Friday June 4, 2010

It was a beautiful afternoon in Rush, as I joined umpires Jim McGeehan and John Andrews to watch the Kenure pitch be cut, rolled and marked for the continuation of the Rush v Pembroke LHW Senior Cup match, in which Rush needed 98 more in 18 overs.

The resumption had been delayed until Thursday to allow a couple of the Pembroke players to finish their exams and to 6:30 p.m. to allow the 'Broke's (very few) high fliers make their way from the Financial Services Centre to the Fingal coast.

Barry McCarthy was lively from the town end, and Allan Eastwood even more lively from the Loughshinny end. Eastwood's half volley was drilled by Shahid straight to Rohit Bahl, who clung on. That was the bit of luck they needed: two yards either side and it was four runs.

Shahid had added a single to his overnight 107 and had put on 163 with Tipu Gull to take Rush to 267-4 in pursuit of Pembroke's 360. He was replaced by Patrick Sheridan, who looked comfortable as Gull picked off a series of boundaries to take the score past 300.

By this time Eastwood had bowled out (3/84), McCarthy had been relieved by Bill Whaley, and Steven Moreton tried his leggies from Eastwood's end. The left-handed Sheridan appeared to leave a standard leg break and was bowled for 8 with the score on 302.

Lionel Jansen swept Moreton for 4 and then nicked one through to Graeme McCoy – 306-6. Alan Butterly showed his knowledge of the Kenure ground as he nudged and nurdled, and Tipu continued through the 80s.

Then he pulled a half-tracker from Whaley to the longest boundary on the ground. I was sitting by the old scoreboard, and saw the ball disappear behind the pavilion for what I presumed would be six runs.

I knew Barry McCarthy was in that corner, but I was very surprised when a cheer signalled the catch, a very good one, I'm told. The sea breeze must have held the ball up. Gull made 88, and the Russians were going to struggle to win it from 320-7.

Niall Mullen hoisted Moreton straight for a huge six, but later in the over padded up to another plain leg break and was given out lbw – as I've told you, I was in the corner and can only say it wasn't going over the top.

If Shahid Iqbal is a very poor runner between the wickets, his namesake Amir is five times worse. Twice he should have been run out as he dithered on clear calls from Butterly. 361 wasn't going to be achieved, Wilfred Rhodes-like, in singles, so Buttsy had to look for boundaries.

Bill Whaley obliged with a shin-high full toss, which was whacked straight to Bahl. “No ball” were the hopeful cries from in front of the bar, but John Andrews knows where his waist is (there's enough of it!), and the Russians now needed a miracle.

Amir tried to run himself out again, failed, and was bowled next ball by Whaley for 6, leaving Nick Donnelly not out on 7. A score of 345 will win you virtually all 60-over matches, even in Rush, but it was 15 short.

Moreton finished with 3/53 and Whaley 4/39. Pembroke bowled only 10 wides against the Russians' 33. As on Sunday in Milverton, it could be said that a match was lost courtesy of wides conceded. But both losing sides know they did all the hard work and then blew it.

The 'Broke are now drawn at home to meet North County, but with the problems with their square, they're probably going to have to move the match to Inch. However, they won there last season in the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup, so why not again?

I'm going to miss the next two weekends as my wife and I make our annual anabasis to a part of the UK we don't know very well – this year we start at Ludlow and make our way south through the Marches. So you're spared my forecasts, tweets and reports.

But, like Fu Manchu, I shall return …

Cheers,

Stu.