Merion put in a strong opening innings performance in today's RSA Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup Final against Clontarf, reaching a very competitive 253 for 7 wickets in their 50 overs.
Merrion won the toss at Malahide Castle and, on a cloudy but warm morning, chose to bat.
Clontarf opening bowler Zander van der Merwe removed Beasley for 0 with the sixth ball of
the match and when Ackland was dismissed LBW for 9 in the tenth over to Joe Morrissey Merrion
had crawled to 18 for 2.This brought to the wicket John Anderson, arguably the best club batsman
in Ireland.
Anderson did not disappoint and in partnership with Brett Thompson took the score to
161 with an initially steady and then fluent partnership of 143. Thompson fell for 78 but Anderson
carried on and when a century seemed inevitable was caught for 87 trying to get quick runs at the
end of the innings. Anderson has scored 371 runs in the tournament and has only been dismissed three times.
A late flurry of runs from Dom Joyce ensured that the Anderson-Thompson partnership was not squandered. Joyce scored a rapid 50 of just 30 balls. The only Clontarf bowler to contain Merrion was van der Merwe who finished with the very credible figures of 4 for 46 of his 10 overs on a slow wicket which give little help to the seam bowlers.
-Odran Flynn
