The best moment for Instonians on Sunday was not when Cian Robertson hit the single to win the All-Ireland T20 final at Stormont but, a few hours later, when they heard that Cade Carmichael had been discharged from hospital.

Carmichael hit his head on the outfield when taking the catch to dismiss Zubair Khan and was treated at the ground by the ambulance staff before being taken for a check-up to hospital.

It forced Nikolai Smith to go in with Neil Rock to open the batting and ultimately was a major factor in the game going to the final over. Carmichael could, of course, have been dismissed first ball but his absence undoubtedly disrupted the NCU side’s pre-match plans and heaped huge responsibility on Rock and Shane Dadswell to lead the chase of what looked a modest victory target of 142.

Rock failed to survive eight balls, bowled by Eshan O’Sullivan in the third over for six and when Dadswell was caught on the long-on boundary for 30, off 19 balls, going for his third six, Instonians were 76 for two in the eighth over.

There shouldn’t have been any panic but Siddharth Joshi induced some by dismissing Smith and Olly Metcalfe with successive balls and after Sully Gould had negotiated the hat-trick ball, it needed all the experience  of Andrew White to get Instonians back on course.

With Gould, he added 38 for the fifth wicket but this time Instonians’ finisher couldn’t complete the job, pulling Tiago Oelofse to the deep square fielder who didn’t have to move to take the catch.   

Gould had more than justified his recall to the team – remember, he lost his place in the Challenge Cup final to James Shannon – hitting 22 off 28 balls before sacrificing his wicket to allow Robertson to keep the strike with just six  runs required from the last eight balls.

Robertson had just hit the first two balls of the 19th over to  the boundary so was feeling good and he did the same again from the third ball of the last over to tie the scores. The next ball was the last of the match.

But huge credit to Cork County for threatening to take the All-Ireland final to a third successive Super Over – at least. They made  the five-hour trip as huge underdogs but despite being bowled out with seven balls unused their bowlers fought back superbly – particularly Joshi with the  outstanding figures of three for 18 in his four overs -  to keep everyone on tenterhooks until the winning run.

Zubair was their top scorer with 35, the second wicket of the match in his final over for White who next ball held a return catch off Joshi. Diarmuid Carey survived this first hat-trick attempt of the match but Oelofse was caught next ball to give White a four-for and, along with his vital 17 runs, earned him the player of the match award.

Dadswell had caused the early damage for Instonians with three wickets in seven balls to reduce Cork County to 40 for four but a fifth wicket stand of 50 between Raj Undre and Thorne Prophet ensured this wasn’t going to be a one-sided affair.

But despite the absence of Carmichael, Instonians go the job done and finished the season with the trophy they wanted – their first All-Ireland title - and as NCU Premiership champions and T20 winners they will be remembered as the treble winners of 2025.