Jack the King of the Balbirnie’s as Pembroke Defeat The Hills

A player of the match display from Jack Balbirnie, supported by the whole team was needed to hand The Hills their first defeat in Leinster cricket in 2019, as Pembroke won by 6-wickets on Saturday.

On an overcast, cloudy morning in Sydney Parade Fiachra Tucker had no hesitation inserting the visitors and opening bowlers Shaheen Khan (2-34) and Ryan Hopkins (1-21) rewarded him quickly having The Hills 13/2.

Mark Donegan (23) and opener Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (64) rebuilt before another rash of wickets fell as the spinners took control. Balbirnie bowling his ten overs on the bounce for 2-33 in tandem with Tucker who took 2-36 off his nine overs.

Amongst that was the run out of McLoughlin-Gavin which left The Hills 134/7 and in serious trouble.

Shaukat (20) and Ranolia (24*) added some valuable runs late on but 188/9 off 50 overs looked light at half-time.

When Theo Lawson (48) and Balbirnie had the home side 77/1 at the ten over mark, that seemed to be the case.

Lawson was in fine touch striking four fours and the same number of maximums in his 33-ball innings and deserved a half-century.

Instead it was to be Balbirnie who went to his 50 with five boundaries and a six of his own over square leg. Both swept with authority and targeted the short boundary towards the Pembroke wall when given the opportunity.

The Hills never stopped trying, a crucial element of their unbeaten streak this season, and Joey Carroll dismissed Balbirnie before Ranolia took a return catch to see the back of Dane Heverin (26)

Therefore, it was left to JJ Garth (22*) and Shaheen Khan (15*) to see Pembroke home with more than 13 overs remaining.

Khan showed all his class with three boundaries, one in particular an exquisite wristy cut through backward point. It was Garth however who struck the winning runs.

A smooth cover drive, his fourth boundary, took Pembroke to a 6-wicket win and consigned The Hills to that first domestic defeat of the season.

In Saturday’s other games, Merrion will move above The Hills at the top of the table after a heart-stopping 2-wicket victory over Rush at Anglesea Road.

Stephen Doheny’s virtuoso 129 and a very good unbeaten 59 from Jarred Barnes meant Rush posted 229/8 from their 50 overs. Ollie Newton continuing his good season with 3-34.

Rush had Merrion in serious trouble at 144/7 but John Anderson was busy being John Anderson. How often has he delivered a perfectly paced innings, and his 123 not out took Merrion to victory with three balls to spare.

The elder Tector brothers scored the runs as YMCA defeated Phoenix in the Park. Opener Jack struck exactly 100, while Harry celebrated his drafting onto the Dublin Chiefs T20 side with 63 as YM hit 264/6.

James Parkinson’s 4-34 meant half-centuries for Ben Beecroft (70) and Poonish Mehta (53) were in vain as the visitors won by 33 runs.

In the final match to finish, Malahide kept pace with Pembroke and the pressure on the top two with a 66-run victory over Leinster.

Damien Mortimer (77), Alan Reynolds (58) and Matt Ford (56) all went to half-centuries as the home side racked up an imposing 286/8 off their 50 overs.

George Dockrell top scored with 64 for Leinster but both Kelvin Donnelly and James Newland took 3-45 as they were restricted to 220/8 off their allocation.

In the Championship, Clontarf had their fifth win from six with a 92-run victory over Cork County at Castle Avenue.

Robert Forrest (93) and Andrew Delany (70) were the main architects of their 257 all out. Cork never really got into the chase and Sameer Dutt (3-25) had the best bowling figures as the wickets were shared.

Second placed North County had a comprehensive 120-run win over Terenure as Jamie Grassi (110) scored a wonderful century and Yassar Cook took 5-38 with the ball.

In the final match, Railway Union’s Kenny Carroll (108) rolled back the years with another century as they chased Balbriggan’s 264/5 for the loss of five wickets.

Carroll fell just before the end but Prabanshu Kamal saw them home with an unbeaten 65.

LHW Financial Planning Cricket Leinster Premier League

Pembroke v The Hills, Saturday July 20^th, Sydney Parade

The Hills 188/9 (C McLoughlin-Gavin 64, M Donegan 23; J Balbirnie 2-33, S Khan 2-34, F Tucker 2-36)

Pembroke 190/4 36.5 overs (J Balbirnie 51, T Lawson 48; G Lamb 9-0-27-1)

Pembroke win by 6 wickets