Leinster powered into the Leinster Senior Cup final with a commanding 116-run semi-final win over North County, built around a blistering century from Younas Ahmadzai.

Leinster piled up a formidable 383 for 6 after a perfectly paced batting display exploded in the closing overs. Monil Patel laid the platform with a classy 75 from 81 balls, striking 11 fours and a six, while Gareth Delany added further authority with 69 from 69 deliveries.

Thomas Johnson’s 45 also helped steady the innings after Bilal Azhar fell early, but the real carnage came from Ahmadzai. He launched a brutal 123 from just 55 balls, clearing the ropes seven times and adding 13 fours in a stunning display of clean hitting.

Jai Moondra added a rapid 21 from nine balls as Leinster plundered 198 runs from the final 15 overs. Jake Devane took 3 for 67 for North County, but the target was always going to be mountainous.

North County’s chase started badly as Bilal Azhar removed Lochie Hardy and Jamie Grassi in successive balls. Suliman Safi countered with a brisk 52, but wickets kept falling and the reply slipped to 110 for 6.

Eddie Richardson and Jake Devane restored pride with a powerful seventh-wicket stand of 146. Richardson made an excellent 90 from 85 balls, while Devane struck 64 from 66, but their dismissals in consecutive overs ended any faint hopes.

Azhar finished with 4 for 65, while Mark Tonge’s 3 for 51 helped wrap up the innings for 267 in 43.5 overs.

It was a statement semi-final performance from Leinster, whose batting firepower proved far too much, and they can now look forward to a final against holders Pembroke at Sydney Parade next month.