Scorecard

Y.M.C.A. Cricket Club 1st XI v Pembroke on Sat 30 May 2009 at 11.00am
Y.M.C.A. Cricket Club Lost By 50 runs.

Match report YMCA v Pembroke
At Claremont Road
1st Rd. LHW Leinster Senior Cup

As you've probably gathered, I'm a BBC man, and I was reminded over the weekend of the late Ian Richardson's character in the series House of Cards, Francis Urquart, who started out as Chief Whip and schemed his way to become Prime Minister. He never spoke ill of his colleagues, preferring his questioner to propose some calumny and then reply “You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment.”

On Saturday morning I went down to Claremont Road to watch YMCA play Pembroke in the first round of the Lewis Hohn Williams Senior Cup. The umpires were Alan Tuffery and John Bristow, not the strongest pairing that the LCUSA could put out, but there were six cup matches and a league match to cover, and one of them anyway would be in the top fourteen.

Pembroke batted first, and quickly lost Brian O'Rourke, run out by “Wazza” Armstrong's direct hit when the non-striker backed up too enthusiastically. That was 19-1. Andrew Balbirnie was in excellent form, quick to pull anything short for four. Anthony Brooks was settling in, and survived a very confident appeal for caught behind.

“I could have sworn that he smashed that,” I said to my friend Francis. “You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment,” came the reply. The Pembroke score had advanced to 65, and that of Balbirnie to 45, when the youngster missed a pull and up went the appeal closely followed by the umpire's finger.

“I could have sworn that was going over the top,” I said to my friend Francis. “You might think that,” came the reply, “I couldn't possibly comment.” Five runs later, Graham McDonnell did nick one to the keeper, and two runs after that Theo Lawson prodded at one from Simon Wilson-Moore that ricocheted into his pad. On appeal, he was given out.

“I could have sworn that he got an inside edge on that,” I said to my friend Francis. Back came the reply, “You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment.” Fourteen runs later Barry McCarthy edged Shammy through to the keeper and walked. Robin Russell came in, and the Cork left-hander dug in as Brooks started to work the ball around.

It was less than 120-5 off 35 overs at lunch, but the two left-handers played really well thereafter, getting plenty to drive, and brought up the hundred partnership. YM tightened up their bowling and fielding, and Russell started to panic. On 199 he ran himself out for a fine 35, but this worked in the 'Broke's favour as the right-handed Alan Eastwood batted aggressively, easing the arrival of Brooks's ton.

Pembroke reached 254-8 off their 60 overs, Brooks 114, Eastwood 21, and YMCA wondering how they had contrived to concede so many runs when three of their bowlers had gone for only threes: James Parkinson 0/37 off 12; Etesham Ahmed 3/32 off 10; and Stu McCready 0/28 off 10. Did the other 28 overs really have to go for 150?

Alan Eastwood blasted out Rob Nandi for 0, Shammy was riddled by Bill Whaley for 13, and it was 21-2. Carl Hosford and Alan Lewis looked very comfortable, until Lewie (27) walloped a pie from Emmett Whaley on the up through extra cover, where Brooks took a fine low catch. Ten runs later Stu McCready was also caught having a dart at the Pembroke skipper.

Angus Dunlop and Hosford coped with the off spin of Balbirnie and leg breaks of Andy Leonard, but were never in command. Hosford (48) drove a return catch to Balbirnie, who then took his position at deep backward square and accepted two catches, one from Dunlop, the other from Beacroft, and that was 117-7.

Simon Wilson-Moore swatted Eastwood to Barry McCarthy and then James Parkinson and James Shortt put together a merry little partnership. It had got past fifty and was just beginning to look as if it might be more than a futile gesture when Brooks took a sharp return catch from his oppo pro to dismiss him for 48, and Balbirnie's straight one was too much for Wazza, leaving Shortt 27* and YMCA 204 all out in the 49th over.

All the 'Broke's bowlers enjoyed reasonable figures: Eastwood 2/58 off 10; Bill Whaley 1/22 off 6; Emmett Whaley 2/24 off 7; Brooks 1/25 off 8; Leonard 2/35 off 7; and Balbirnie 2/39 off 10.4. Did the iffy umpiring decisions affect the outcome? Who knows? Does it matter? Yes.

The Stu Daultrey Column

Pembroke Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
254 (0.0 overs)		     
B.O'Rourke Run out  7
A.Balbirnie lbw  Ahmed 45
A.Brooks b  Armstrong 114
G.McDonnell ct  Short, Bowled Ahmed 2
T.Lawson lbw  Wilson-Moore 1
B.McCarthy ct  Short, Bowled Ahmed 1
R.Russell Run out  35
A.Eastwood ct  Parkinson, Bowled Armstrong 21
A.Leonard Not Out  5
E.Whaley Not Out  1
B.Whaley  

Y.M.C.A. Cricket Club 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
James N. Parkinson12.013700.003.08
Paul K. Beacroft9.004600.005.11
Ehtesham Ahmed10.0232310.673.20
Simon B. Wilson-Moore5.0117117.003.40
Stuart R.S. McCready10.052800.002.80
Angus R. Dunlop7.013100.004.43
Warwick V. Armstrong7.0056228.008.00

Y.M.C.A. Cricket Club 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
204		        
Rob M. Nandi b  Eastwood 0
Ehtesham Ahmed b  B.Whaley 13
Carl R. Hosford ct  & Bowled Balbirnie 48
D. Alan Lewis ct  Brooks, Bowled E.Whaley 27
Stuart R.S. McCready ct  Brooks, Bowled E.Whaley 6
Angus R. Dunlop ct  Balbirnie, Bowled Leonard 12
Paul K. Beacroft ct  Balbirnie, Bowled Leonard 0
James N. Parkinson ct  & Bowled Brooks 43 1
Simon B. Wilson-Moore ct  McCarthy, Bowled Eastwood 8
A. James Short Not Out  27 2
Warwick V. Armstrong b  Balbirnie 2 1

Pembroke Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
A.Eastwood10.0358229.005.80
B.Whaley6.0222122.003.67
E.Whaley7.0124212.003.43
A.Brooks8.0225125.003.12
A.Leonard7.0135217.505.00
A.Balbirnie10.4139219.503.66

  • Umpire :
    Alan Tuffrey & John Bristow
  • Scorer :
    L.McGeehan