YMCA ran out comfortable winners of their Irish Senior Cup joust with North County on Sunday, the Claremont Road side with seven wickets to spare over their Leinster neighbours. The hosts won the toss and decided to bowl first and it looked a good decision after Simranjit Singh removed Sheil and Coughlan early on. Conor Armstrong and Ciaran Garry fought back with a stand of 59 before Albert van der Merwe dismissed his opposite number Garry for 21.

Armstrong was proving a bit more troublesome however and with Eddie Richardson (30) took the score to 125 before becoming the first of Yaqoob Ali's five victims. The County opener made 64 (8 fours and a six) but after he went the resistance was only bit part although the 33 extras conceded by the home side's attack certainly helped. Ali claimed the bowling honours with 5-39 backed up by Singh with 3 for 20.

YM's reply was emphatic despite losing Strydom and Tector fairly early, Albert van der Merwe with an excellent unbeaten 83 (11 fours) providing the platform. Singh showed his all-round prowess with 68 (8 fours and a six) before Alan Lewis provided the finishing touch with an entertaining 54 not out (5 fours and 3 sixes). A big win this for van der Merwe's men as they moved menacingly into the last four.

Merrion are also into the hat for the semi finals after they travelled north to The Lawn and came away with a 67-run win. The visitors batted first and were indebted to Brett Thompson for giving their innings some impetus as the hosts' bowlers kept the pressure on. The South African made a very valuable 63 while Kade Beasley's 39 was no less important as wickets tumbled. Kyle McCallan (3-36), Obus Pienaar (2-29) and Gary Kidd (2-32) were all on target for Waringstown- the southerners finally all out for 206 in the last over.

The game was in the balance at that point but the home team's top order struggled early in the reply as the bowlers again got on top. The big guns came and went leaving Jonathan Bushe swimming against the tide as David Watkins (3-13), Stuart McDonald (2-7) and John Anderson (2-33) kept their side in the driving seat. Bushe's innings finally ended on 70 but with the rest managing less than that between them the game was long since up; Merrion winning by 67 runs to book their last four berth.

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