On Friday 15th June, the much anticipated Irish domestic season finally rolled into town. The fist tournament to face the provinces is the RSA Shield, the first ever first-class tournament to be played in Ireland. The opening fixture was between the two least fancied teams, Connacht Colts and Leinster Lions, and is being played at the Clontarf ground in Dublin.
Leinster - Andrew Poynter, Chris Murtagh, Alex Cusack*, Niall McDonnell, Xavier Marshall, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Andrew Balbirnie, Stuart Poynter+, Nigel Jones, Abdur Razzak, Roger Whelan
Connacht - Junaid Siddique, Ben Ackland, Andre Botha*, Tom Triffitt+, John Mooney, Greg Thompson, Ryan Haire, Graeme McCarter, Allan Eastwood, Glenn Querl, Gary Kidd
After winning the toss and batting, Connacht's top order made a good start with four of their top five batsmen passing 40. However, Abdur Razzak prevented the game from getting away from the hosts by quickly picking up the wickets of Ackland, Cusack and Mooney. After than, Connacht's batting looked very thin on the ground - number six Greg Thompson looked out of his depth, and there was very little to come in after him. However, a long vigil from Mooney helped Connacht up to a respectable 287 before they were bowled out.
In reply, Leinster's top order looker fragile. Andrew Poynter looked all at sea against the pace of Allan Eastwood, while John Mooney had the measure of Murtagh and Cusack. Once Niall McDonnell and Xavier Marshall had both got starts and got out, Leinster were teetering on the brink of ignomony. However, an aggressive century from the imported Noema-Barnett turned a probable deficit into a ninety run lead. He looked very well set against the pace-heavy attack, and was always able to alleviate the pressure with a boundary or two. Some good support from Balbirnie and Razzak took the total past 350.
With Connacht looking to overhaul the deficit, Alex Cusack rocked them straight onto the back foot with a wicket in the third over - Ackland gone for a duck. However, the Colts clearly weren't letting Leinster have it all their way, and Andre Botha's fluid 45 provided the perfect foil to a composed knock from Siddique. Unfortunately, he played all around a straight ball from Razzak, and when Triffitt and Siddique had followed him, it was once again up to a vigil from John Mooney. He exceeded his previous innings score b xactly one run, but it wasn't enough to stop the rot - failures from number 7 through to 11 were disappointing.
With 160 to win from almost sixty overs, there was no real rush for Leinster. They always looked in control while persuing the target, a particularly classy 42 from Niall McDonnell being the highlight. Allan Eastwood's regular strikes weren't enough to get Connacht back into the game, and Noema-Barnett saw Leinster home for a valuable 3 points.
Kieran Noema-Barnett played well for his second first class century.
Code:
Date: 02-28-2012
LEINSTER LIONS VS CONNACHT COLTS at Leinster
4 day match
Pitch Condition: Poor
CONNACHT COLTS WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO BAT FIRST
-X-
CONNACHT COLTS 1st innings
Player Status Runs Blls 4s 6s S/R
Junaid Siddique c. S Poynter b. Whelan 41 69 9 0 59.4%
Ben Ackland b. Razzak 21 37 4 0 56.8%
Andre Botha c. A Poynter b. Razzak 42 59 9 0 71.2%
Tom Triffitt c. Cusack b. Jones 66 112 14 1 58.9%
John Mooney c. A Poynter b. Razzak 43 136 7 0 31.6%
Greg Thompson b. Noema'nett 25 46 5 0 54.3%
Ryan Haire lbw b. Razzak 11 22 2 0 50.0%
Graeme McCarter b. Jones 9 24 2 0 37.5%
Allan Eastwood lbw b. Whelan 8 14 2 0 57.1%
Glenn Querl not out 11 18 2 0 61.1%
Gary Kidd lbw b. Razzak 4 14 0 0 28.6%
Total: 287/10 Overs: 91.5 Run Rate: 3.13 Extras: 6
Day 2 10:09 AM
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CONNACHT COLTS Partnerships
Batsmen Runs (Balls)
J Siddique B Ackland ??????????????????? 44 (75)
J Siddique A Botha ????????????? 31 (46)
T Triffitt A Botha ???????????????????????????? 65 (89)
T Triffitt J Mooney ??????????????????????? 53 (124)
G Thompson J Mooney ????????????????????? 49 (115)
R Haire J Mooney ??? 7 (15)
R Haire G McCarter ?????? 14 (32)
A Eastwood G McCarter ??? 8 (17)
A Eastwood G Querl ?? 5 (9)
G Kidd G Querl ???? 11 (29)
Fall of Wickets 44/1 75/2 140/3 193/4 242/5
249/6 263/7 271/8 276/9 287/10
Total: 287/10 Overs: 91.5 Run Rate: 3.13 Extras: 6
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LEINSTER LIONS Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts E/R Wds NBs
Alex Cusack 11.0 3 29 0 2.64 0 1
Nigel Jones 16.0 4 60 2 3.75 0 1
Roger Whelan 24.0 5 76 2 3.17 0 3
Kieran Noema-Barnett 15.0 2 47 1 3.13 0 1
Abdur Razzak 24.5 7 75 5 3.02 0 0
Andrew Balbirnie 1.0 1 0 0 0.00 0 0
EXTRAS Wides: 0 No Balls: 6 Leg Byes: 0 Byes: 0
Total: 287/10 Overs: 91.5 Run Rate: 3.13 Extras: 6
-X-
LEINSTER LIONS 1st innings
Player Status Runs Blls 4s 6s S/R
Andrew Poynter b. Eastwood 22 60 4 0 36.7%
Chris Murtagh lbw b. Mooney 39 70 8 0 55.7%
Alex Cusack lbw b. Mooney 17 40 4 0 42.5%
Niall McDonnell lbw b. McCarter 22 42 5 0 52.4%
Xavier Marshall b. Mooney 32 59 7 0 54.2%
Kieran Noema-Barnett b. McCarter 128 198 27 1 64.6%
Andrew Balbirnie b. Querl 28 45 7 0 62.2%
Stuart Poynter lbw b. Botha 8 33 2 0 24.2%
Nigel Jones c. Triffitt b. Querl 10 18 2 0 55.6%
Abdur Razzak lbw b. McCarter 33 56 7 0 58.9%
Roger Whelan not out 8 21 2 0 38.1%
Total: 368/10 Overs: 106.2 Run Rate: 3.46 Extras: 21
Day 3 1:05 PM
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LEINSTER LIONS Partnerships
Batsmen Runs (Balls)
A Poynter C Murtagh ????????????????? 40 (104)
A Cusack C Murtagh ????????????????? 40 (46)
A Cusack McDonnell ?????? 14 (30)
X Marshall McDonnell ????????? 22 (51)
X Marshall Noema'nett ?????????????????????? 52 (69)
Balbirnie Noema'nett ?????????????????????????????? 70 (98)
S Poynter Noema'nett ?????????????? 32 (72)
N Jones Noema'nett ??????? 18 (39)
A Razzak Noema'nett ??????????????????????????? 62 (98)
A Razzak R Whelan ??????? 18 (31)
Fall of Wickets 40/1 80/2 94/3 116/4 168/5
238/6 270/7 288/8 350/9 368/10
Total: 368/10 Overs: 106.2 Run Rate: 3.46 Extras: 21
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CONNACHT COLTS Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts E/R Wds NBs
Glenn Querl 20.0 3 77 2 3.85 0 4
Andre Botha 18.0 4 66 1 3.67 0 0
John Mooney 13.0 3 25 3 1.92 1 0
Graeme McCarter 18.2 3 66 3 3.60 2 0
Allan Eastwood 21.0 6 72 1 3.43 1 1
Greg Thompson 10.0 4 24 0 2.40 0 1
Gary Kidd 6.0 1 27 0 4.50 0 0
EXTRAS Wides: 4 No Balls: 6 Leg Byes: 2 Byes: 9
Total: 368/10 Overs: 106.2 Run Rate: 3.46 Extras: 21
-X-
CONNACHT COLTS 2nd innings
Player Status Runs Blls 4s 6s S/R
Junaid Siddique lbw b. Noema'nett 60 106 13 0 56.6%
Ben Ackland c. Whelan b. Cusack 0 8 0 0 0.0%
Andre Botha b. Razzak 45 54 10 0 83.3%
Tom Triffitt b. Cusack 20 22 5 0 90.9%
John Mooney b. Whelan 44 74 10 0 59.5%
Greg Thompson c. Noema'nett b. Cusack 23 45 5 0 51.1%
Ryan Haire c. S Poynter b. Razzak 11 36 2 0 30.6%
Graeme McCarter c. Cusack b. Whelan 12 23 2 0 52.2%
Allan Eastwood c. Marshall b. Cusack 4 18 1 0 22.2%
Glenn Querl c. McDonnell b. Whelan 9 17 2 0 52.9%
Gary Kidd not out 1 4 0 0 25.0%
Total: 238/10 Overs: 67.5 Run Rate: 3.51 Extras: 9
Day 4 11:07 AM
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CONNACHT COLTS Partnerships
Batsmen Runs (Balls)
J Siddique B Ackland ? 1 (16)
J Siddique A Botha ??????????????????????????????????? 85 (121)
J Siddique T Triffitt ?????????????? 36 (46)
J Siddique J Mooney ??? 8 (16)
G Thompson J Mooney ?????????????????? 44 (90)
R Haire J Mooney ???????????? 30 (42)
R Haire G McCarter ???????? 20 (30)
A Eastwood G McCarter ? 4 (18)
A Eastwood G Querl ?? 5 (14)
G Kidd G Querl ?? 5 (14)
Fall of Wickets 1/1 86/2 122/3 130/4 174/5
204/6 224/7 228/8 233/9 238/10
Total: 238/10 Overs: 67.5 Run Rate: 3.51 Extras: 9
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LEINSTER LIONS Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts E/R Wds NBs
Alex Cusack 18.0 3 65 4 3.61 0 1
Nigel Jones 9.0 3 35 0 3.89 0 0
Kieran Noema-Barnett 10.0 2 44 1 4.40 0 1
Roger Whelan 10.5 3 29 3 2.68 0 0
Abdur Razzak 19.0 8 54 2 2.84 0 0
Andrew Balbirnie 1.0 0 4 0 4.00 0 0
EXTRAS Wides: 0 No Balls: 2 Leg Byes: 3 Byes: 4
Total: 238/10 Overs: 67.5 Run Rate: 3.51 Extras: 9
-X-
LEINSTER LIONS 2nd innings (Target: 158)
Player Status Runs Blls 4s 6s S/R
Andrew Poynter c. Siddique b. Querl 13 28 3 0 46.4%
Chris Murtagh c. Thompson b. Eastwood 27 79 6 0 34.2%
Alex Cusack c. Thompson b. Eastwood 34 73 8 0 46.6%
Niall McDonnell c. Triffitt b. Thompson 42 96 10 0 43.8%
Xavier Marshall c. Kidd b. Eastwood 0 4 0 0 0.0%
Kieran Noema-Barnettnot out 27 57 6 0 47.4%
Andrew Balbirnie not out 4 2 1 0 200.0%
Stuart Poynter
Nigel Jones
Abdur Razzak
Roger Whelan
Total: 161/5 Overs: 55.3 Run Rate: 2.90 Extras: 14
Day 4 3:49 PM
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LEINSTER LIONS Partnerships
Batsmen Runs (Balls)
A Poynter C Murtagh ???????? 19 (56)
A Cusack C Murtagh ??????????????????? 45 (96)
A Cusack McDonnell ??????????? 27 (55)
X Marshall McDonnell 0 (10)
Noema'nett McDonnell ???????????????????????????? 66 (114)
Noema'nett Balbirnie ? 4 (2)
Fall of Wickets 19/1 64/2 91/3 91/4 157/5
Total: 161/5 Overs: 55.3 Run Rate: 2.90 Extras: 14
-X-
CONNACHT COLTS Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts E/R Wds NBs
Glenn Querl 13.0 2 45 1 3.46 1 0
Andre Botha 12.0 3 35 0 2.92 2 3
Allan Eastwood 8.0 4 22 3 2.75 1 0
John Mooney 7.0 3 12 0 1.71 2 0
Graeme McCarter 4.0 1 9 0 2.25 0 0
Gary Kidd 7.0 4 13 0 1.86 0 0
Greg Thompson 4.3 1 20 1 4.44 0 0
EXTRAS Wides: 6 No Balls: 3 Leg Byes: 0 Byes: 5
Total: 161/5 Overs: 55.3 Run Rate: 2.90 Extras: 14
Code:
Connacht Colts 287 & 238
Leinster Lions 368 & 161/5
Leinster Lions won by 5 wickets
Man of the match: Kieran Noema-Barnett
In the end its your story I just thought to inform. Good luck.
