UCD Gold Clinch Trevor West Trophy in Dominant Style

UCD Gold retained the Trevor West Trophy after a commanding 135-run victory over UCD Blue in the final of the Irish Universities Outdoor Competition, held at College Park.

The fixture saw UCD Gold produce a clinical all-round performance. Batting first after losing the toss, Gold posted an imposing 217 for 9 in their 40 overs. Tom Johnson anchored the innings with a classy 75 off 78 balls, supported ably by Mark Tonge’s aggressive 44 from just 33 deliveries. Contributions from Conor Austin (24) and a late cameo from Callum O’Byrne (22* off 15) helped set a competitive total despite a late flurry of wickets, with Kartik Saraswat picking up 3 for 9 for UCD Blue.

In reply, UCD Blue’s chase faltered early and never recovered. Opener Usama Bhatti offered some resistance with a fluent 25, but wickets tumbled steadily under sustained pressure from the Gold bowling attack. Tom Johnson capped off his fine day with the ball as well, claiming 3 for 4 in 3.1 overs. He was well supported by Daniel Forkin (2-7) and Mark Tonge (2-15), as UCD Blue were bowled out for just 82 in 26.1 overs.

Semi-Final 1: UCD Blue vs DBS

In the first semi-final, having defeated a strong Trinity side, Dublin Business School were tasked with taking on UCD Blue which proved a step too far as they fell to a five-wicket defeat in a 40-over clash. Having won the toss, UCD opted to bowl first and restricted DBS to 166 all out in 31.2 overs.

DBS were propelled by Shahul Hameed (37 off 29) and Atharva Randhe (31 off 21), but their innings never fully recovered from a collapse triggered by Nawaz Khan, who ran through the middle order with an outstanding spell of 5-16 from his six overs, Jinal Khatri also chipped in with 2 for 27.

In reply, UCD Blue chased down the target with calm efficiency, reaching 168 for 5 in 34.3 overs. Jinal Khatri played a composed anchor role, scoring 58 off 83 balls, while Swaroop Somashekar (31 off 48) provided solidity at the top. Though DBS tried to mount pressure with wickets from Shahul Hameed (2-22) and Lakshay Verma (2-29), it wasn’t enough to derail the chase.

Semi-Final 2: UCD Gold vs UG

In the second semi-final, UCD Gold faced a spirited challenge from UOG but emerged victorious by 60 runs in a rain-affected 30-over-a-side match.

Batting first after UG won the toss and chose to bowl, Gold compiled a competitive 177 for 8. Tom Johnson led from the front with a fluent 34 off 42 balls, striking three fours and two sixes. He was well supported by Daniel Forkin (28) and Callum O’Byrne, who finished unbeaten on 23 to provide a late push. The UG bowlers were led by Ashwin Tamil, who claimed 4 for 34, and Abhishek Satish, who took 2 for 32.

In reply, UG were bowled out for 117 in 27.5 overs. While Muhammad Asad top-scored with 35, and Asad Wadood chipped in with 15, no other batter managed to settle. The Gold bowling attack was relentless, with Tom Johnson delivering a standout spell, taking 4 for 24. He was well-supported by Mark Tonge (2-11) and Conor Austin (2-23) as UG fell well short of the target.