CRICKET: Sometimes teams win cup competitions through moments of individual brilliance. Sometimes it can be a matter of luck. Other times still it can be a combination of the two.

But Merrion, the rank outsiders of the competition, won the inaugural LWH 20/20 Cup at Rathmines on Saturday because they quite simply outplayed their opponents in all aspects of the game.

Damian Poder's team bowled and fielded, in particular, better than anyone else and fully deserved to lift the Alan Murray Cup. In both the semi-final and final they posted what most people regarded to be gettable totals but with fantastic character their bowlers strangled the batting and the fielders clung on to nearly every chance that came their way.

Poder himself was the pick of his side's batting in the final, staging a recovery in the final when his side were 35 for 5. He brought them up to the respectable total of 147 with an innings of intelligent belligerence, making 60 vital runs, including five sixes.

Then his bowlers did him proud. Up against some of the best batsmen in the country, Angus Fleming, Rob Willis, Daniel Payne and Kyle Tonetti bowled just back of a length with good lines to force false shots from their Clontarf opponents.

As wickets fell at regular intervals and the run-rate soared, Tarf became more frustrated and the wickets kept tumbling. Jeremy Bray, Trent Johnston, Alex Cusack, Dom Rigby and Greg Molins all fell by the wayside and Merrion eventually won by 21 runs.