Given the record of Northern Cricket Union sides in the Irish Senior Cup over the last number of years for Lisburn to be in the quarterfinals was pretty much uncharted waters.
Certainly at the start of the season if you had suggested that Lisburn would have been sitting top of the Premier League, in the semi-finals of the TCH Challenge Cup and today playing for a place in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup, the men in the white coats would not have been far away!
Under the captaincy of Greg Thompson, with professional Gerry Strydom at the top of the order and new signings in the shape of Ryan and Craig Ervine and Hennie van der Merwe the club has made significant strides.
Leinster and their supporters cannot have been encouraged by the rain on the way up from Dublin and were amazed to find Lisburn had survived virtually unscathed.
Anton Scholtz won the toss and had no hesitation and inviting the home side to bat. As always with Lisburn Strydom was the key wicket, as you can guarantee that if he stays at the wicket for any length of time runs will flow.
Carlos Braithwaite Leinster’s West Indian professional caught the eye with his ability to vary his pace and he made the first breakthrough, finding the edge of Ryan Ervine’s bat and wicketkeeper Paul Reynolds took the first of his three catches. Reynolds impressed all afternoon with an extremely efficient display behind the stumps.
MoM Leinster's Carlos Braithwaite. Photo courtesy of John Boomer
In the next over Will Lennon clean bowled a strangely subdued Strydom for 9 off 17 deliveries. Lisburn were 16 for 2, Leinster were in the ascendancy and never really lost it from that point forward.
Some 30 minutes were lost to rain and Lisburn rebuilt somewhat painfully through Richard Simpson and Craig Ervine. Simpson hung around for almost an hour, faced 45 balls but only contributed 11 in a partnership of 55 with Ervine.
Ervine was batting fluently reaching 50 off 68 balls with 6 fours and a six, but the pivotal moment in terms of Lisburn being able to post a substantial total came the ball immediately after he had brought up his half century. The batsman inexplicably swung at George Dockrell and Robert Miley took the catch.
Slow bowlers Dockrell and Scholtz were now exerting the pressure and David Simpson was next to go getting a leading edge to Scholtz and Braithwaite took the catch diving forward in the gully.
Captain Greg Thompson was just looking to assert some authority when he tried to loft Dockrell and again it was Braithwaite this time in the deep, 111 for 6, Nelson strikes again.
Hennie van der Merwe was disgusted with himself as he aimed an ugly heave at Craig Mallon and was clean bowled for 18 from 25 deliveries.
With 10 overs to go it Scholtz turned to Braithwaite for his second spell. Jonny Bell had been batting well, striking 3 boundaries in his 20 from 23 balls but Braithwaite trapped him in front and the umpire had no hesitation in pulling the trigger.
The next delivery was the champagne moment of the day but not for Gary Crowe. Carlos Braithwaite steamed in, the first the Lisburn number 10 knew about the delivery was when he heard the death rattle behind him, it looked pretty rapid and that conclusion was from side on.
With light rain falling the umpires took the players off, but by the time the covers were on it was over and the match was now down to 49 overs per side. Rob Miley returned to bowl McConkey and Leinster were left facing an adjusted score of 160 to win.
At tea we had a bit of a pantomime performance as the umpires insisted in putting on the covers, which meant the ground staff could not remark the wicket so the second innings start was delayed.
Mark Jones and Craig Mallon opened and Mallon never really got going, with the score on 12 he was bowled by Ryan Ervine for 1.
On a wicket offering plenty of assistance this match was always going to be decided by the slow bowlers and Thompson brought on Van der Merwe and himself. Thompson had immediate success as in his first over Jones tried to hit him over midwicket and Van der Merwe took the catch much to Jones’ disgust.
Carlos Braithwaite was joined in the middle by his captain Scholtz and the pair added 60 for the third wicket. Scholtz was happy to play the supporting role and Braithwaite was growing in confidence by the delivery, in the 18th over he lofted Thompson for his first six. The second was a monumental blow well out of the ground.
Scholtz was out to a superb catch by Thompson at mid on off the bowling of van der Merwe. George Dockrell may be in the Ireland Under 19 squad but he showed he still has a lot to learn as he hit the ball to Thompson, who had fielded superbly all afternoon and set off for a single, rightly Braithwaite was not interested, the ball was already in keeper Darren McCann’s gloves before Dockrell had even reached half way, no need for the third umpire here.
As David Lucas joined Braithwaite , there was a sense that the match was drifting to its inevitable conclusion, by now Craig Irvine was bowling his off breaks and he tempted Braithwaite into one hit too many; again Thompson taking an excellent catch.
Braithwaite trudged off disconsolate but was given a warm ovation by supporters from both clubs for his knock of 65 off 82 balls with 3 fours to sit alongside his 2 maximums. Van der Merwe than took another superb catch to remove Lucas and when Will Lennon took on Gary Crowe’s arm from the long on boundary and lost, Leinster were 146 for 7 and a few nails were being bitten.
Despite a few alarms Patterson and Miley added the 14 required for victory.
Leinster may not be the most fashionable of the southern sides but having already beaten Pembroke this year and with North West teams not renowned for their staying powers on the road, I believe that given a home draw in the semi-finals they will fancy their chances of being around on 4th September.
Copyright: Cover Point
