Literally, from the first ball to the last, the final of the Leinster Senior 50 Overs League - sponsored by Lewis Traub - at Castle Avenue on Saturday was a rivetting affair.
Joey Morrissey removed Luke Jackson with the opening delivery of the day; almost seven hours later, Robbie Stanton drove the final ball of the last over through the covers for the two runs which won the match for Merrion.
That final over from Brian O'Rourke, who bowled splendidly for his four for 32 off 10, was nerve-racking for the rival supporters.
Merrion needed 10 runs to pass Pembroke's total of 135 to win; Stanton and Angus Fleming, who had come together with the score of 120 for eight with 16 runs needed off the last three overs, were up to it and Stanton drove the second last ball for four through mid-off and then resolutely hit the required two off the last delivery of the 50th over.
Such drama had seemed unlikely when Pembroke were skittled for 135, with the only runscorers of significance being Peter Davy with 38 (63 balls, six fours) and twin brother John who contributed 27 (64 balls, one four). Morrissey bowled excellently to finish with three for 35 off 13 overs, and Richard Dowse and Damien Poder, with an economical brace of wickets apiece, also turned in fine performances.
Merrion's initial riposte to such a modest total was probably too tentative, and after three wickets were lost for only 44 runs, the 42 run stand for the fifth between brothers Dom and Damian Joyce was crucial. Dom top-scored with 51 (120 balls, seven fours) and was justly made man of the match by national coach Mike Hendrick; but it took the nerve and experience of the long-serving Stanton to carry the day in an absorbing confrontation.
Undefeated Leinster pulled off their third successive victory in this season's competition to win the Interprovincial Championship with an emphatic 98-run clobbering of Munster at The Mardyke yesterday. Overnight rain delayed the start by over three hours, and the match was reduced to 32 overs each.
Ted Williamson won the toss for Munster and put Leinster into bat; Ed Joyce and the ebullient Mark Jones put on 77 for the first wicket, before Jones was bowled by John Power in the 13th over. Joyce (58 balls, three fours) top scored with 51, Paul Mooney smashed two sixes for 43 off 26 deliveries, Barry Archer's 39 came off 38 balls, while Peter Davy hit 25 off 22 deliveries.
Munster's innings started disastrously with Jamie Carnegie and Mark Barriscale both departing in the first over from John Davy, with only 6 runs on the board. Thereafter, things went from worse to truly horrendous; the fourth and fifth wickets both fell on 37 in the seventh and eight overs.
