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Old Belvedere v Cork County: Division 2 match played at the Cabra Oval on Sunday 29th August

On Saturday night I had fallen asleep in front of the irrelevant bits of Match of the Day (after the highlights of our win over the Cloggies), and awoke ready for a trip to Cabra.  Big Sam, at his best when pooping parties, should manage Old Belvedere.

The visitors, Cork County, had managed a last ball win at Terenure the previous day, and were up for the win that would guarantee their place in Division 2 next year.  Belvo needed to win to have any chance of staying out of Division 3.  County won the toss and put Belvo in.

Ahmed Dar and Syed Ali kept Bruce Koch out and picked up runs from the odd loose delivery from James Duggan.  When Ali was lbw to second change Simon Ridley for 11, 20 of the 38 total had come from the ever-reliable Ernie Extras.

Brucie had had enough after six overs for nine runs and retired to the infield for the remainder of the innings.  Ridley started leaking runs, but Andy Saul put in a good shift from the Castleknock end with his off breaks, and the other Andy, Wooton, later trundled his away floaters from the city end for only 33 runs.

Dar ran himself out for 34 just before drinks, and Sameer Dutt played on to Saul for 26 just after drinks.  That was 113-3, and Simmi Singh and Srikkanth Sharma played patiently to take the score to 147 in the 39th over when Sharma was lbw to Matt Reed for 17.

If County could keep Belvo to 200, they'd be in with a decent shout of a win, but to chase many more would be quite difficult with the lush outfield taking a good stud in readiness for the rugby season.  However, Simmi Singh put Belvo in a very good position with some excellent batting.

Mainly with flicks and drives (you play off the back foot at your peril in Cabra) he dominated the addition of 82 runs in the last 11 overs, none of his partners getting into double figures, until he ran himself out off the last ball for 74 of Belvo's 229-8.

Ernie was second top-scorer with 39, and Ridley (2/70) and Reed (2/46) suffered a bit at the end.  Those not fasting for Ramadan enjoyed a really nice tea, but Ross Durity's enjoyment lasted only into the second over when he was lbw to Singh for 1.  Ridley and Des O'Leary stayed on the front foot and out of trouble, but couldn't get up to threes, let alone the required four and a halves.

Ridley perished, caught for 19 trying to force Saadaf Raza's leg breaks, and after drinks at 71-2, O'Leary and Koch tried to up the pace.  They had got to 96 when Koch was run out for 20, and then skipper Robert Duggan was bowled by Hilal Asad one run later, and that was that.

O'Leary completed a fine fifty, but after Ridley and Koch, nobody stayed with him.  Wickets fell quickly and cheaply until Andy Saul managed to score ten and garner a bonus point when he saw the score to 130.  Five more and County were all out in 42.1 overs.

The chief beneficiary of the collapse was Asad, who finished with 5/24.  Raza (1/29) and Sharma (1/36) completed their sets of ten.  County had run out of puff literally and figuratively.  A happy Belvo now have to beat Rush and hope that County get next to nothing from their last two games.