Kerry 1st XI Start the Season With a Huge Win on Sunday 4th May 2025
KERRY SENIORS OFF TO A FLYING START
The Bank Holiday weekend started poorly when Kerry 2nds lost heavily to Midleton 1st XI, but Kerry’s own first team completed an astonishing victory over Nenagh at Balleighan.
On Sunday (May 4th), Kerry won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost their first two wickets for 32, but from that point Awais Saghir and Qassim Mohammed dominated proceedings with a batting masterclass that was a joy to watch.
Both batters opened their seasons with tons as they built a match-winning partnership of 243 to propel Kerry’s total to a mighty 333 off their 40 overs.
Awais finally fell for 132 off 91 balls (17x4s and 7x 6s) while Qassim hit 119 off 95 balls (11x4s and 5x6s), that’s an extraordinary total of 184 in boundaries alone between them.
They got a little help from spilt catches by the Nenagh fielders, including some regulation catches that really should have been taken.
Nevertheless, the third wicket partnership was a remarkable achievement, both batters stayed at the crease for over two hours.
They were playing in full sunshine whacking a heavy ball with heavy bats in heavy padding and safety helmets, and running quickly between the wickets when not hitting boundaries; no small task.
For Nenagh only one bowler got to grips with the Kerry batters, in fact all of the seven wickets to fall, remarkably, fell to Umair Akber, who finished with 7 for 51 off his full 8 overs.
In reply Nenagh were 3 for 33 after 7 overs and the writing was already on the wall; three top batters down and equally worryingly, the run rate was less than 5 an over when 8 runs per over was needed. That run rate pressure was already starting to tell.
Vinobaji(32) and Naveen George(38) put a partnership of 80 together, steadying the ship a little, but when Vinobaji was brilliantly caught in the deep by Kerry Captain, Braden Warnke, the total was 108 for 4, and with less than 20 overs remaining, recovery became a faint hope for the home side.
Nenagh lost their last three wickets to Alam Morshed who finished with 3 for 4 of just 10 balls; all out for 150, Kerry securing a massive winning margin of 183 runs.
That huge victory was enough to send them straight through to the final of the Munster Cricket Senior Shield, a brilliant way for Kerry 1st XI to open their 2025 season.
Kerry 1st XI: 333 for 7 beat Nenagh 1st XI: 150 all out by 183 runs.
On Saturday 3rd May, Midleton romped to victory on their home ground on a day when both teams struggled with their bowling, collectively adding more than nine extra overs from wide deliveries.
Midleton 1st XI: 359 for 9 beat Kerry 2nd XI: 248 all out, by 111 runs.
Monday 5th May, Mardyke.
Kerry 5th XI: 106 for 9 lost to Cork County 5th XI: 104 for 4, by 6 wickets.
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