There was no doubt about the batting performance of the week, the memorable innings played by Stephen Doheny for Munster Reds on Wednesday when he plundered 150 runs from just 56 balls against a hapless Northern Knights attack in the T20 Trophy game at The Mardyke.

The temporary Reds captain – covering for the injured Curtis Campher - was only the 16th batter to score 150 in a List A T20 game and it shattered the previous best score in the competition – Ross Adair’s 116 for the Knights in August 2024 at Eglinton. But at no stage did he feel that it would be ‘just one of those days’.

“I go through a bit of process and roll with the punches,” says Doheny. “Things then start to go your way and you have momentum and you can sense that the fielding team are on the ropes. At any time the ball can go to hand (he was dropped just after getting to 50) or you make a mistake, fortunately for me it didn’t really happen. So I was pretty lucky in that regard.”

His first 50 came from 21 balls with one four and six sixes, his second 50 from 22 balls (another three fours and four sixes) and his third 50 from just 13 balls (two fours, six sixes) came from the last 52 runs.

“I knew we needed 220 to post a competitive score because the boundaries are short there and they had a good batting line-up so it was a case of putting the foot down, I was the set batter and felt like it was my responsibility to take it on, and it came off. A lot of times it doesn’t and thankfully it did. So a good day.”

Doheny is now the leading run-scorer in the T20 Trophy, with 1,148 runs, although he was actually pipped to the 1,000 landmark by Andrew Balbirnie. The Ireland Test captain got there in the first match of the day but he could add only 14 runs in the rest of the week so was comfortably overtaken by the Merrion batter.

It is back to club cricket for Doheny this weekend. Although he is sitting out Merrion’s T20 Cup match against Phoenix on Friday night, he is playing on Sunday in a vital Premiership game against league leaders Clontarf.

“They got one over us in the Leinster Cup so it would be nice to get one back on them. They are already a win ahead of us so it’s an important game. I’m in good form and have momentum so hopefully I can help us to a win.

Doheny admits he would love to play every game but as a member of the Ireland T20 squad to face West Indies, he was forced to miss the Irish Cup clash against Donemana, which the North West side won in the last over.

It was disappointing to miss it but if you asked me if I would prefer to be called up to the Ireland squad or play the Irish Cup game I know which I would have chosen,” he says.

Even though the first two international games were rained off, and he wasn’t selected for the third game, Doheny is unequivocal.

“You have to be prepared to play – injuries happen and Ireland are digging into the depth of their player pool as well. Playing for Ireland is the goal and us players do whatever it takes to be fit and be ready to go when required.

For an international player to have been around the squad for more than three years and won only 14 caps, the word ‘frustrating’ would come to mind but that is now how Doheny, still just 26-years-old, sums up his Ireland career so far. He is refreshingly honest and his dedication shines through.

“I’m very grateful to have represented my country, it’s been a goal since I started playing,” he says. “If I am being honest with myself I was probably under-prepared when I made my debut in 2023. It’s hard to replicate the intensity of international cricket outside it so when I got that opportunity I learnt lots about myself, about my game, and how I want to go about it.

“I had another opportunity against South Africa in Abu Dhabi and that didn’t go to plan (scores of 3 and 0 in October last year – he hasn’t played since) but that’s part of the game. We have some really talented batters in our squad at the minute and there is not as much rotation in the batting, so you have to wait for your opportunity. But I feel I am on the right track, I am batting well, in a good place mentally and if another opportunity comes my way I am in a good place to take it.

“It is a baptism of fire when you first play international cricket, the drop off to our domestic cricket is quite big so you have to artificially create that intensity through training or Wolves fixtures, whenever they come around. But I am coming up to a nice part of my career where I have had a smell of what international cricket is, I know what it requires to succeed and hopefully if the challenge comes again I’m in a good position to take it.

Expanding on why he was under-prepared for those first three T20I games in Zimbabwe (resulting in scores of 15, 2 and 2) he explains: “As a player technically I wasn’t sure what was required and I gained those learnings from facing the music and you learn very quickly what you need to succeed rather from the side. Cricket looks easier from the sidelines as opposed to when you are out in the middle.

“I had a few good scores (84 is his best in his second ODI against Zimbabwe)  and a few failures which is normal, but the most important thing is that you are open and honest with yourself and willing to look in where you missed and take it on the chin.

“A word I pride myself on is resilience. I have never shied away from trying to get better, trying to grow and hopefully that stands me in good stead going forward.

“All I want and the selectors want is for Ireland to win games of cricket. That’s the most important thing and it’s my job to get into a position for them to trust me to do that. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

“I’m hoping I’m coming into the best time of my career. I hope I now know what’s required to succeed and I will just keep working hard and if another opportunity comes my way I’m ready to take it.”