LAST SEASON, Cork County defeated Dublin University and Merrion in their first season competing in what is now the Lewis Traub League. Yesterday, they added Malahide to their list of victims, winning by two wickets to complete a rather desolate weekend for The Village, who had succumbed to Glendermott in the Royal Liver Cup the previous day.
Glendermott's gregarious supporters made it up to Malahide with sizeable contributions to the club's bar takings between Friday and yesterday, when many of them remained on until well into the afternoon to celebrate their team's success. The youthful Corkmen would not have followed the example of the Northerners, but in truth they had plenty to celebrate and would have won far more convincingly had they not gone off the boil when trailing by only 30 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Batting first, Malahide were distinctly fragile and only four batsmen Brian Gilmore, Anton Weir, Peter Saville and top scorer Robert Weir - got into double figures. Gerry Bramble with 4 for 27 and the impressive leftarm quickie, Keith Banks, did the major damage for Cork County, well supported by John Power and by smart fielding all round.
Shane Connole and Andrew Chambers put on a useful 39 for the first wicket, before Bramble figured in a stand of 40 for the second, until Robert Weir removed Connole. Cork County then moved to 90 for a mere 30 runs adrift with seemingly all the time, not to mention all the overs, in the world, when wickets began to not so much tumble as cascade.
Weir clean bowled Bramble, Peter Coleman was run out without scoring, Gilmore claimed two leg before victims, and incredibly Cork County were reeling on 96 for 7. With luck, Malahide might have pulled it off, but eventually the Cork men held their concentration to record a well deserved victory.
Bramble's 32 made him the top scorer of the match, closely followed by Chambers, Connole and Banks. This was a good win, and a fine boost for Munster cricket, following the province's triumphs over North West at the same venue the previous Sunday.
Meanwhile, the holders, Brigade, will be at home at Beechgrove to Leinster in the third round of the Irish Senior Cup, a match which will be a repeat of last year's final at Rathmines. YMCA and Merrion have been drawn at home to Strabane and Sion Mills, respectively, while Leinster's other remaining representatives, Old Belvedere, are away to Bready. The matches will be played on Saturday July 5th, with reserve dates on or before July 9th.
