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Unlucky Ireland goes down in last ball thriller against West Indies

ST LUCIA – Ireland Women fought back in a low-scoring contest but fell just short of what would have been a remarkable win in the first T20 International (T20I) against West Indies at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground today.
Ireland started sprightly after being put in to bat first with 28 runs flowing from the first 23 balls of the innings, courtesy of openers Gaby Lewis (17) and Amy Hunter (15). Both batters looked comfortable early, finding the boundary four times as the visitors looked to set the pace.
However, the pair were soon back in the pavilion within five balls of each other and the bowlers then set about drying up the runs. Captain Laura Delany (34) and Eimear Richardson (22) put on 31 for the fourth wicket, but looking to accelerate, Richardson was caught at square leg.
Delany battled hard, striking two boundaries and a six over long off, but she eventually fell in the last over and Ireland finished 112-7 from 20 overs – seven runs shy of what is considered par score for the ground.
The West Indies reply started badly with a batting mix up leading to a run out by Orla Prendergast – the Pembroke all-rounder chased the ball in her follow-through, spun around and threw down the stumps at the non-strikers end.

Hayley Matthews (37) led the batting recovery as the home side made their way to 40-1 in the 9th over. Quick hands by Hunter behind the stumps removed Gajnabi – and a second direct hit run out by Prendergast – saw West Indies stumble again at 59-3 in the 13th over.
With tension building, the last seven overs saw the momentum of the game shift radically – runs flowed but regular wickets tumbled, including great piece of bowling by T20I debutant Aimee Maguire (1-18). The 16-year old left-arm spinner was smashed to the boundary by Afy Fletcher off the third ball of her third over, but bounced back with a ball that was faster, flatter and deceived Fletcher and crashed into her leg stump.
With one over to go the West Indies needed 7 to win with three wickets in hand. Cara Murray was handed the ball and snared a wicket with the third ball, but Ireland’s dreams of a come-from-behind win were shattered with a wide and a single off the last ball saw the Caribbean side triumph by two wickets off the last ball.
The two sides meet again on Thursday at the same venue for the second of three T20Is.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland 112-7 (20 overs: L Delany 34, E Richardson 22; H Matthews 3-22)
West Indies 113-8 (20 overs; H Matthews 37; A Kelly 3-21)
West Indies won by 2 wickets

Balbirnie steps down as white-ball captain; Stirling named interim captain

HARARE- Ireland Men’s captain Andrew Balbirnie has this evening announced that he will step down from the captaincy of the One-Day International and T20 International squads effective immediately. Paul Stirling will step into the role on an interim basis.
Balbirnie, 32, has led his country 89 times across formats (four Tests, 33 ODIs, 52 T20Is) since taking over the reins in late 2019.
He informed his teammates shortly after today’s final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier for Ireland – signing off his white-ball captaincy tenure with a win.

GROS ISLET- The West Indies Women took the three-match CG United One Day International series 2-0, defeating Ireland by 6 wickets in the final match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.
Winning the toss and batting first, posted 203 all out in 50 overs. The star of the Irish innings was Gaby Lewis, who got stranded on 95 not out of 121 deliveries, she shared a 50-run partnership with Cara Murray which was crucial in steadying the ship after Ireland lost quick wickets. Afy Fletcher 10-0-37-3 and Shamilia Connell 4-0-16-2 kept the Irish batters in check.
In response, the West Indies Women started their innings shakily, losing a few early wickets. However, it was Stafanie Taylor who once again rescued her side. Taylor notched her 40th ODI half-century, she showcased her experience and composure in a challenging situation, constructing her innings carefully.
Taylor found a reliable partner in Chinelle Henry, who carried on her good form from the first ODI, hitting her second consecutive half-century. Together, they put on a match-winning 104-run partnership, steering their team to a comfortable 6-wicket victory with 8.4 overs to spare.
Full scorecard here
This was captain Hayley Matthews first series win and she told CWI Media, “I’m happy that we were able to get over the line in a series that we were looking to dominate. We earned valuable ICC Women’s Championship points, Stafanie is back in form and Chinelle is coming into her own along with debuts from our youngsters, I’d say those are some serious positives we can take away from this series. We all knew the potential Chinelle has and what we have been expecting from her, it’s great to see her scoring runs and I know there’s more to come.”
The Player of the Match was awarded to Stafanie Taylor for her outstanding knock of 79 not out under pressure, while the Player of the Series was given to Hayley Matthews for her all-round performance.
The two teams will now switch to the shorter format when the three-match T20 International series starts on Tuesday at the same venue. All matches will start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean time (4pm Jamaica time).
Match tickets are available online from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard - Tickets.windiescricket.com - at a discounted price of US$6/EC$16 (USS3/EC$7.50 children and seniors) with tickets available on the day at the box office at a price of US$7.50/EC$20 (US$3.75/EC$10 for children and seniors).
For fans unable to get to the games in St. Lucia, the CG United ODI Series will be exclusively live on Flow Sports in the Caribbean and on BT Sport in the UK & Ireland. The matches will also be shown around the world on FanCode (India), ESPN+ (USA), Sky NZ (NZ), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa) and in all other countries on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
Match Schedule
(All matches played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia)
CG United ODI Series:
Monday 26 June: 1st CG United ODI – 10am (9amJamaica Time)- West Indies won by 58 runs
Wednesday 28 June: 2nd CG United ODI – 10am(9am Jamaica Time)- Match abandoned due to rain
Saturday 1 July: 3rd CG United ODI – 3pm (2pmJamaica Time)- West Indies won by 6 wickets
T20 International Series:
All matches start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean Time (4pm Jamaica Time)
Tuesday 4 July: 1st T20I
Thursday 6 July: 2nd T20I
Saturday 8 July: 3rd T20I

IRELAND WIN AGAIN

Three wickets from returning paceman Craig Young, and a belligerent half-century from opener Paul Stirling, helped Ireland Men to a six-wicket win over USA in their seventh-place playoff semi-final at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
During what was the first-ever One-Day International (ODI) between the sides, an opening partnership of 84 off 83 balls set the tone for Ireland’s run chase after being set 197 for victory. Stirling was the main aggressor, with nine fours and two sixes being the dominant scoring shots in his 45-ball 58. He brought up his 28th career ODI fifty in the eleventh over, with a reverse sweep for a boundary.
Fortune was a little bit on his side throughout, dropped on seven, and lucky again on 27, he nevertheless backed up his last knock of 162 against the UAE with another assertive innings. Most of his boundaries came through the off side – punching cover drives or flashing cut strokes behind point, but his two sixes were stand-and-deliver pull shots over the legside boundary. Stirling eventually fell on 58 when he was trapped lbw trying to sweep in the 14th over, with Ireland 84-1.
Captain Andrew Balbirnie – playing in his 100th ODI - came in at number three and posted a 39-run partnership with Andy McBrine before the left-hander was caught and bowled by Nosthush Kenjige with Ireland 123-2.
Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker both made 25, before Balbirnie and Curtis Campher guided the side home with over 15 overs to spare. Balbirnie ended on 45* - after his 66 in the last match – has seen the skipper register not only much-needed runs, butt also valuable time in the middle.
Earlier in the day the USA saw Saiteja Mukkamalla and Sushant Modani score half-centuries as they posted 196 all out. Opener Steven Taylor played with plenty of freedom early on, before a seventh over double-wicket maiden from Craig Young – in his first over of the tournament - took care of both Taylor and US captain Monank Patel.
Mukkamalla and Modani then combined for an 88-run partnership before Mukkamalla was unfortunate to get run out in the 23rd over - McBrine getting his index finger to a shot from Modani that clipped the stumps, with Mukkamalla caught out of his crease.
Having been 121-3, Ireland’s bowlers ran through the lower order with Barry McCarthy, Young, McBrine, and Mark Adair all taking wickets, with Young the best of those with 3-35 from his seven overs.
Ireland will now face the winners of Nepal v UAE in the seventh-place playoff final next Tuesday, 4 July.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland Men v USA Men, ICC World Cup Qualifier, 7th place playoff semi-final, Harare, 30 June 2023
USA 196 (42.4 overs; S Mukkamalla 55, S Modani 55; C Young 3-35)
Ireland 197-4 (34.2 overs; P Stirling 58, A Balbirnie 45*; N Kenjige 2-41)
Ireland won by 6 wickets

Ireland will now move on to Harare to play the USA on Friday in the seventh-place playoff semi-final.

ICC World Cup Qualifying
Result-
Ireland 349-4 (50 overs): Stirling 162, Balbirnie 66, Tector 57; Sharma 3-46
United Arab Emirates 211 all out (39 overs): Muhammad 45, Sharma 44; Campher 2-14, Little 2-30, Dockrell 2-32, McBrine 2-34
Ireland won by 138 runs

A welcome return to form for most of the players after some horrid performances in recent games. Yes, Ireland never achieved their target in Zimbabwe, but don't dwell too much in the past as there were some positives, in particular, captain Andrew Bilbirnie after a series of poor scores. Balbirnie, Tector and Paul Stirling were the batting stars. Stirling led from the front, as usual, but we often wonder how could he score more if he was less impetuous. Of course, that's his style which has placed him as one of the greatest attacking opener in the world in the short game. There are not many Ireland players in that category!
Ironically, if Ireland had beaten Oman they would have reached the next level. However, that's now history.
Ireland has a busy season, but we hope they learn from their mistakes. Nobody should be excluded from the review and includes team selection, captaincy, coaches, selectors and the hierarchy. Let's be honest, they should and could, have achieved more in the past few weeks.
The impetus of Ireland's achievements over the past few decades has been dented. Associate members are rising and Ireland need to react. West Indies cricket lost the plot 30 years ago and have struggled thereafter. There are plenty of warning signs!

Hi folks glendermott cc Londonderry are looking to bring there u11s & u13s to play a friendly on fri 28th July as a warm up for our world cup in the nwcu ...We are willing to travel & would be grateful if any club could facilitie us ....

Yours in sport
Fred Simpson
Glendermott cricket club

ST LUCIA – A gutsy display by Ireland Women in the first one-day international (ODI) against West Indies may ultimately have ended in defeat, but not before the Girls in Green showed their hosts that they were up for the contest on this six-match tour.
Cara Murray (3-60) provided impetus to an Irish fightback with the ball, while a magnificent 83 to opener Gaby Lewis – supported by skipper Laura Delany (40) and Orla Prendergast (37) - had Ireland Women keeping the required run rate manageable at the halfway stage of the run chase.
After losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, Ava Canning – on ODI debut – looked dangerous early with her renowned swing,
however, it was Sophie MacMahon who made the first breakthrough with an inswinger that bamboozled Zaida James (13) and trapped the left-hander in front.
At 36-1 in the 10th over, the Irish sensed early nervousness in their opponents – but that hope was soon crushed by a dominant 156-run second-wicket partnership between West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (109) and Stefanie Taylor (55). The runs came from just 153 balls as the two experienced batters hit to all parts of the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
Murray’s first wicket led to a mini top-order collapse, the West Indies losing 3-6 in 15 balls, but a counter-attacking 53* from 37 balls by Chinelle Henry saw the Caribbean side post 297-6 from their 50 overs.
In the reply, Lewis and Leah Paul (10) combined for a 34-run opening stand until a mix-up saw Paul caught well short of her ground. Lewis was joined by Prendergast and the pair first consolidated, and then began to build a platform for Ireland to launch their charge in the last 25 overs. Prendergast was looking to increase the run rate, but holed out at deep mid-wicket – the second-wicket partnership of 67 was important, yet the next stand of 71 between Lewis and Delany put Ireland on a credible path towards an unlikely victory.
The third-wicket stand took 83 balls, but became increasingly dangerous to the home side due mainly to the ease by which the Irish pair compiled their runs. Lewis, eyeing up her first ODI century, was caught sweeping which precipitated a middle-order collapse of 5-30.
A busy 20 to Mary Waldron and a late 13 to Sophie MacMahon pushed the Irish total to 239 – but in a moral victory for the visitors, the final pair of Murray and Canning held out for 19 balls to ensure Ireland batted out their 50 overs.
The two sides meet again on Wednesday at the same venue for the second of three ODIs.
MATCH SUMMARY
West Indies Women v Ireland Women, 1st ODI, St Lucia, 26 June 2023
West Indies 297-6 (50 overs: H Matthews 109; C Murray 3-60)
Ireland 239-9 (50 overs; G Lewis 83; H Matthews 3-53)
West Indies won by 58 runs

Sri Lanka beat Ireland

A century from Dimuth Karaunaratne, and a half-century from Sadeera Samarawickrama saw Sri Lanka effectively end Ireland Men’s dreams of involvement at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Mark Adair – who took his 50th career ODI wicket when he caught and bowled Lahiru Kamara – Barry McCarthy and Gareth Delany all bowled well as Ireland bounced back well after a slow start.
Having lost their opening two matches, to Oman and Scotland, Ireland headed into this game needing a win to keep their slim hopes of reaching the Super Six stage of the competition alive, and having won the toss, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie sent Sri Lanka in to bat.
From the outset Sri Lanka looked dominant as they raced away to 31-0 after the first three overs. Ireland responded with back-to-back maidens from Adair and McCarthy, before the latter - playing in his first ODI since 2021 - removed both Prathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis with successive deliveries in the ninth over, Sri Lanka was then 48-2.
Karaunaratne and Samarawickrama both settled in and comfortably reached their half-centuries - Karunaratne his fifth consecutive ODI fifty in the 21st over and Samarawickrama followed up with his third ODI fifty two overs later. The pair went on to score 168 for the third wicket as Ireland couldn’t find a breakthrough with the two set batters.
The partnership was final broken when Delany removed Samarawickrama for 82, as Harry Tector grabbed the ball high in the air with the first ball of the 36th over, with Sri Lanka 216-3. Karunaratne went on to score his maiden ODI century in the 37th over with a single down to third.
Late on, Ireland’s bowlers hit back, taking 7-109 in the final 15 overs as Sri Lanka posted 325 all out.
In reply, Ireland’s response suffered from the loss of regular wickets, despite keeping up with the required run rate required.
A wonderful one-handed catch by wicket-keeper Mendis saw Paul Stirling dismissed early on, and Ireland found themselves two down in the seventh over when Andy McBrine scooped one to Kusal Rajitha in the deep. Despite the loss of those early wickets Ireland were 53-2 after 9 overs – the exact same score as Sri Lanka were at the same stage of their innings.
Andrew Balbirine (12) was trapped lbw, while Lorcan Tucker went for a duck as Ireland were 58-4 and searching for a partnership.
However, a noteworthy partnership never materialised, as Wanindu Hasaranga put on a spinners masterclass for the Sri Lankans, including taking the wicket of Tector when he was looking comfortable.
Curtis Campher continued where he left off against Scotland, hammering the ball all over the ground – scoring 39 runs – before he top-edged one to Mendis in the 20th over with Ireland 116-6 after 20 overs, with Ireland‘s world cup dreams seemingly dashed.
Quick-fire knocks from Delany and Little kept the scoreboard ticking over. Little hit a massive six off Hasaranga, but the Sri Lankan spinner got his revenge with the very next ball, as he caught and bowled Little to claim his five-wicket haul, as Ireland were bowled out for 192 with 19 overs remaining.
Ireland will play their final qualifier against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, 27 June at 8am Ireland time.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland Men v Sri Lanka Men, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Queen’s Sports Club, Bulawayo, 25 June 2023
Sri Lanka 325 (49.5 overs; D Karunaratne 103, S Samarawickrama 82; M Adair 4-46)
Ireland 192 (31 overs; C Campher 39, H Tector 33; W Hasaranga 5-79)
Sri Lanka won by 133 runs

Ireland lose in final ball to Scotland
A gutsy maiden ODI century by Curtis Campher wasn’t enough as Ireland Men fell to a last-ball, one-wicket loss to Scotland at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier today.
Looking odds-on to win with ease with 10 overs left in the run-chase, Ireland’s bowlers couldn’t rein in the batting of the lower-order pair of Michael Leask (91*) and Mark Watt (47) who put on 82 for the 8th wicket. While Watt fell, Leask shepherded through the tailenders and saw Scotland through to a one-wicket, last-ball win.
Earlier in the day, Ireland’s top order failed to fire and it fell to a Curtis Campher-George Dockrell partnership to save the Irish innings and post a competitive score. Their 136-run stand came from 150 balls and rescued their side from a precarious position of 70-5 in the 19th over.
Campher started watchfully as he entered the fray with his side languishing at 33-4. He built a steadying partnership of 37 with Andy McBrine (32) before Dockrell joined him at the crease. Dockrell looked the more aggressive of the two, however, Campher was busy, working the ball and running hard – routinely turning ones into twos, and putting pressure on the fielders.
After Campher and Dockrell both brought up their half-centuries they began to up the run rate. Campher began to regularly find the boundary – and struck four maximums over the boundary – as he accelerated through the gears. His pull shot for six, followed by consecutive boundaries off Safyaan Sharif in the 43rd over signalled his intent to finish with a flourish. His first 50 runs took 68 balls, but his second 50 only took 31 balls, bringing up his first ODI century with a boundary behind square.
The loss of Dockrell for 69 did not see the run rate abate – Campher and Gareth Delany (19) combining for a quickfire 50-run partnership in just over four overs. Campher finally fell for 120 from the penultimate ball of the innings, Josh Little powered the last ball for four down the ground, and Ireland went into the break with a highly competitive 286-8.
Ireland started well with the ball, Adair removing Matthew Cross (4) in the second over. Adair soon had two wickets before Campher, never far from the action in this match, made two incisive interventions – first he trapped Chris McBride (56) in front then took a deflected catch at short third man. Four wickets fell for 32 runs, reducing Scotland to 122-6 in the 28th over.
When Watt strode to the crease Scotland was 152-7, needing 135 runs in 16 overs – in the end it came down to the last ball with Leask under-edging a boundary past wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker’s outstretched left hand.
Ireland now has three days break until they face Sri Lanka on Sunday. While Ireland still maintains a chance of qualification, they will require favourable results elsewhere to achieve their goal.

MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland 286-8 (50 overs: C Campher 120, G Dockrell 69; B McMullen 5-34)
Scotland 289-9 (50 overs; M Leask, C McBride 56; M Adair 3-57)

Scotland won by 1 wicket

Arachas Irish Senior Cup – Semi-Final Draw

Leinster v The Hills
Waringstown v Pembroke

Arachas National Cup – Semi-Final Draw.

Derriaghy v Rush
Muckamore v Cliftonville Academy

SHOCK DEFEAT- IRELAND LOSE TO OMAN by 5 wkts

Ireland 281/7 (50 overs; George Dockrell 91*, Harry Tector 52, Lorcan Tucker 26, Bilal Khan 2-64, Fayyaz Butt 2-65)
Oman 285/5 (48.1 overs; Kashyap Prajapati 72, Zeeshan Maqsood 59, Aqib Ilyas 52, Mohammed Nadeem 46*, Ayaan Khan 21; Mark Adair 2-47, Josh Little 2-47)

Ireland will have to do it the hard way to reach the World Cup. Losing to Oman, the weakest of the five teams, means Ireland will probably have to win the next three matches against Sri Lanka, Scotland and UAE to finish two of the teams in the two-match Series. It is difficult to pinpoint the problem, but having lost the two warm-up matches it was certainly not complacency.
Inconsistency with both bat and ball is evident, but defending 281 against Oman should have secured a victory against a minnow. Two weeks ago Ireland played against a rampant England team and although not successful, they were not disgraced. However, three more defeats means they will have to restore the confidence or suffer an ignominious departure from the World Cup hierarchy.
George Dockrell and Harry Tector batted well and Josh Little and Mark Adair took two wickets each, but it was a huge disappointment to lose.
The next three matches are cup finals!

The three-day Rario Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy Festival came to a close with the Northern Knights remaining unbeaten in the competition, while the home side Munster Reds got off the mark by defeating the reigning champions Leinster Lightning in the final game of the week.
The third day of the first T20 Festival saw the top two sides and the bottom two sides meet.

Match 1: Northern Knights v North West Warriors
Morgan Topping scored a half-century off just 28 balls, while Cade Carmichael and Ruhan Pretorius also chipped in with 44 and 43 respectively as the Northern Knights remained unbeaten in the Rario Inter-Provincial Trophy. In the Knights three matches this week Topping has scored 114 runs without being dismissed.
After being set a target of 165 for victory by the Warriors, the Knights - despite losing Ross Adair early – set about a confident run chase. Partnerships were key, with consecutive stands of 52, 45 and 50* ensuring the Belfast-based side cantered to victory with 23 balls to spare. 73% (or 122 runs) of the 167 runs the Knights scored came in boundaries with some specular shots, particularly down the ground, but instead of a flashing drive or lofted cut shot to bring up the winning runs, it was less impressively four byes that took the Knights to victory – regardless of the manner of the final runs, one thing was assured, and that was the dominance of the Knights this week.
Earlier, the Warriors’ Stephen Doheny top-scored with 39, before lofting one to Pretorius out near the boundary in the 13th over. Matthew Foster claimed four wickets for the Knights – his best List A T20 figures – as the Warriors ended their 20 overs on 164-9.
MATCH SUMMARY
Warriors v Knights, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 8 June 2023
Warriors 164-9 (20 overs; S Doheny 39, S Getkate 29; M Foster 4-30)
Knights 167-3 (16.1 overs; M Topping 51*, C Carmichael 44; L Doherty 1-27)
Knights won by 7 wickets

Match 2: Munster Reds v Northern Knights
Munster Reds found some good batting form in their final match of the three-day festival as they claimed their first victory of the week by beat Leinster Lightning by five wickets.
Needing 158 for victory, the Reds trio of Nathan McGuire (34), Murray Commins (37) and a quick-fire 28 from Connor Fletcher saw them reach their target with 23 balls to spare.
Having won the toss and electing to bat, Lightning captain Tim Tector and his opening partner Seamus Lynch started well - smashing ten fours between them.
When Lynch departed, Adam Rosslee came in at number three to anchor the Lightning’s innings and combined well with Sam Harbinson for a 62-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Rosslee fell five runs short of a half-century in the 19th over, while Harbinson finished off the innings with a boundary as the Lightning posted 157-5, which in the end wasn’t enough.
MATCH SUMMARY
Lightning v Reds, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 8 June 2023
Lightning 157-5 (20 overs; S Harbinson 45*, A Rosslee 45; L McCarthy 2-27)
Reds 159-5 (16.1 overs; M Commins 37, N McGuire 34; A Sidhu 1-16)

Reds won by 5 wickets

A swarm of bees may have forced players to dive for cover mid-game, but the native pollinators couldn’t prevent the North West Warriors and Northern Knights claiming important wins over their respective southern-based opponents on Day 2 of the three-day Rario Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy festival at The Mardyke.
The second match of the day was interrupted after ten overs of the first innings when the bees swarmed across the pitch - sending spectators, players and umpires diving for cover - and then began to make a hive on the fence in front of the pavilion. Eventually, a local beekeeper was found who secured the queen and then waited for her family to join her, before safely removing the bees.
As for the cricket, the North West Warriors won for the second time this week after a comfortable win over the Leinster Lightning, while the Northern Knights also secured their second win of the week by overcoming Munster Reds in the bee-delayed encounter.

Match 1: North West Warriors v Leinster Lightning
A half-century from captain Shane Getkate saw his North West Warriors cruise to an 81-run victory over Leinster Lightning.
After being sent into bat first, the Warriors got off to a good start with Stephen Doheny and Aaron Gillespie putting on 41 for the first wicket. However, both were removed in the space of six balls, with the Warriors 49-2 after seven overs.
Getkate combined with Jared Wilson for a fourth wicket 65-run partnership, before a double-wicket maiden for Barry McCarthy in the 15th over – removing both Wilson and Cameron Melly – had the Warriors 120-5 with five overs to go.
William McClintock came in at number seven and smashed a quick-fire 34 from 13 balls, in a 46-run partnership with Getkate as the Warriors went on to post a competitive 180-7. McCarthy finished with the most economical four-wicket haul in Inter-Provincial T20 history with 4-12 from his four overs
In the Lightning’s response, the Warriors’ bowlers dominated as wickets fell with regularity. The Lightning batters struggled to get any rhythm going, except for McCarthy who rounded out a good all-round display scoring 27 – however, the Lightning were bowled out for 99 inside 14 overs, with only three of their batters reaching double-figures.

MATCH SUMMARY
Warriors v Lightning, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 7 June 2023
Warriors 180-7 (20 overs; S Getkate 55, W McClintock 34; B McCarthy 4-12)
Lightning 99 (13.5 overs; B McCarthy 27, S Harbinson 19; C Robertson 4-20)
Warriors won by 81 runs

Match 2: Munster Reds v Northern Knights
Ruhan Pretorius put in a Player of the Match performance as the Northern Knights beat the Munster Reds in a bee-shortened 12 over game at The Mardyke. Pretorius scored 44 runs along with 3-31 with the ball as the Knights won by seven wickets (DLS).
The game was interrupted in the 11th over with the Reds 91-2, after partnerships of 31 and 42 between Nicolaj Damgaard and Gareth Delany, then Delany and Murray Commins, had the Reds on pace to post a large total.
After a delay of 112 minutes play resumed, with the game reduced to 12 overs. Connor Fletcher was immediately caught and bowled by Matthew Humpheys as the Reds went on to post 106-5 from their twelve overs.
With a new DLS target of 129 for victory, the Knights opening pair of Pretorius and Ross Adair then combined for a 96-runs, before Pretorius was bowled by Ben White in the eight over
Despite also losing the wickets of Adair (39) and Neil Rock, the Knights went on to take the win with eight balls to spare.
MATCH SUMMARY
Reds v Knights, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 7 June 2023
Reds 106-5 (12 overs; G Delany 32, M Commins 28*; R Pretorius 3-31)
Knights 131-3 (10.4 overs; R Pretorius 44, R Adair 39; B White 2-22)
Knights won by 7 wickets (DLS)

On the opening day of Cork’s three-day Rario Inter-Provincial T20 Festival, the Northern Knights smashed the highest team score in the history of the Rario Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy as they scored 236-3 in their win over Leinster Lightning at The Mardyke (beating the previous best of 228).
The total included a 116-run fourth-wicket partnership – the Knights second highest T20 partnership in the competition.
Match 1: Munster Reds v North West Warriors
A 54-run fifth-wicket partnership between Scott Macbeth and Cameron Melly helped the North West Warriors take a six-wicket victory over Munster Reds in the opening game of the day.
Having found themselves 46-2 in the ninth over - after Stephen Doheny and Aaron Gillespie had been dismissed – Macbeth upped the scoring rate by smashing an unbeaten 40 runs off 24 balls, including four boundaries and a six. Melly followed his lead and scored an unbeaten 30 off 13 balls as the Warriors won comfortably with four overs to spare.
It was an excellent all-round bowling performance for the Warriors, with Trent McKeegan claiming 4-24 as the Reds were bowled out for 120 with seven balls left in their innings.
Having been put into bat, Munster Reds struggled to build partnerships throughout their innings, with the Warriors bowling unit finding plenty of movement from the pitch early on. Ryan Macbeth and McKeegan removed the first three batters inside the opening three overs, but despite a top score of 28 from Gareth Delany, and 22 from Liam McCarthy, the Reds could only total 120 all out.
MATCH SUMMARY
Reds v Warriors, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 6 June 2023
Reds 120 (18.5 overs; G Delany 28, L McCarthy 22; T McKeegan 4-24)
Warriors 125-4 (16 overs; S Macbeth 40*, C Melly 30*; L McCarthy 2-26)
Warriors won by 6 wickets.

Match 2: Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights
Northern Knights smashed the highest score in the history of the competition, as an unbroken 116-run partnership between Morgan Topping and Neil Rock ensured a 73-run victory over Leinster Lightning in The Mardyke.
A 61-run opening partnership between Ross Adair and Ruhan Pretorius set the tone for the Knights - Pretorius going on to score 53 from just 33 balls.
At 120-3, Knights captain Rock came to the crease and took the reins of the inning, blasting eight fours and six sixes an incredible 79* from just 26 balls. Topping supported Rock with 57* from 30 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, as the Knights posted 263-3.
In the Lightning’s reply, Mark Donegan’s 58 off 32 balls – which included a 76-run partnership with Greg Ford – couldn’t keep pace with the required run rate, eventually bowled out for 163 with 17 balls remaining.
MATCH SUMMARY
Knights v Lightning, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 6 June 2023
Knights 236-3 (20 overs; N Rock 79*,M Topping 57*; A Sidhu 1-21)
Lightning 163 (17.1 overs; M Donegan 58, G Ford 31; T Mayes 4-28)
Knights won by 73 runs