CRICKET/All-Ireland Cup final:North County's Andre Botha yesterday presented Man of the Match adjudicator Phil Simmons with one of the easiest decisions of the Ireland coach's career. Botha, the South African born all-rounder, dominated the Bob Kerr All-Ireland Cup final at Castle Avenue, top scoring with 84 in his side's innings of 259 for 8 and then taking a hat-trick with the ball to dismantle The Hills' early batting line-up.
North County's 105-run victory was the fourth time the Balrothery club has won the cup, making them the first to manage this feat since the tournament's inception in 1982.
Two things had to happen for The Hills to record a victory in their first appearance in an All Ireland final: they had to get Botha early and Jeremy Bray needed to score heavily. The reality was very different. Botha's innings of 84 was a typical effort from the Ireland player, full of strokes all round the wicket. He received good support from Conor Armstrong and the innings was rounded off by a hard working partnership by the Mooney brothers, John and Paul.
Veteran Matt Dwyer's spin was the pick of the bowling, his 10 overs reaping two wickets for 44 runs. It was Dwyer who finally removed Botha, who was eyeing a century. North County were 188 for 3 with 12 of their overs remaining, so The Hills went in to the break happy to be chasing 259 for 8.
Jeremy Bray's innings was fast, furious and over very quickly, the big left hander perhaps guilty of over confidence, a legacy of his hundred against the same opponents last weekend. He scored two crashing off-side boundaries in among several other aggressive looking attempts. He was clean bowled by Rynhart Strydom, a wicket that was greeted with much celebration both on the field and among the North County followers around the ground.
Former Ireland international Barry Archer batted beautifully for his half century, striking a series of elegant off-side boundaries.
In the 13th over the match turned decisively in North County's favour. Botha removed Patrick Byrne, Azzaz Faruki and Michael O'Herlihy in successive deliveries, the last of these succumbing to a full-length yorker which squeezed under his bat to be out lbw. From a promising position of 51 for 1 off 13 overs, they began the 14th at 51 for 4 and reeling.
Archer was joined in an excellent partnership by Mark Dwyer, son of Matt. This was a game full of familial links. Aside from the Dwyers, there were three sets of brothers on the field - the Mooneys of North County and the Archers and Clintons of The Hills.
As things drew to a conclusion, North County were able to put the incoming batsmen under pressure as the run rate climbed above six an over. Archer went pulling a short ball to the deep square boundary, caught well by Sean O'Connor low to the ground.
North County wrapped up the innings, with Richie Lawrence's leg spin taking five wickets for 36.
The game was played out in sunshine on an excellent Clontarf wicket, testimony to the work of Karl McDermott the groundsman at Castle Avenue.
McDermott's work received higher recognition this week, when he was named European Groundsman of the Year by the ICC. The citation described the Clontarf pitch as having "not a blade of grass out of place". Few present yesterday would disagree with that analysis.
North County 259 for 8 (A Botha 84, C Armstrong 41, J Mooney 31, P Mooney 31, M Dwyer 2-44, J Bray 2-52), The Hills 154 (B Archer 52, M Dwyer 36, A Botha 3-31, R Lawrence 5-38).
North County won by 105 runs.
