HOLDERS THE HILLS KNOCKED OUT OF IRISH SENIOR CUP

IHolders The Hills bowed out of this year's Irish Senior Cup following a seven wicket loss at Malahide. Mike Baumgart top scored with 66 as The Hills posted a modest 185 for 9, sharing a sixth wicket stand of 75 with Nazeer Shaukat (32).Former Irish internationals Fintan McAllister (50*) and Reinhardt Strydom (46) guided Malahide to a comprehensive win.

North County were the biggest winners of the day with an emphatic 287 run win against Bready. Centuries from West Indian Test player Brenton Parchment (171*) and Eddie Richardson (120*) saw them add an unbroken 251 for the 4th wicket, as the five times winners posted an imposing 358 for 3. Richardson then took 6 for 34 as the County Tyrone side were skittled for just 71.

Pembroke's Ireland Under 19 international Fiachra Tucker's unbeaten 45 guided the Sydney Parade side to a five wicket win against Ardmore. Ryan Hopkins took 3 for 19 as Ardmore were dismissed for just 119 - Andrew Riddles top scoring with 35. Two wickets apiece from Gary Neely and Lee Brolly saw Pembroke wobbling at 68 for 5, but Tucker and Jack Balbirnie (32*) added an unbroken 52 to seal the win.

Clontarf are through thanks to a seventh wicket stand of 119 between Conor Kelly (79*) and Alex Cusack (39*), after they had been reduced to 120 for 6 chasing Strabane's total of 235 for 9. Peter Gillespie top scored with 57 in a solid batting display for the NW side, with Cusack (4-38) the most successful of the Castle Avenue attack. Stephen Moreton followed up his 3 for 43 with a solid 35, before left-armer Aaron McDermott took 3 for 29 to leave Clontarf in trouble. Kelly struck 9 boundaries in his match winning unbeaten 79 which came from just 75 deliveries.

Merrion came out on top in the all Leinster clash against YMCA at Claremont Road. Robin Smith hit 13 fours and 3 sixes in his 114 as the Angelsea Road side piled up an imposing 345 for 8. John Anderson hit 59 and professional David Rhoda made 45 as he and Smith shared a second wicket stand of 106. Tom Fisher (81) and Simmi Singh (47) led a spirited YM reply and at 170 for 2, the game was in the balance. Rhoda though ensured a comfortable win as he took 4 for 43 as the last eight wickets fell for 74.

Joe Carroll scored a magnificent unbeaten 106 to steer Leinster to a last over three wicket win against Muckamore at Rathmines. With 15 needed off the last over, Carroll struck two sixes and a three to seal a dramatic win. Carroll shared a 5th wicket partnership of 130 with JP O'Dwyer (70) after Leinster had been reduced to 52 for 4 chasing the NCU side's 253. The Muckamore innings saw half centuries from professional Avadhoot Dandekar, Sam Gordon and Ryan Haire.

An opening stand of 162 between Wayne Horwood and skipper Andrew Cowden ensured CSNI won the all NCU clash against Lisburn at Wallace Park in a game reduced to 40 overs. Horwood hit 6 sixes and 5 fours in a typically belligerent 85 from 86 balls, while Cowden was content to play second fiddle as he made 48 from 97 balls (3 fours). The Stormont side wobbled slightly losing three wickets for one run, but professional Mansoor Amjad settled the nerves with six fours in an unbeaten 35 to seal the seven wicket win. South African Darryl Brown's 65 had helped Lisburn post 207 for 5, with Ben Adair's prolific wicket taking form continuing as he took three wickets.

James Hall made his third century of the season as Waringstown ousted County Galway at The Lawn. The former Irish international hit 125 as Waringstown made 358 for 5, sharing a second wicket stand of 114 with Kyle McCallan (47). Ben Speake hit 59 in a spirited Galway response, but McCallan's 3 for 26 saw them dismissed for 244.

In the National Cup there were wins for Laois, Drummond, Ballaghaderreen, Rush, Derriaghy, Dundrum, and Greystones on the field, while Newbuildings had a walkover against County Clare.


IRISH SENIOR CUP SCOREBOARD


North County beat Bready by 287 runs.
North County 358-3 (48.0 overs, B Parchment 171*, E Richardson 120*, T Sheil 28)
Bready 71 (16.0 overs, E Richardson 6-34, C Sheil 2-10)

Pembroke beat Ardmore by 5 wickets.
Ardmore 119 (34.4 overs, A Riddles 35, R Hopkins 3-19, J Cook 2-14, D Murphy 2-15)
Pembroke 120-5 (38.3 overs, F Tucker 45*, J Balbirnie 32*, G Neely 2-18, L Brolly 2-26)

Clontarf beat Strabane by 4 wickets.
Strabane 235-9 (50.0 overs, P Gillespie 57, B Scott 31, K Gallagher 30, A Cusack 4-38, S Moreton 3-43)
Clontarf 239-6 (47.5 overs, C Kelly 79*, A Cusack 39*, S Moreton 35, A McDermott 3-29)

Malahide beat The Hills by 7 wickets.
The Hills 185-9 (48.0 overs, M Baumgart 66, Naz Shaukat 32, C Riches 3-49, A Morris 2-15, W Kindley 2-50)
Malahide 187-3 (40.3 overs, F McAllister 50*, R Strydom 46, A Reynolds 33)

Merrion beat YMCA by 101 runs.
Merrion 345-8 (50.0 overs, R Smith 114, J Anderson 59, D Rhoda 45, P Flanagan 3-62, S Singh 2-54, Y Ali 2-67)
YMCA 244 (43.3 overs, T Fisher 81, S Singh 47, A van der Merwe 27, D Rhoda 4-43, D Watkins 3-50)

Waringstown beat County Galway by 114 runs.
Waringstown 358-5 (49.0 overs, J Hall 125, K McCallan 47, R Pretorius 41, M Gavlav 2-67)
County Galway 243 (46.2 overs, B Speake 59, M Ali 27, K McCallan 3-26)
DLS Method: par score 357 in 49 overs.

Leinster beat Muckamore by 3 wickets.
Muckamore 253 (50.0 overs, A Dandekar 64, S Gordon 59, R Haire 58, J Carroll 3-43, B Azhar 3-60, R Miley 2-36)
Leinster 254-4 (49.4 overs, J Caroll 106*, JP O'Dwyer 70, N Gill 3-43, A Dandekar 2-44)

Lisburn lost to CSNI by 7 wickets..
Lisburn 207-5 (40.0 overs, D Brown 65, G Halliday 41, D + R Simpson 37, B Adair 3-51)

CSNI 210-3 (37.4 overs, W Horwood 85, A Cowden 38, M Amjad 35*)