Brigade retained the Faughan Valley Trophy and booked their place in the All-Ireland T20 Semi-Final with a comprehensive 42-run victory over Ardmore at The Rectory on Sunday.
Replying to the Beechgrove side’s 190 for five, Ardmore openers Dharm Singh and Rachit Gaur put on 51 in just four overs, but Brigade skipper Andy Britton had Singh caught behind with his first ball, and when Scott Macbeth dismissed Gaur at the start of the eighth over, the Ardmore charge ended abruptly.
With Gaur hitting 44 from just 19 balls (five fours and two sixes), the defending Premiership champions had 87 on the board when he was caught, but they could add only another 61 runs and they were bowled out with 15 balls unused.
Iftikhar Hussain was the destroyer-in-chief, finishing with four wickets as Ardmore collapsed from 91 for three to 119 for eight.
The first innings also started well for Ardmore, as Gaur and Harry Zimmermann removed openers Cameron Melly and the North West’s leading run-scorer Scott Macbeth inside three overs. However, a third wicket stand of 66 in just 35 balls between Marcello Piedt and Hussain gave Brigade the initiative.
After Piedt was caught for 47, an innings of 22 balls, which included 11 fours, Hussain then took 15 off Ciaran Roundtree’s second over. That was as good as it got for Brigade because after the loss of Britton and Hussain in quick succession, they scored only 43 from the next eight overs.
But there was still time for the Barr brothers David and Ryan to add 34 from the last three overs, and that was ultimately to be the match-winning partnership.
Brigade’s All-Ireland Semi-Final opponents will be Lisburn on August 11 at Wallace Park, with Leinster hosting Cork Harlequins in the other last-four game. The Final is set for August 25.
Meanwhile, at Bready on Sunday, Dragons made it two wins out of two in the Super50 Series with a 33-run (DLS) victory over the Scorchers.
In-form international Orla Prendergast was the star of the game, with 77 from 68 balls, and she then took two wickets for 10 runs in her four overs, and the visitors were well behind when rain ended the innings after 31 overs.
Alana Dalzell, on her home ground, shared a sixth wicket stand of 67 with Prendergast and finished 36 not out, including six fours.
FAUGHAN VALLEY CUP FINAL
The Rectory: Brigade 190-5 (M Piedt 47, I Hussain 44, D Barr 30 not out, R Barr 25 not out; D Singh 2-32) Ardmore 148 (17.3 overs, R Gaur 44, D Singh 27, H Melly 21; I Hussain 4-27, S Macbeth 2-18)
Brigade won by 42 runs
SUPER50 SERIES
Dragons 209-7 (44 overs, O Prendergast 77, A Dalzell 36 not out; A Fisher 23; A Tector 2-37, A Maguire 2-40) Scorchers 121-6 (33 overs, L Paul 41, G Lewis 38; O Prendergast 2-10)
Dragons won by 33 runs (DLS)