Cork County clinched their 6th consecutive All Rounder Cricket Premier Division title with a game still to play following victory over Limerick at Adare on Saturday.
The Mardyke men knew that avoiding defeat against Limerick would mean they could not be caught at the top of the Premier Division table with the final game of the season still to play.
A dominant display with the ball in batsmen friendly conditions on the Adare artificial saw Cork County restrict the home side to just 120. The pick of the bowlers were Abubakar Saddique (3-7), Joseph George (3-11) and Munster Reds skipper Jeremy Benton (3-25).
The reply go off to a shaky start with the loss of 3 early wickets but an excellent partnership between Saddique (43*) and opener Harry Broadhurst (35*) saw the visitors home with 6 wickets to spare.
The skipper Cormac Hassett was clearly delighted to have clinched the title with a game still to play following an impressive season in which they lost just one fixture to date.
“The boys have put in a huge effort once again this season. Competing in two league competitions is always a tough ask but the squad have really stuck at it and suffering just one defeat in the Premier Division all season is a fantastic return for all the hard work!”
“A sixth league title in succession is a fantastic achievement and shows the commitment of the players and club to maintaining our success in Munster. In addition to our Senior T20 Blast title, it has been a good season despite missing out on a possible Senior Cup due to a bowl-out earlier in the season!”
2018 Premier Division
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | BP | Points | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cork County 1 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 217 | 82.80 |
| 2 | Limerick 1 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 154 | 64.00 |
| 3 | Cork Harlequins 1 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 140 | 60.00 |
| 4 | County Kerry 1 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 84 | 30.55 |
| 5 | County Galway 1 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 11.20 |
Munster Premier Division
1st September, Adare.
Limerick 120 all out (Saddique 3-7, Jose 3-11, Benton 3-25) lost to Cork County 123-4 (Saddique 43, Broadhurst 35) by 6 wickets.