PEMBROKE ticked off box number three of their five-trophy target with a 133 run win over Civil Service Northern Ireland at Clontarf yesterday, with JJ Garth’s second cup final century of the summer the decisive contribution.
Focus now falls on the All-Ireland T20 Cup final next weekend, while the club still rides high in the league despite defeat to Railway Union on Saturday.
Much of the early talk around the ground yesterday was about the extraordinary late intervention by Cricket Ireland’s high performance director Graeme West, whose edict on workloads forced four players out of the final.
His press release, at 7.33pm on Saturday, said that three men from Pembroke along with CSNI allrounder Jordan Neill would not be allowed play in the final.
It read: ‘We are highly conscious of workloads and priorities of our international players and are looking to manage their health and wellbeing during what is a busy time. Our approach is that players that have been heavily involved in the current Afghan series and who are set to play in the European T20 Premier League should be rested. This means Lorcan Tucker, Gavin Hoey, Jordan Neill and Harry Tector will not play the Irish Senior Cup Final given they go into camp with their franchises from Monday.’
‘Club cricket is the beating heart of Irish cricket’ crows the CI website, but the climax of the club season — run by the governing body — was devalued by this decision.
And to really gall supporters, the main reason was to ensure the four were fresh for their ETPL sides! So Lorcan Tucker’s lifetime with Pembroke had to be set aside for a makeyuppy side called Belfast Wolves, who will never play in the city that gives it its name.
Pembroke won the toss and batted, mindful of runs on the board in an ISC final, where the first to bat has won the last six deciders.
Tim Tector and Garth feasted on loose early bowling, putting on 46 in the first six overs. Off the first ball of the 7th, Tector’s drive was held low above the ground by Harry Dyer off the impressive Adam Leckey.
Tector had made 15, bringing his total in this year’s Cup to 404 runs, just 23 off the record.
Andrew Balbirnie’s arrival meant the ball continued to race away off parched outfield, and there were 14 fours in the first 10 overs, when Pembroke were 77-1.
Scoring slowed as Finn Lutton’s miserly spell down the hill conceded just 30 off his ten overs, with Garth scoring just nine off the next ten overs.
He and Balbirnie added 136 in 27 overs, before the Test captain was adjudged lbw to West for 73.
Garth loves the big occasion, playing man of the match innings in the Leinster final in both 2024 (57) and this year (113).
He added to his collection here, bringing up his ton in 129 balls, the second man to make tons in the provincial and All-Ireland final in the same year, following Morgan Topping two years ago.
It was a doubly delicious day for the Garth clan, with sister Kim collecting a winner’s medal in The Hundred. The Dubliner took wickets in successful balls for Trent Rockets who beat Leeds Sunrisers at Lord’s.
Macdara Cosgrave had an excellent cameo of 35 off 24 balls but the rest of the tail fluffed their lines and a total that seemed to be heading towards 350 petered out on 306-8. James West cashed in with 4-45.
Although Byron McDonough’s first over went for 16, he snapped up West, and pro Addison Sheriff dismissed dangermen Marc Ellison (5) and ex-Delhi Capitals Ashwin Shebbar (2) to leave CSNI on 52-3 off the powerplay.
Ryan Hunter (46) and Stuart Thompson (32) repaired the innings with a stand of 71, but wickets continued to fall with spinners Paul Lawson and Tim Tector mopping up the tail.
