter took a very good diving catch to dismiss Diarmuid Tucker (18), then Sameer Dutt and Forrest combined for identical stumpings of Ridley and Gupta.
With Pembroke now 61/8, needing 145 off 8 overs, the sense of inevitability rose. Two questions kept the intrigue going to the end though.
Twenty overs needed to be bowled to constitute a match and for a number of overs dark clouds and drops of rain threatened a downpour.
The second question was could JJ Garth make his way to a maiden senior half-century?
Garth played some really nice shots, pulling boundaries into the leg side, going on the drive, even launching a big 6 towards his teammates at the pavilion.
With two balls remaining, Garth stood on 44 and on strike. Back to back boundaries, including a scoop over Forrest off the final delivery of the innings, ensured his 50 was made and he left the field unbeaten on 52.
A great personal milestone but little consolation for Pembroke as Clontarf restricted the home side to 118/9 off their 22 overs.
It added up to an 87-run victory for Clontarf and a place in next month’s IBI Leinster Senior Cup final. Their opponents will be known after the re-fixture between North County and Merrion is arranged and played. That match having been abandoned due to the weather early on Sunday morning.
IBI Corporate Finance Leinster Senior Cup Semi-Final
At Sydney Parade;
Clontarf 205/7 22 overs (C Kelly 83, R Forrest 48; J Balbirnie 4-22)
Pembroke 118/9 22 overs (JJ Garth 52*; R Islam 3-12, S Dutt 2-14)
Clontarf win by 87 runs