There is no other word for it. Well maybe pulverised. 20 sixes and a half dozen lost balls. The 4's new Reader well lost after the second ball of the innings - a not so sound investment. Dundalk thrashed 214 in 30 overs. Muhammad Zahid was the main destroyer. From the first ball he goes big. 12 sixes and numerous 4's in his 96. Khan also with an undefeated 68 and 8 sixes. But we didnt help with countless drops. Mostly skiers.
The first half half was pretty good. Or so we thought. This was Dundalk's second game on their new pitch located directly behind Oriel Park, the home of Dundalk FC. It is a work in progress. There are worse outfields but certainly there are better. There is little run on the thick, weedy grass. The mat is a little fruity with unpredictable bounce. Their opener Syed Shah is a handful and is not for the faint hearted when he pitches short. The worst part is the surrounds. Long grass abounds. And thus every boundary requires a search. Adam Doyle 24 and Subhadip Roy 37 weathered the early storm and laid the platform. Vikas Gulati 32 scored freely. And then Brian Gilmore 51* batting at unaccustomed number 7 and Ryan Condron 23* playing his first game of the season kept the show with an undefeated 7th wicket partnership of 72. 213 for 6 off 40 overs. Good score. Nice relaxed alfresco tea on a sunny day in the Louth capital. Followed by the merciless onslaught. In the face of it, Matthew Carrick bowled bravely and skillfully in an unchanged opening spell of 8 overs 3 for 42. And young Oliver Manks making his debut also stood up amid the flak and bowled 7 overs 1 for 30. Dundalk win by 5 wickets with 10 overs to spare.
Brian Gilmore