NORTH LEINSTER - U23 DISTRICT CUP CHAMPIONS 2025!

It was a fantastic finale to the U23 District Cup this afternoon in Oak Hill, as the competition was rounded out with a close fought game between North Leinster and Dublin University, a game that was refixed from last month's clash with the Irish Universities tour.

As it happens this clash and refix proved to be something of a blessing, as results in recent weeks saw a situation where this tie ended up being a winner-take-all fixture, adding more tension to the occasion!

David Vincent won the toss for Dublin University, and the Students elected to have a bat first, on a pitch which had seen plenty of runs scored in the two-day fixture between the Lightning Bolts and Emerging Warriors earlier in the week.

It was a tough start for the College Park outfit however, as they lost early wickets to be 33/3, before a solid stand between Jamie Forbes and Seb Dijkstra took the score close to 100.

Cillian McDonnell then entered the attack for North Leinster, making an immediate impact in taking two wickets in his first over. This brought Yash Bala to the crease to join Forbes, who had progressed sedately in tricky situations so far.

The pair added the biggest stand of the day, with 67 runs added for the 6th wicket, before McDonnell claimed his second instance of two wickets in three balls to dismiss both. Forbes the particular stand-out with the bat making 69 of his side's eventual total of 183 all out. North Leinster skipper McDonnell was the pick of the bowlers for his side, taking 5/49.

The response began quietly, much like the first innings, as a 49 run stand saw Hassan Shahid and Karthik Subbiah get their side to 52 before losing their second wicket.

All looked under control when Subbiah and Jeremy Martins were moving the game along tidily, however again the 90s struck, and North Leinster took their turn to lose not two, but three wickets as they neared 100, falling from 93/3 to 97/6 in just 6 balls.

The North County duo of Brian Dunphy and Brandon Morris then went about their business, adding 44 for the seventh wicket, before Dunphy holed out to deep mid-wicket for 24.

The tension and nerves hit majorly high levels near the end, when Cillian McDonnell was adjudged LBW with the score on 163, bringing number 11 Killian McGrane to the crease to join Morris, who battled on excellently.

The pair added an unbeaten 23 for the final wicket, securing the victory for North Leinster, and seeing them crowned District Cup Champions for 2025.

The post match was conducted by CL President Meena Baskarasubramaniam, and Ger Siggins, who presented the trophy to winning captain Cillian McDonnell.