Photo Credit: Sportsfile
After a day of hugely exciting drama the finalists of both the Arachas Irish Senior Cup and Arachas National Cups are now known. Waringstown will meet Leinster In the Arachas Irish Senior Cup Final, while Derriaghy will take on Cliftonville Academy in the Arachas National Cup Final. Both finals will take place at The Lawn in Waringstown Cricket Club on the Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 of August.
ARACHAS IRISH SENIOR CUP
Half-centuries from Adam Dennison, Patrick Both – 63 off just 38 balls – and Graham Hume saw Waringstown post 248 all out in a thrilling rain-affected semi-final at The Lawn against 2019 winners Pembroke.
In reply – and having been set a revised target of 207 to win off 39 overs – Pembroke’s openers Diarmaid Tucker (42) and JJ Garth (45) both got starts. However, excellent bowling by Greg Thompson, James Cameron-Dow and Graeme Hume stalled their progress.
Fiachra Tucker (29) and Theo Lawson (35) kept Pembroke in the game late on, but they eventually finished seven runs short.
Piyush Sharma, Gavin Hoey and Nick Stapleton each took three wickets for Waringstown, Sharma the best of them with 3-21.
In the second semi-final, an unbeaten century from Leinster’s Saqid Bahadur – 107* off 98 balls, including 11 boundaries – along with 61 from Michael Hogan saw them post a competitive total of 284-7 against The Hills at Observatory Lane. Jonathan Tall with 3-59 for The Hills.
The Hills response never really got going, with a 40-run partnership between Bakesh Lakhotia and Mark Donegan the best they could muster in a tally of 183. Lakhotia (39) and Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (37) top scoring for The Hills.
See the scorecards Waringstown v Pembroke and Leinster v The Hills.
ARACHAS NATIONAL CUP
There will be an all-NCU clash in the final of the Arachas National Cup as Derriaghy will face off against Cliftonville Academy.
Derriaghy won a thrilling encounter in Queensway as they shocked favourites Rush in a low-scoring encounter. Having posted a relatively modest total of 119 all out, their bowlers stepped up to the plate. Curtis Moorhead, Craig Lewis, and Patrick Kruger were to the fore as they dominated the normally devastating Rush batting line-up, as they limited them to just 104. Andrew Doheny of Rush top scored with 30.
In the other semi-final, Jared Wilson inspired Cliftonville Academy to a three-wicket victory over Muckamore at Moylena. He scored an unbeaten 67* in their chase of 127, having earlier taken 3-11 as they limited their opponents to 126-9, with a 41-run partnership between Ben Calitz and Luke Allen the best of the day.
See the scorecards: Muckamore v Cliftonville Academy and Derriaghy v Rush.
FIXTURES
Arachas Irish Senior Cup Final
Waringstown v Leinster: The Lawn, Waringstown (Saturday 12 August)
Arachas National Cup Final
Derriaghy v Cliftonville Academy: The Lawn, Waringstown (Sunday 13 August)
Name of Author: Cricket Ireland
Cricket Ireland, officially known as The Irish Cricket Union Company Limited by Guarantee, is the governing body for cricket on the island of Ireland. It oversees the national men’s and women’s teams and organizes the Inter-Provincial Series, Super 3s, and All-Ireland club competitions. Ireland achieved Test status for women in 2000 and for men in 2017 when it became a Full Member of the ICC.