Merrion play the odds and come up trumps

CRICKET: MERRION UPSET the odds, ironically supplied by their sponsors Paddy Power, to claim their first Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup title with a 36-run victory over Railway Union at Balrothery on Saturday.

They may have been even money at the start of the day, but after Railway Union amassed a competition record score of 317 for three in their 50 overs, you could have got any odds you liked judging the sentiment of the crowd at the interval.

That wasn’t the case in the Merrion dressingroom after a stunning run to the final that had already seen them beat Strabane, CIYMS, North County and Waringstown to make the decider.

They also had the advantage of knowing that following a 90-minute delay to the start of the game due to a wet outfield, and a further shower at the interval, they would not need to reach that massive target due to a cut-off time of 6.40pm.

Merrion skipper John Anderson, an accountant by profession, had worked out the Duckworth Lewis calculations and reckoned his side needed to make around 150 runs off 25 overs.

Still a big ask and one that got a lot tougher after Railway captain Trent Johnston held on to a stunning return catch from Ben Ackland off his first delivery with just one run on the board.

That brought Greg Clarence, Merrion’s Australian professional, to the wicket to join Dom Joyce in what would turn out to be the crucial stand of a game dominated by the batsmen from start to finish.

After winning the toss, Johnston had made the decision to bat based on the knowledge there would be no restrictions on his bowlers in the second innings, while they would also be able to deny Merrion five overs of fielding powerplay in their search for runs.

And while Johnston certainly kept up his side of the bargain bowling from the Knockbrack end, Railway leaked runs at a disastrous rate from the Road end.

The statistics are startling, with Johnston conceding just 28 runs after bowling his 10 overs straight through. The five bowlers used at the other end were bled for a massive 100 runs as Clarence and Joyce punished a stream of short and wide dross to the full.

It meant that at the end of the 20th over, which constituted a match, Merrion were 134 for one, 37 runs ahead of Duckworth Lewis and with only 20 minutes to go to the time cut-off.

They had to ensure they didn’t lose a few quick wickets to let Railway back in to the equation but Clarence and Joyce were well ensconced and had moved the score up 164 before umpire John Andrews flicked off the bails to set off jubilant scenes among the vocal Merrion support.

Clarence finished on 80, including 12 fours and a six, while Joyce hit 14 fours in his knock of 72.

Clarence, a 23-year-old from Sydney, was awarded the man-of-the-match award for his innings, one perfectly suited for the occasion with its mixture of control and outright aggression.

Ireland coach Phil Simmons made the call, but he took time out to mention the exploits of Johnston, who had earlier hit an unbeaten 71 from just 38 balls in an explosive stand of 141 runs with fellow Ireland international Kevin O’Brien (76 not out from 56).

It pushed Railway well past the 300-mark, a score that looked stunning on paper. That was until Merrion ripped it to shreds to complete a memorable victory for the Anglesea Road club.