Rush were asked to bat and quickly lost both openers. The in-form Lionel Jansen followed lbw to Matt Petrie but Naseer Shaukat and Tipu Gull rebuilt in a stand of 35 to take the score to 60. Then Tiktesh Patel, mixing his line and flight beautifully, bowled Gull behind his legs and with Shahid Iqbal quickly following, lbw to Pradeep Lavang, the innings rested on the shoulders of Shaukat.

He had reached 50 when John Anderson's first delivery was dropped horribly short and pulled into the safe hands of Peter Blakeney at deep mid wicket. This quickly became 79 for 8 bringing together Pat Sheridan and Wasim Akhtar. Dom Joyce continued to fiddle with his bowling changes but slowly a partnership flourished. They both waited for the bad ball, Sheridan relying on drives to off and leg, Akhtar going the aerial route. They had taken the score to 154 when Akhtar holed out to Richard Keaveney at long on off Damien Poder's bowling for a worthy 46. Sheridan ran himself out shortly thereafter for 31 and the innings closed on 157. Anderson (2 for 16) and Petrie (2 for 22) were the most successful Merrion bowlers but Patel deserved better than 1 for 29 from his 10 overs. Jeff Short's hopes his figures remain a state secret.

With the rain clouds gathering, Merrion opened with Dom Joyce and Damien Poder. Joyce was caught in front of middle stump second ball and Poder nicked Shahid Iqbal behind to leave Merrion 14 for 2. But John Anderson and Kade Beasley rebuilt in the steadily deteriorating conditions. There were two breaks for rain and after the second it was decided that the bowlers' run ups were too dangerous to continue with Merrion a tantalising 57 for 2 off 16.1 overs - just 23 deliveries short of the minimum to make a match.