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Edinburgh Castle Rockers continued their unbeaten run in the ETPL with a hard-fought 12-run victory over Dublin Guardians in Match 21 at Malahide. The Rockers posted 174 for four before holding off a spirited Dublin chase, finishing on 162 for eight to remain unbeaten and strengthen their position at the top of the ETPL standings.
Dublin won the toss and elected to bowl, but Edinburgh's batting line-up responded with a strong performance after losing Ross Adair to the first ball. JJ Smuts added nine from seven before falling with the score on 30, bringing Andries Gous and Brandon McMullen together, according to a press release from the ETPL. Gous provided the platform for the innings with an assured 50 from 40 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. McMullen then took control of the middle overs, producing the innings' highest score with an unbeaten 69 from 49 deliveries. His five fours and four sixes helped maintain the momentum after Gous departed at 111. Laurie Evans added 14 from eight balls before Mitchell Santner supplied the late acceleration, smashing an unbeaten 27 from just 15 deliveries with two fours and two sixes. Edinburgh added 41 runs from the final 25 balls to finish on 174 for four, with McMullen's innings earning him the Player of the Match award. Dublin's chase began positively through James Vince and David Willey, who put together a useful opening stand before Vince fell for 17 from 13 balls. Willey continued to anchor the response with 33 from 30, while Harry Tector then produced the most aggressive contribution of the innings. Tector struck 45 from just 29 balls, hitting four fours and a six at a strike rate of 155.17. His innings kept Dublin in contention, with Daryl Mitchell adding 18 from 16 and George Dockrell providing a late burst of 19 from just 10 balls. But Edinburgh kept finding breakthroughs at crucial moments. Jack Jarvis was the standout bowler, claiming four wickets for 34 runs from his four overs. Tom Curran also made an important contribution with 2 for 32, while Brandon McMullen completed an impressive all-round performance with 2 for 11 from his two overs. Dublin reached 145 for seven after 18.2 overs and needed a strong finish, but Edinburgh's attack prevented the Guardians from finding the boundaries required. They eventually closed on 162 for eight, 12 runs short of the target. The result extends Edinburgh's extraordinary unbeaten record in the ETPL. The Rockers now have six wins from seven matches, leaving them on 13 points and still without a defeat. Their ability to produce contributions across the XI has been central to that run. Against Dublin, McMullen's unbeaten 69 and two wickets, Gous' half-century and Jarvis' four-wicket haul combined to give the Rockers the edge in both innings. For Dublin, Tector's 45 and Willey's 33 provided plenty of resistance, but the Guardians were unable to convert their promising positions into a successful chase. Edinburgh, meanwhile, continue to set the pace in the ETPL. Seven matches into their campaign, they remain unbeaten and their remarkable run rolls on. (ANI)
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