Sixteen-year-old Barry McCarthy was the toast of Pembroke this evening as the Sandymount club dented Merrion’s title ambitions earlier today.
Merrion, having defeated Pembroke at Anglesea Road on Friday, started the day as League leaders and would have been keen to gain a victory on Saturday in the reverse fixture at Sydney Parade to consolidate their position at the top.
Again Merrion batted first and they reached 191 all out (in the 49th over), a very similar score to their Friday total (195 all out in the 49th over).
Though they lost Beasley for 0 without a run on the board, Merrion passed 100 for the loss of only 2 wickets and would have been aiming for a total well in excess of 200 with both Joyce and Anderson well set at that point.
However with the score on 102-2, Joyce was dismissed for 72 and Merrion collapsed to 137 –6. Only late runs from Simon Morrissey (23) and some positive hitting from Alex Chetkovich (21, including two sixes) brought the score to 191.
Still when Merrion had Pembroke at 10-3 with pro Brooks and Andy Balbirnie back in the hutch they will have been expecting to roll Pembroke over for not much more than 100.
However, the much maligned Pembroke middle and late order fired. First it was 18-year-old Graham McDonnell with a fine 69 who led the way, ably supported by fellow 18 year old Ryan Hopkins (20 runs). Theo Lawson chipped in with 25 and Allan Eastwood 20.
Still Merrion were hot favourites to win until Andy Leonard with 24* and 16 year old Barry McCarthy with 20* steered Pembroke to an unlikely victory with only 2 balls to spare.
It was a very fine batting performance by McCarthy in a tense finish and this, together with his 3 wickets for 34, surely means he pips Graham McDonnell for the Man of the Match award.
Result and Summary Stats
Pembroke beat Merrion by two wickets, at Sydney Parade
Merrion 191 all out in 48.4 overs (Joyce 72, McCarthy 3-34). Pembroke 194-8 after 49.4 overs (Graham McDonnell 69, Theo Lawson 25, Andy Leonard 24*, Barry McCarthy 20*)
Pembroke Bowling: Eastwood 10-1-37-1; McCarthy 10-1-34-3; G McDonnell 3-0-25-2, R Garth 4-0-25-0; Balbirnie 10-1-26-1; Brooks 10-2-18-2; Leonard 2-0-18-1
Merrion FoW: 1-0; 2-31; 3-102; 4-126; 5-126; 6-137 7-158; 8-176; 9-191; 10-191
Teams:
Pembroke: Andy Balbirnie, Anthony Brooks, Graham McDonnell, Theo Lawson (wk), Ryan Hopkins, Brian O’Rourke ( c), Robert Garth, Andy Leonard, Barry McCarthy, Bill Whaley, Allan Eastwood
Merrion: Jeff Short (c), John Anderson, Dom Joyce, Kade Beasley (w/k), Damian Poder, Matt Petrie, Titish Patel, Ben Ackland, Richard Keaveney, Simon Morrissey, Alex Chetkovich
Liam Rooney
Copyright: Covrer Point
