Double trouble for Kerry’s T20 cricket squads

TO paraphrase Oscar Wilde: to lose one semi-final may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two (on consecutive days) looks like carelessness. Kerry squads qualified for both of the Munster T20 Finals days at the Marydyke, but both Kerry 2nds, who competed in the Junior T20 knock-out; and the Kerry 1st squad, who play in the T20 Senior Blast, failed to progress past the semi-final stage.

The Seconds were drawn against Limerick on Saturday and performed well enough to bowl out a decent batting line-up for only 128. All six Kerry bowlers picked up wickets, Alam Morshed the pick of the bunch, taking 3 for only 7 runs off just 2 overs; Qassim took 2 for 24 and Usman 2 for 33, while John Roux, Sajeed and Mohsin picked up one wicket apiece.

And with two catches and two stumpings Navroop Johnson showed his wicket keeping skills to great effect. But disappointingly, after a quality team effort in the field and a great start to the chase from Bilal (32) and Usman (25) Kerry 2nds dramatically lost their way.

At the end of over 11, Kerry were sitting pretty on 69 for two wickets, more than half way to the target with 8 wickets and 9 overs in hand; but just a few balls later found themselves reduced to 77 for 5. Limerick had turned the match on its head. Kerry never recovered their composure and their innings petered out with only 106 runs from the full 20 overs. So Limerick 2nds won by 22 runs and marched through to the Final against Cork Harlequins.

In the Final it was Quins 2nds who took the Junior T20 trophy in a classic last ball finish winning by just one run.

On Sunday, at the same time as the GA squads were doing battle in Killarney, Kerry took on Cork County in the Senior T20 Blast semi-final. Kerry 1sts made heavy weather of the match from the very first over and though Arslan Anwar played anchor-man, top scoring yet again, he was dismissed on 48. Opener Azeem put a 20 steady on the board, but the Cork bowling was simply too tight, and although Yaqoob Ali chipped in with a brisk 14 late on, the Kerry batters couldn’t raise the run rate to produce a competitive total.

Mohammad Saddique was outstanding for Cork taking 2 for 9 runs off only 3 overs and when the 20th over had been bowled, 122 for 7 was all Kerry could muster. That target looked seriously under par and indeed Cormac Hassett (53) - who was finally dismissed with Cork needing only 7 more runs for victory - and Garry King (61 n.o.) made light work of the lack-lustre Kerry bowling attack, easing past their target early in the 12th over.

So Cork County comfortably secured their place in the Final winning by 9 wickets. County, last year’s champions, continued to dominate in the Final, restricting Harlequins to a mere 80 runs winning by 7 wickets in 9 overs to retain the Senior T20 trophy. Congratulations to Cork County.

FIXTURES

Saturday, July 8

Munster Junior Cup

Cork County 2nd v County Kerry 2nd in The Marydyke

Sunday, July 9

Munster Division 2

Lismore 1st v County Kerry 3rd in Castle Grounds

Irish National Cup Quar ter-final Strabane 1st v County Kerry 1st in Strabane