Limerick let it slip in the final few overs, as the away side plugged away at the total to make 192 on the penultimate ball of their innings.
It was a disappointing end to a rollercoaster of a day at the Manor Fields in Adare which saw Midleton snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against a Limerick side still waiting to get off the mark after round 3. After making just 191 from 50 overs, tight bowling spells in the middle interval left a high run rate for Midleton to overcome in the final five overs or so. However, against the odds the away side hit big to clinch a two-wicket victory with just one ball remaining in their run chase.
Having fielded first in their last outing against Cork County, skipper Arslan Anwar chose to bat first this time round with perfect conditions being granted from Saturday’s sunshine. Unfortunately for the home side it was a case of history repeating itself as Limerick found themselves on 19-3 after 7 overs and in need of a rebuild. Opener Tim Smithies valiant rearguard of 43 was complimented by a sturdy 28 from his captain at the other end as the two began to repair the damages of an early onslaught. But 90-3 soon turned to 95-5 as Limerick were back under pressure. A 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Mosawar Sidiqi and Shani Alam restored some late impetus before Limerick ended up all out for 191 after 49.1 overs. A game of fine margins in which the extra five balls could have been crucial to Limerick’s score, should they have batted them out.
Nonetheless, Limerick were able to get on the scoreboard early with the ball as Mirhmaza Ahmedzai picked up two wickets from his opening spell. In what looked to be a scattered final over, Ahmedzai came back strong in his final ball with a full delivery which went on to hit middle and off. Ajay Hari picked up Limerick’s third as Midleton were 3 down after 50 runs before a fourth wicket stand put the away side back in the driving seat.
Limerick mixed their bowling attack with spin and pace from both ends and enforced a squeeze on the run rate, opener Prasad Hegde unlucky to pick up no wickets but finishing with a superb economy of just 33 runs from his 10 overs.
Limerick let it slip in the final few overs, despite Midleton needing a high run rate the away side plugged away at the total to make 192 on the penultimate ball of their innings, a game which went right down to the wire.
RESULT| MCU Premier Division.
LCC lost to Midleton by four wickets.
Limerick 1: 191 all out off 48.1 overs.
Tim Smithies 43
Mosawar Sidiqui 34
Midleton 1: 192-8 off 49.5 overs.
Mirhamza Ahmedzai 3-35
Arslan Anwar 2-22
Saturday’s clash in Adare saw Limerick’s 2nd XI take on an understrength Nenagh in their opening game of the Junior T20 campaign. In perfect weather conditions, Limerick were excited to get back into the shorter format with a home victory by a margin of 35 runs.
Skipper Sumukh Venkatesh won the toss and decided this time to bat first against the white ball. A sturdy 30 runs off the bat off Sarfraz Ramay steadied the ship in the middle order, with some effective running between the wickets with partner Stephen Hackett who nudged the ball around for 21. Ramay was unlucky to be caught and bowled, the bowler just grasping the ball of cusp of the surface. Ramoji Alla’s late flurry of 22 brought Limerick 2 up to 121-8 from 20.
The opening exchanges provided a good contest before Limerick started to pull away from their opponents in style. A brilliant spell of 4-15 from newcomer Waqas Shinwari was the bright spark of the day, his line and length too good for the Nenagh batsmen as one fell after the other which resulted in a final score of 86-9, well short of their target.
RESULT| MCU Junior T20 Group B.
LCC defeated Nenagh by by 35 runs.
Limerick 2: 121-8 off 20 overs.
Sarfraz Ramay 30
Ramoji Alla 22*
Nenagh 1: 86-9 off 20 overs.
Waqas Shinwari 4-15
Prasad Hegde 2-13
In youth cricket, there was one game of note over the weekend which saw Limerick’s u13 side grab a 18-run victory away to County Galway last Friday night. The young up and coming side made a well-constructed 63 from their 20 overs, only losing three wickets with some good defense on display with the bat. In response, the Limerick bowlers were able to limit their opposition to just 45 in response, Brynn Thomas taking a good catch off Kulvant’s bowling to dismiss the opening bat before an LBW off the bowling of Robert McCutcheon second delivery of his spell carried LCC to victory.
With the evening’s getting longer heading into the summer season, midweek T20s are back with the 2nd XI looking to continue their fine form against Limerick Blasters on Wednesday in Ballyneety. Next weekend, the 1st XI will look for a clean slate in their National Cup opening round game against County Galway on Saturday. Meanwhile, the 3rds will start their T20 campaign when they take on Nenagh and County Kerry respectively on Sunday in Conference B of the Minor A T20 Cup.
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