This Section A match between the side challenging for the title (Merrion) and the side threatened with relegation (Malahide) had all the makings of a one sided encounter and so it turned out to be. The gap in class came from Merrion’s Matt Petrie, the amicable Australian ending up with 8-15 as he strengthened his place on top of the Leinster bowling average and finally delivered on what he was threatening to do all season long.

At tea Malahide would have been pleased enough with their days work as they had restricted Merrion to 211 for 5. Having said that the Merrion innings never really looked in trouble and a 4th wicket partnership of exactly 100 runs between Kade Beasley and Pradeep Lavang ensured that a 200+ total was achieved. The two batsmen came together in the 27th over with the score on 77-3, Malahide having just claimed the wicket of Dom Joyce out for 41. The partnership was finally broken when Beasley, having batted most of his innings with a runner, was out for 72 in the 44th over. An additional 34 runs were added in the last 6 overs for the loss of 1 wicket, Lavang remained not out on 52 at the close. Pick of the Malahide bowlers was Glenn Kirwan who took 2 for 30 in his 10 overs, of the other bowlers to bowl their full quota, Stevie Smith and James Henry both took a wicket a piece. Phil Markey bowled a fine 10 over spell both got no reward for his effort.

The Malahide openers got to the third over with the score on 5 when Petrie started the onslaught by removing Malahide skipper Michael O’Brien, caught at 1st slip by Dom Joyce, one of two catches the Merrion skipper took and four in total for the slip cordon. Petrie’s third over was a bit special as he bowled 6 deliveries of a different class and in the process took a hat-trick with balls 4, 5 & 6 of the over. He took his wicket tally to five in his fourth over to leave Malahide reeling on 5-10 off 7 overs. His 5th over was something of a disappointment as he failed to take a wicket but made up for it in his 6th over as he took another two wickets and his wicket haul to 7. There was no let up for Malahide, as Petrie took his 8th and final wicket in his 7th over, as the Malahide batsman nicked yet another ball through to wicket keeper Beasley, giving him three catches in the match. The introduction of Titesh Patel at the other end brought the Malahide innings to an end, and deprived Petrie of a 10 for, as he took the final two wickets in the first three balls of his second over. For the record Petrie’s bowling analysis makes impressive reading taking his 8 wickets for 15 runs in 8 overs, 4 of which were maidens, in the process beating his season best 5-6. Malahide innings closed on 27, it had lasted 16.3 overs, little under an hours playing time. Andy Smith the only player to survive the carnage and make double figures, just…