Merrion clinch Arachas Women’s All-Ireland T20 Cup, CIYMS win Men’s Cup title in Super Over thriller

DUBLIN – A classy unbeaten century by Irish international Leah Paul led Merrion to the Arachas Women’s All-Ireland T20 Cup win, while CIYMS won the Men’s Cup title via a Super Over at Malahide today. 

In the first game of the day, Merrion won in comprehensive fashion over Fox Lodge by 170 runs in a game reduced to 19 overs-a-side – with Paul’s near faultless century the headline act. Blasting 18 boundaries in her 62-ball knock, Paul dominated the North West side’s bowling attack ably supported by Rachel Delaney’s 36 and Polly Inglis’ 42* from just 19 balls.

In response to Merrion’s 230-3, Fox Lodge battled well to be 53-3 in the 10^th over, but then suffered a batting collapse that saw seven wickets fall for just seven runs.

Merrion secured their second-straight Arachas Women’s All-Ireland T20 Cup retaining the dominance of Leinster sides in the Cup competition.

MATCH SUMMARY

Merrion Women v Fox Lodge Women, Women’s All-Ireland T20 Cup Final, Malahide, 27 August 2023

Merrion 230-3 (19 overs; L Paul 112*, P Inglis 42*; L Neely 1-43)

Fox Lodge 60 (13 overs; S Black 29; J Morrissey 2-4, S Stewart 2-4)

Merrion won by 170 runs 

In the second game of the day, Balbriggan’s Greg Ford struck a six off the last regulation ball to take the Arachas Men’s All-Ireland T20 Cup Final into a Super Over – however, a brilliant display of death overs bowling by CIYMS’s Irish international Mark Adair saw the Belfast side win their second successive Cup.

After being sent into bat first, cup-holders CIYMS started sprightly with Ross Adair (23 from 12 balls) and Chris Dougherty (16 from 20 balls) taking 35 runs from the first 22 balls of the match before Adair fell to a spectacular running catch at mid-on by Andrew Darroch.

The Belfast-based side was looking to implement their usual aggressive batting style, but while the runs flowed increasingly wickets fell – and by the time an extended rain delay was experienced at the 15-over mark, CIYMS was 102-5.

Conditions turned dark and stormy for a brief period, and after a 45-minute delay, CIYMS resumed their innings, striking 32 runs from the final three overs – with two overs lost to the delay. Tyron Koen’s cameo of 36 from 25 balls added a late injection of runs, with his side finishing on 134-7. Farooq Nasr’s 2-15 from three overs was the pick of the bowlers in the now blustery conditions.

Set a revised 138 from 18 overs as a target, Balbriggan began with intent – Connor Fletcher (22) and Nasr (14) struck 32 from the first 26 balls before Allen Coulter intervened claiming two wickets in two balls to have the Leinster side at 32-2 in the fifth over. Theo van Woerkom then struck with his first ball, getting Nasr caught-and-bowled, before Greg Ford (59*) and Chris DeFreitas (37*) combined for a 98-run unbeaten partnership from 71 balls – culminating in the dramatic last-ball maximum.

In the Super Over, Mark Adair used his guile and experience to restrict Balbriggan to 5-1, before his brother Ross hit the winning runs for a memorable CIYMS victory.

MATCH SUMMARY

Balbriggan Men v CIYMS Men, Men’s All-Ireland T20 Cup Final, Malahide, 27 August 2023

CIYMS 134-7 (18 overs; T Koen 36, R Adair 23; F Nasr 2-15) and 6-0 (0.5 overs)

Balbriggan 137-3 (18 overs; G Ford 59*; A Coulter 2-18) and 5-1 (1 over)

CIYMD won by Super Over