PERFECT PRENDERGAST POWERS PEMBROKE HOME - SPRINT COATINGS DIVISION ONE ROUND UP - MATCH DAY 4!
This evening's Sprint Coatings Division One action saw the fixture between Malahide and Balbriggan falling foul of the adverse weather conditions, with the remaining cricket taking place in The Vineyard, Anglesea Road and Observatory Lane.
Starting off with our featured action, the home side won the toss and Celeste Raack had no hesitation in batting first, as noted in yesterday's preview the team that bats first has a disproportionately good record in the fixture between the two sides.
Raack was joined in the middle by Leah Paul, and the pair put together a fine partnership of 77 in the first 8 overs. Paul brought up her 50 off the second ball of the 8th, before Raack was bowled by Sarah Forbes for the first of the two wickets that fell in the innings.
Rebecca Stokell joined Paul with the pair picking up on the good foundation, adding 80 more from the next 51 balls, before the returning Orla Prendergast knocked Paul over, bowled around her legs attempting to work the ball into the legside for an excellent 87 from just 54 balls, featuring 14 boundaries.
Paul's dismissal saw Stokell opening her shoulders, as she dominated an unbroken stand of 35 for the 3rd wicket with Annabel Squires, passing her half century and eventually finishing unbeaten on 64 from just 42 balls, including 8 boundaries and a maximum. This late effort guided the score to 192/2 after 20 overs, which skipper Raack later admitted to being "slightly below par"
Pembroke's chase got off to a sedate start, Prendergast and Sarah Forbes moving the score along at a run a ball for the first four overs. It was at that point however when Prendergast decided that she was in, and began a charge at the bowling attack. 98 runs came off the next 7 overs, as Prendergast brought up her half-century in just 30 balls, before quickly moving along to 70 within her next five deliveries.
Sarah Forbes then brought up her own half-century from 43 balls, bringing the score along to 139/0 with 6 overs remaining. Pembroke still needing 9 an over at this stage, however they remained ahead of the game whilst Forbes and Prendergast batted on. Forbes fell for 54 with the score on 155 caught by Raack off an Aoife Brennan full toss.
LouLou Little joined Prendergast at the crease, with the opener continuing to find the boundaries at will. Bringing up her century off 50 balls, and eventually guiding the side home with an unbeaten 111 from just 56 balls, including 15 boundaries and two maximums, Pembroke running out a 9 wicket victory with 5 balls to spare.
Meanwhile in The Hills, the home side batted first and made 97/9 from their 20 overs, before Phoenix chased the total down for the loss of just one wicket.
Finally in Observatory Lane, Leinster batted first and made 123/6 thanks mainly to a run a ball 63 from Sophie MacMahon, as Laura Delany was the only other batter to pass 9 in the face of a decent all-round bowling effort from Clontarf.
The second innings saw Clontarf set off in pursuit of 124, and they got off to a decent start thanks to 24 from Christina Coulter-Reilly, however rain in the 9th over saw four overs lost and the target reduced to just 105 from 16 overs. An unbroken stand of 40 between Robyn Searle and Lucy Barry, who made 43 and 19 respectively, guiding the side to a 6 wicket victory in the 14th over of the chase.
