The decision of Malahide’s captain Mike O’Brien to bowl first having won the toss would seem to have been vindicated when Phil Markey bowled Adrian D’arcy for a duck with only 2 balls gone in the match. Malahide's other opening bowling Calum Riches got in on the act when he removed Eoghan Delaney and then Dom Rigby in successive overs to leave Clontarf in trouble at 26-3 off 8 overs.

The fall of Rigby’s wicket brought the Clontarf captain, Greg Molins, in to join opener Rob Hokin and the two set about rebuilding the Clontarf innings. They ground out a 127 run partnership against a frugal Malahide bowling attack to add some respectability to the Clontarf score. In the process both batsmen were rewarded for their patience with half centuries. Hokins was the first to get his 50, off 103 balls, shortly followed by Molins, off 107 balls. The partnership was finally broken in the 43rd over with the score on 153 when Molins was bowled by Malahide’s U-16 spinner Adam Coghlan, giving him his first wicket in Senior cricket.

The reintroduction of Calum Riches into the attack had immediate effect as he removed Hokins, out for a well made 69 (125 balls), and Bill Coghlan in the same over to leave Clontarf on 169-6 in the 46 over. Some big hitting at the death from Joe Morrissey and Ronan O’Reilly added 23 runs and brought Clontarf to192 off 48 overs.

The last two overs saw Markey take Morrissey’s wicket, out for 12, and in the final over Riches removed O’Reilly for 15 as the opening bowler took his first Senior “Michelle”. Clontarf innings closed on 204 for 8 off 50 overs. For Malahide, Riches “Michelle” came at the expense of 38 runs off 10 overs, Markey took two wickets for 31 and the young spinner Coghlan 1 for 44 off 9 overs.

Sadly this interesting encountered came to an abrupt end shortly after tea when the gathering gloom and thunder brought torrential rain before a ball could be bowled in the Malahide innings.