Clontarf ran out convincing 235-run winners over The Hills in a surprisingly one-sided affair at Sydney Parade. Having been put in, Clontarf openers Eoghan Delany and Ryan Karunakaran made their opponents regret that decision as they plundered an opening stand of 204 in 35.2 overs to all but settle the decider. Ireland Academy player Karunakaran hasn't been at his best since his delayed arrival at Castle Avenue, but came good on the big occasion as he top-scored with 105 from 109 balls (12 fours, two 6's), while skipper Delany's 88 from 107 balls included seven boundaries. That laid the platform for PJ Moor to clear the ropes five time in a rapid 47 from only 25 deliveries, while David Delany's quickfire 44 saw Clontarf finish on 343 for 7 - three wickets for Nicolaj Laegssgaard and two for Cian Nulty. Fionn Hand then celebrated his recall to the Irish senior ranks by taking five wickets in a Man of the Match display as The Hills slumped to 37 for 6. There was no way back, although Nathan Rooney (26) and Cian Nulty (23) got them up to 108.

The Hills are through to the Leinster Senior Cup final after they beat Leinster by six wickets in a high scoring T20 replay at Milverton. Leinster posted 168 for 6 with Monil Patel top scoring with 68 from just 40 balls, sharing a fourth wicket partnership of 86 in 9 overs with Saqib Bahadur (41). The chase began with an opening stand of 64 in 9 overs between Murray Commins and Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (27). The contest was decided by a whirlwind second wicket partnership of 68 in just 5 overs between Commins - whose 80 from 52 deliveries included 9 fours and 3 sixes - and Nathan Rooney, who cleared the ropes three times in his 36 from only 15 balls. The Hills wobbled slightly with the finishing line in sight, but secured the win with five balls to spare. They will face Clontarf in the decider at Sydney Parade on August 5th.

Cup specialists Clontarf won a last over thriller against a Railway Union side that will be wondering just how they managed to lose by two runs. Chasing 128, the home side were coasting at 80 for 2 just past the midway point before they imploded, Luke Thomson took four wickets and David Delany two for the Castle Avenue side - Thomson securing the run out off the penultimate ball too in a dramatic finale. Irish international Fionn Hand had top-scored with 32 for Clontarf in what looked a modest 127 for 9 - it was indeed modest, but pressure does funny things to teams and this semi-final was no exception.

The Hills produced a fine all-round display to knock out Pembroke in an entertaining clash. Bhavesh Lakhotia top-scored with 63 (8 fours, 2 sixes) adding 115 for the second wicket with Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (47). From 115 to 1, five wickets for Paul Lawson (5-33) had the home side in trouble at 162 for 7. However, the hosts counter-attacked with Nathan Rooney and Cian Nulty adding 81 for the 8th wicket in 8.3 overs. Rooney's unbeaten 58 came from just 37 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes), while Nulty hit 3 fours and cleared the ropes twice in a run-a-ball 28. A total of 247 was decent but certainly far from out of sight despite the absence of Pembroke's internationals. The decisive moment in the contest came as in-form JJ Garth was spectacularly caught on the boundary by Rooney - rated as one of the best catches seen at the ground in many a year. A mid-innings collapse that saw fur wickets tumble for one run ensured no nervous finish for the home support as they closed out the win in comfort.

A century from Monil Patel and five wickets from Mark Tongue guided Leinster to an emphatic 8-wickets win at North County. The home side had started well with teenager John Devane's maiden senior hundred getting them into a strong position - his 110 included 9 fours and one 6. With Niall McGovern (35) and Jonathan Andrews (36) also chipping in, they reached 179 for 2 after 37 overs. The innings fell away though as the acceleration never materialised, due primarily to Tonge's maiden senior five wicket haul. A final total of 240 though proved woefully inadequate with Monil Patel and Joey Carroll sharing a third wicket stand of 126 in just 15 overs. Patel hit 14 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 111 from only 86 balls, while Carroll had cleared the ropes 5 times in a quickfire 54 before retiring at the halfway point of the chase. The County attack had little answer to the powerful batting. Leinster are back in Fingal for the last four, travelling to Milverton to face The Hills.

Half centuries from Kenny Carroll, Riley Mudford, and Liam McCarthy guided Railway Union to a 5-wickets win over Rush at Park Avenue. Chasing 200, Kiwi Mudford - who has serious ambitions to play at a higher level here - top-scored with a hard-hit 66 from just 45 balls (5 fours, and five 6's) as he and Carroll shared a second wicket stand of 99 to break the back of the chase. Kenny and Liam McCarthy both hit 8 boundaries and cleared the ropes twice in their 59 and 52 not out - with the skipper's powerful innings just taking 34 balls. The Rush total of 199 was built primarily around the 'Big Two' of Neil Rock who made 74 and Llew Johnson who made a rapid 32 from 18 balls, but after a fast start the innings faded away against the disciplined home attack.

Bobbo Forrest and David Delany combined to guide Clontarf into the semi-finals of the cup with a match winning 5th wicket stand of 143 in just over 20 overs as the Castle Avenue side chased 267 to win by four wickets. Forrest was his usual busy and inventive self as he hit 15 fours and a 6 in a top score of 99 - perishing one short of a landmark ton. Delany - jut back from Australia - proved a point of difference as he and Forrest built on solid starts from skipper Eoghan Delany (39) and John McNally (30). His unbeaten 57 included 5 fours and ensured there was no dramas as the finishing line approached. The result was tough on Younas Ahmadzai - one of the players of the season to date - as he hit 17 fours and cleared the ropes three times in a brilliant 128 from only 107 deliveries. There was little support for the Afghan until late runs down the order from Michael Frost (42*), James Newland (22) and Andrew Sheridan (21). Mick Granger picked up three wickets, while there were two apiece for John McNally and Ruan Cronje. Clontarf have an away draw in the semi-finals at Railway Union on July 23rd.

The Hills made light work of a Dublin University side that would have gone into the game with a degree of confidence after four early season wins in the T20 Cup. The students were bundled out for just 76 with wickets for Nicolaj Laegsgaard 3-7, Jonathan Tall 2-9, and Matthew Weldon 2-15. They did lose two wickets chasing their modest total, but 20s from Bhavesh Lakhotia and Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin sealed the bloodless win.

Holders Pembroke are safely through after a crushing 10-wicket win against a hapless Terenure. Nicholas Stapleton had the remarkable figures of 8 for 8 - including a hat-trick of lbw's! His superb figures saw Terenure skittled for 35 - Piyush Sharma and Barry McCarthy the other successful bowlers. Diarmuid Tucker's unbeaten 28 saw the target passed without loss in just the 6th over on a day to forget for the visitors.

It was the Eddie Richardson and Simi Singh show as North County overpowered North Kildare to win easily by 8 wickets. Richardson took 6 for 36 and Singh 3/46 as Kildare were dismissed for 136. Sayed Shah hit 4 sixes in an entertaining knock but there was little else. Singh then shared stands of 63 for the second wicket with John Devane (28) and 70 for the third with Richardson (47*). Singh cleared the ropes four times in his unbeaten 50, while Richardson's undefeated 47 came from 36 deliveries (6 fours, 2 sixes).

Leinster won a battle of attrition in a low-scoring match at Claremont Road. The Rathmines side struggled to 118 in 47 overs with 20's From Patrick Lynch and Saqib Bahadhur. It may not have looked many but it proved more than enough as YM could only muster 72. Four wickets for Bahadhur and two apiece for Joey Carroll and Jai Moondra in a 46-run win.

Railway edged out Merrion by 1 wicket in the game of the day. Swapnill Modgill (44), Sam Harbinson (27) and Dom Joyce (26) took Merrion to 119 for 3 before wickets for Maan (4-13), zaman (3-19) and Sean O'Brien (2-24) saw them lose 7 wickets for 14 to slump to 133 all out. Railway's chase was in control thanks to Kenny Carroll (44) and Brandon Kruger (30) who added 60 for the 4th wicket and it looked a foregone conclusion at 88 for 3. However, they had a collapse of their own as Sinan (3-26), Harbinson (3-31) and Tom Stanton (2-23) reduced them to 116 for 9, needing 18. They got them with Nitin Mehta (17*) and Esmat Ibrahimi (5*) holding their nerve in a tense finale.

There was another one-sided contest as Civil Service were bowled out for 117 - three wickets for Jarred Barnes. The opening pair of Neil Rock and Llew Johnson both scored 50s in the easiest of wins.

Hunter Kindley's unbeaten 86 spearheaded an impressive 260-run chase by Malahide in the Fingal derby at home to Balbriggan. Their pursuit was given a flying start by Younas Ahmadzai (57) and Jamie Grassi (24), who added 74 in the first 7.4 overs. Ali Frost (27) also kept the board ticking, and Kindley and Matty Ford (47*) brought home the bacon in an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 96. Earlier Conor Fletcher had cleared the ropes four times in a top-score of 53, while there was also a half century for Farooq Nasr. Peter Chase took three wickets, while there were a brace each for Ali Frost and James Newland.

Eoghan Delany's 67 was the glue that held Clontarf together in a total of 224. He shared stands of 50 with Ruan Cronje (23) and 80 with John MCNally (43), while there were also vital runs from Aaron McGeehan (42). Danish international Oliver Hald took 5 for 36, while there were two apiece for Irish internationals Tyrone Kane and Ben White. Several Phoenix batters got starts with runs for Levon Shields 34, James Maginnis 30, Tyron Kane 29, and Jed Wiggins 27. However, the visitors teenage seamer Liam Gilhooly took advantage of his promotion up the ranks to claim four wickets to be the Castle Avenue hero in their 35-run win.