For the first time since 2020, Limerick 1st XI were able to bring the Premier League trophy back to the Shannonside after yesterday’s results saw them crowned champions. Fixed to play against Cork Harlequins in Farmer’s Cross, heavy overnight rain resulted in damp ground conditions, as umpire Dean Wilson determined an unplayable outfield before the day’s play could begin. The abandoned result means Limerick keep their percentage at in and around 74%, and despite close rivals County Kerry gaining full points from their remaining two games over the weekend, it was all academic with the Shannonsider’s existing percentage too high to be caught.
The wait seems somewhat longer than six years, with the T20 league revised to 20 overs aside due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is Limerick’s first time winning the 50-over format since 2005. A side which featured experience, youth as well as a number of new signings, a big turnaround from last year saw changes made which brought success. Many of these were determined by Anvesh Bogavelly, playing in his third season at the club but his first as skipper of the 1st XI. Anvesh Bogavelly led from the front in a number of matches, making him one of the standout players in Munster this year, as he finished in the top 10 for both the batting and the bowling stats for 2026. He was supported by a number of his other teammates, with seamers Ramoji Alla and Prasad Hegde also amongst the top bowlers in the division, with the former taking 17 wickets from eight games. With the bat, the Shannonsiders were able to correct their top order, giving them a consistent start to their innings in many games, with the additions of Jaco Potgieter and Sreehari Madyalkar into the middle order causing a constant threat to opposition bowling attacks. The side managed to put on some very high totals this year, with a 322-run score against County Galway in Lydican featuring as a standout batting performance.
Although the official trophy presentation will not take place until the MCU Awards ceremony later this year, celebrations for Limerick Cricket Club can start over the weekend to mark a wonderful season which will go down in the archives as one of the best in the club’s long history.
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Limerick’s 2nd XI were unable to finish their campaign on a high as they succumbed to a narrow loss to the Limerick Blasters in the Manor Fields on Saturday. A defendable target of 162 was posted by Limerick in the first innings, with Blasters down to their second-last partnership after a late flurry of wickets from the hosts’ seam bowlers brought a nervy finish to the game’s play.
The home side started brightly with the bat as skipper Waqas Mehmood entrusted himself and Parth Borghare to open the batting, as both players got off the mark quickly. Mehmood departed in the fourth over at 28-1, as the run rate slowed back down after a blistering start. Borghare fell for a well-made 25 from 68 balls, an innings which demonstrated patience and control in the top order, as Limerick’s young side then struggled to cope in the middle order. Prabu came in at 4 to earn another solid half-century, but was unfortunate to lose wickets around him as Blasters asserted control. Despite losing partners at the other end, Prabu was untroubled, as he went through the gears on his way to 68 from 96 deliveries, which included 6x4s and 1x6, to help his side set a target of 163.
Despite a relatively modest total, Limerick’s start with the ball swayed the game back into contention, as Mehmood’s miraculous opening spell saw three wickets and the order somewhat depleted. At the turn of the tenth over, Borghare got in on the act, castling Raju for 7 as the Shannonsiders had Blasters four down for a score of 37. The visitors recovered well but weren’t able to add much to the scoreboard before drinks, losing another as Ajith fell to Prabu for 13. Ullah’s dismissal of Poulouse at 77-6 meant the Shannonsiders were just four wickets away from victory, but a 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket steered the away side close enough to see out their total with a couple of overs to spare.
RESULT| MCU Division One.
We lost to Limerick Blasters by 2 wickets yesterday.
Limerick 2: 162 all out off 43.1 overs.
Sathya Prabu 68
Parth Borghare 25
Limerick Blasters 1: 164-8 off 43.3 overs.
Waqas Mehmood 3-42
Arham Ullah 1-15
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In the final game of the club’s season, Limerick’s 3rd XI entertained Clare in a thrilling victory at the Manor Fields in Adare on Sunday afternoon. The victory marks the end of a successful campaign for the team’s captain Sathya Prabu who brought a wealth of underage talent into the team this year and blooded a young cohort of players for their future cricketing careers. With slightly damp conditions in Adare, Prabu lost his final toss of the season and was put into bowl by the opposition.
14-year old Arham Ullah got the hosts off to the perfect start, proving a very effective spell with the new ball as he dismissed both Ali and Dagna during the opening exchanges, to mark a neat opening spell of 2-25 from five overs. Prabu continued with seam until the halfway point, a decision which paid dividends as Hussein, Rahman and Prabu himself all picked up a wicket apiece to rattle the Clare top order and see a very content scoreboard of 64-5 at the drinks break. The pressure continued after, with Sarfraz Ramay’s introduction into the attack also effective, as he bundled over the Clare tail with a helping hand from Ullah and Rahman, as a score of 118 was set to chase.
Despite a relatively low total, Limerick made hard work of their run-chase albeit a good start. Hussein and Aziz chipped away early on and pushed their side into the late fifties, with Hussein falling for 26 and Aziz just before drinks. The partnership was just about enough for the middle order to capitalise on, with contributions in the double-digits sufficient to get them closer to home. A late few wickets almost turned into an almighty collapse from the hosts, somewhat rescued by the tail, namely in the form of Yash Srivastava, who held firm with an unbeaten 15 from 17 balls to see Limerick home with nine overs to spare.
RESULT| MCU Division Two.
We defeated Clare by 1 wicket today.
Clare 2: 118 all out off 37.2 overs.
Sarfraz Ramay 3-20
Abdur Rahman 2-12
Limerick 3: 122-9 off 31 overs.
Asif Hussein 26
Abubakar Aziz 21
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So that wraps another season for Limerick Cricket Club, a campaign which saw success at all levels for the club. The 1st XI led from the front, only losing five games all year with some narrow losses included, to rightly triumph in the Premier League, a campaign which consisted of seven wins, two losses and three abandoned games. A senior cup final and T20 semi-final showed how close the Shannonsiders were to an unprecedented senior treble, nonetheless a carrot for next year. Youth players were fleshed amongst the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XIs with valuable experience gained across the divisions, facing some really competitive cricket allowing them scope to build upon their individual skillsets for next year. This youth cohort, who have been building in the club now for over a decade, brought success across all age groups as their hard work was seen to come to fruition in making three All-Ireland semi-finals in the U13, U15 and U17 age groups. This was on the back of winning respective leagues in Munster across all three age groups, with the U13 side a particular standout after going another year unbeaten in both their League and Superleague campaigns. For our ladies side, a standout year from youth player Sana George saw her performances noticed from higher levels, granting her a spot in the Irish U-16 Ladies team in July, topping off a year where female membership grew once more in a side that are most definitely heading in the right direction, most notably through the significant number of Limerick players who represented in the Munster women’s side in various games throughout the season.
