The wonderful Irish Senior Cup win of 2013 has raised many
questions from our younger members about our only other Final appearance (it
was called the Schweppes Cup in those days).
While the Final result was a disappointing one, it was a terrific cup
run with great games all the way through.
This is the story of our 1990 Schweppes Cup journey.
We began the competition in the second round, there was only
one game in Round 1, at home to Brigade from the North West. Batting first we set a target of 239 for 8,
with Deryck Vincent and Pete Scolari hitting 50s. In reply, Brigade could only manage 137 with
our two left armers, Gerry Kirwan and Feargal O’Mahony picking up three wickets
each. Round 2 paired us against Phoenix
who batted first and were looking good at 100 for 1, however a fine spell of
bowling from Brian MacNeice (4 for 25) restricted Phoenix to 162. A comfortable 4 wicket victory ensued with
Vincent again in the runs making 88.
The draw for the fourth round was not kind, as we drew the
mighty Warringstown, though at least it was in Castle Avenue. Warringstown were one of the strongest teams
in the country littered with famous names, Harrisons and Nelsons amongst the
international stars. But what a
day. Restricting them to 174 was a
fantastic effort in the field, on a hot day with a great wicket. Then to chase without losing a wicket was the
icing on the cake. Vincent (101 not out)
and Michael Rea (74 not out) ensured a famous win.
And so to the semi-final and a bus journey to Woodvale in
Belfast. Woodvale batted first and lead
by the Irish captain Stephen Warke set a challenging total of 209 for 3. That was not quite the full story however as
Feargal O’Mahony had dislocated his shoulder and Clontarf captain Brendan
Bergin pulled a hamstring when in the field.
However most crippling was the nerves which threatened to overcome the
team as they battled to reach the score.
Fortunately the Woodvale keeper also had the jitters and he missed
Vincent on three occasions as he scrapped his way to 78. Enda McDermott took
over when he was out and when he departed in the 47th over there was
still 21 to win. Enter the injured
Captain, who, literally on one leg, smacked the winning runs for a famous
win. The bus journey home was epic too,
so good that the bus driver missed the turn and we ended up taking a detour
through Armagh somehow.
We will leave it to Sean Pender of The Irish Times to report
on the Final which was against Lurgan.
McCollum swings final in Lurgan’s favour
Ross McCollum, whose three Ireland appearances two years ago
were against county opposition but who has yet to be given a chance against
weaker international teams, showed at Rathmines on Saturday that if the bowling
is not of high quality he will literally make mincemeat of it.
In making a scorching 89 ball 91 that irreversibly turned
the Schweppes Cup final in Lurgan’s favour, the 26 year old clubbed eight fours
and five sixes off a Clontarf attach that could find no way of containing him.
Only Feargal O’Mahony, bowling as well as he ever has,
managed to keep him in any kind of check. Before being forced to retire with an
injured finger, the Clontarf left arm spinner send down 9.2 overs for a mere 12
runs – and half of that total came in a single blow from McCollum.
Clontarf could not be faulted or lack of effort in the
field, but three possible run outs in addition to the two achieved, were muffed
through ill directed returns to the stumps.
Two fine catches were taken by Michael Rea, the first on the long on
boundary accounting for McCollum, and two also by John Daly, the first a diving
leg-side effort to dismiss his fellow wicket-keeper Tom Guy.
A run out in the very first over had started the day off on
an ecstatic note for Clontarf. A brilliant stooping stop on the run by Alan
McClean led to both Guy and Subash Kshirasgar being caught out of their ground
and after Guy had initially started back towards the pavilion the umpires ruled
that Lurgan’s Indian professional was, in fact, the man dismissed.
Guy fell in the second over with only two runs on the board,
but then came a magnificent 148 run stand between McCollum and Dessie Neill,
the latter hitting seven fours in his 52 and follow up contributions from the
Hunter brothers that enabled Lurgan to reach 251 fir 9 off their 50 overs and
have 73 runs to spare at the end.
A long struggle now faced Clontarf if the match was to be
won and the first over dismissal of Deryck Vincent did not augur well for its
successful completion. The left handed
opener got a touch outside the off stump to a fine delivery from Alan Johnston
and Guy jubilantly took the first of three catches.
Though Rea, McClean, Enda McDermott, Brendan Bergin and
particularly Peter Scolari subsequently all played double figure cameo innings,
Clontarf’s real hope of victory disappeared with the departure of Vincent,
century maker against YMCA in his previous appearance in a final at Rathmines.
Johnston, remorseless in accuracy and length, also claimed
he wickets of McDermott and John Barry, brought off a close to the wickets
diving catch to get rid of Rea. Kshirasgar,
Neill shinning in a dual role and Alan Donnelly, a superb fielder, each chipped
in with 2 wickets at economical cost, there was no doubting Lurgan’s real hero.
With ferocious hitting Ross McCollum had dug the Northerners out of a hole from
which there did not appear to be any possible escape.
Lurgan
S Kshirasgar run out 0
T Guy c Daly b Barry 0
D Neill run out 52
R McCollum c Rea b Kirwan 91
G Hunter lbw MacNeice 47
A Hunter c McClean b Scolari 24
A Donnelly c Rea b MacNeice 3
R Burton b Vincent 4
A Johnston not out 11
A Woods c Daly b MacNeice 5
P Lyness not out 0
Extras 14
Total for 9 wickets 251
Bowling
MacNeice 10-1-56-3, Barry 5-0-40-1, Vincent 6-1-26-1, Kirwan
9.4-0-65-1, O’Mahony 9.2-4-12-0, Scolari 10-1-43-1
Clontarf
D Vincent c Guy b Johnston 1
M Rea c Johnston b Kshirasgar 19
A McClean c A Hunter b Kshirasgar 34
P Scolari lbw Neill 30
J Daly b Donnelly 7
E McDermott b Johnston 28
B Bergin c Guy b Neill 20
F O’Mahony run out 5
B MacNeice not out 5
J Barry c Guy b Johnston 3
G Kirwan b Donnelly 6
Extras 20
Total 178
Bowling
Johnston 9-2-23-3, Woods 4-1-15-0, Kshirasgar 10-1-27-2,
Lyness 6-0-22-0, Neill 9-0-40-2, Donnelly 9.1-0-33-2
