Having been inserted, Rush started well enough, skipper Niall Mullen (25) and keeper Fintan McAllister (13) putting on 47 for the first wicket. The big action wasn’t long coming, two of the Russian Pakistanis, Tipu Gull and Shahid Iqbal, putting on 124 for the fourth wicket. Tipu, riding his luck a bit (and why shouldn’t he?), fell to a Mike O’Brien boundary catch only four short of his ton, with Shahid contributing a valuable 53. No-one else, other than Extras (23), showed and the innings closed on 223-6. The most successful of the Village bowlers were Shane Getkate with 2-25 off 8 and Glenn Kirwin with 2-13 off 7.

Being already relegated, Malahide could have collapsed there and then, but they set after the target effectively with great spirit. Nick Turner and John Pryor (29) weren’t separated until 47 and Turner, not a regular first-teamer, carried on in very good form, holding the innings together with an excellent 81. Malahide’s problem was at the other end. By the 28th over, they were 121-2 and looking very handy indeed. Then the roof fell in, the next 7 wickets falling for a mere 19 runs. Stevie Smith (19 n.o.) and Glenn Kirwin (17) showed what could be done with a tenacious 41 for the last wicket, but Glenn fell with the total on 181, a win for Rush by 42 runs. Tipu Gull rounded off his outstanding day with 5-41 off his 10 overs of spin rather than his usual seam, including a hat-trick and two-thirds of a hat-trick. Wasim Akhtar (2-16 off 5) and Keegan Clarke (2-16 off 5) joined in the fun.

Although winning, Rush didn’t get the points they needed and join Malahide in Section B next year.