Limerick can hold their heads up high after putting up a resilient and courageous fight against Railway Union in the second round of the Clear Currency Irish National Cup in Adare yesterday.
Railway Union, who have dominated Ireland’s club cricket competitions over the last decade, proved to be too strong for the home side.
That was indeed down to the strong performance from ex-Ireland international Kenny Carroll who’s 140* played a crucial part in the Railway innings. Carroll, who was part of Ireland’s 2007 World Cup squad who famously beat Pakistan, scored just under half his team’s total as the
Dublin outfit accelerated from 178-3 after 30 to 301-3 from their 40 overs, Railway’s number 5 Chad Laycock pitching in with an unbeaten 83 from 65 deliveries.
Limerick had a momentous uphill task to bat for. But the hosts got off to a lively start with Arsalan Anwar and Azeem Khan seeing off the early seamers from the opposition before he fell at the end of the 8th over, a dogged 24 from 30 balls to see off the new ball.
From then on, however, it seemed to be all one-way traffic; Limerick losing wickets at regular intervals before finding themselves in deep trouble at 106-5. Limerick dragged along to 204-8 to finish 97 runs short of the Railway target (DLS appropriated) with opener Arsalan Anwar carrying his bat in magnificent fashion, the Limerick opener stood strong as wickets fell around him to earn himself a maiden club century and what a way it was to earn it as well as he finished on 109* from 110 deliveries against a strong and hefty bowling attack.
Meanwhile, Arsalan will join fellow club member Ahmed Mehmood on the Honours Board after he made his maiden club century for Limerick 4 th XI in their t20 qualifiers in Tralee on Saturday.
His score of 110 helped his side complete 2/2 from their round robin games against Cork Harlequins and County Kerry to see them through to finals day next weekend in Farmer’s Cross in Cork; Gavin Devereux’s side looking to retain the title which they won last year by beating Cork County in their home ground of the Mardyke by just one wicket in the last over in what was a nail-biting climax for both sides, but with performances as strong as Saturday’s, Limerick can be hopeful of doing the double in 6 days’ time.
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