The following is an extract from Cover Point’s Match Report on the 2008 Munster Senior Cup Final played on 30th May 2009 after being held over from the previous season.
“The 2008 MCU Cup final (finally staged yesterday at the Mardyke in Cork) ended in dramatic fashion with Cork County defeating the holders, Cork Harlequins by two wickets with four balls remaining.
After 49 overs and over 7 hours in uninterrupted sunshine, County were 186 for 8 needing 5 runs to win. With the experienced ex Irish international Ted Williamson about to bowl the final over and with 16 year old rookie Chris Banon facing, it seemed that ‘Quins were on the verge of pulling off a remarkable victory to retain the Cup.
It wasn’t to be however. Banon kept a cool head and smashed the first ball of Williamson’s over into the off side. Despite a desperate dive it pierced the field and County were able to run two. The next ball Banon confidently lifted over the infield to the long off boundary and County were home.”
The young Banon clearly rose to the challenge on that occasion!
On 29th June 2009 at Fox Lodge, he scored 96 out of a Munster total of 211 all out against Leinster U15s in an interprovincial series. Though Leinster won the match by 100 runs Banon was named Man of the Match.
With Cork County joining the Leinster League in 2010 there will be more opportunities for the now seventeen-year-old to showcase his talent and demonstrate that he can mix it at a higher level.
It is a challenge that his captain at Cork County, Robert Duggan is confident that Banon is ready for:
“My first real glimpse of Chris’ talent was when he hit the winning runs with only a few balls remaining during the rescheduled 2008 Munster Senior Cup Final at the beginning of last season.
2009 was a real breakthrough season for him especially when scored 96 against Leinster U15 during the interprovincial series.
I had heard a lot of good things from our youth coach Dermot Giltinan about Chris and since he graduated into the senior squad at the beginning of last season I have seen for myself his great attitude and willingness to learn from senior players.
Chris is a popular member of the squad and his great sporting attitude is the perfect example to are other up and coming young players.
It is hoped Chris will form a major part of our side for coming season particularly with the challenge of competing in Leinster Division 2, a tough Irish Cup tie away to Civil Service in Belfast and also in local Munster competitions.
One of the principal reasons for Cork County’s application to enter the Leinster league was to provide our talented younger players such as Chris with decent competitive cricket and a pathway to possible higher representative honours.
From what I know of him so far I am very confident he is up to the challenge. His eagerness to learn accompanied by his excellent fielding ability and natural eye for the ball all point towards a very promising cricketing career for Cork County, Munster and hopefully at Irish representative level in the not so distant future”.
Chris Banon- 
Profile
Date of Birth: 17/11/92
Place of Birth: Cork City
Club: Cork County CC
Bats: LHB, usually middle order
Bowls: a bit of medium pace (sometimes)
Interview:
CP: When did you start to play cricket?
CB: When I went into first year in school.
CP: What sparked your interest in the game?
CB: My dad is from India so he got me interested in it originally. I watched it a little bit on TV and found it interesting and when I got the chance to try it out in school I got hooked on it.
CP: Favourite cricketer and why?
CB: Sachin Tendulkar. He is just a class act. His technique and timing is second to none and he is just a genius in the middle.
CP: Biggest influence and why?
CB: Without a doubt it has to be Dermot Giltinan. He was the one who really got me into the game and was the one who showed me how to bat. He taught me all the basics when I first started playing and hasn’t given up on me yet, and is still helping me to improve as a player.
CP: Ambitions for 2010?
CB: I would like to get more consistent with my batting and start getting more runs, and to keep improving.
CP: Ambitions beyond 2010?
CB: To just keep improving and getting better, and like most people to play for an Irish team would obviously be a dream come true.
CP: Proudest achievement to date?
CB: Winning a Munster Senior Cup was exceptional, but it would probably have to be getting runs in the inter-pros against Leinster last summer. It was just a great feeling and my best innings to date.
CP: Biggest disappointment to date?
CB: Losing the 2009 senior cup first round to Galway after winning the 2008 senior cup final the day before.
CP: Area looking to improve in 2010?
CB: My consistency. I would like to start getting more consistent with the bat and to stop finding different ways to get myself out.
CP: What else are you passionate about?
CB: Sport in general really, especially rugby and GAA.
CP: What other interests have you / what other sports do you play?
CB: I play rugby and GAA so they keep me busy when I’m not playing cricket.
CP: What could Irish cricket be doing (if anything) that it is not doing already to make the sport more popular?
CB: Just keep doing whatever it’s doing now. The sport’s popularity in Munster is at a high and the numbers of young players starting in Cork County is rising each year.
Liam Rooney in cooperation with Chris Banon
Copyright: Cover Point
Ireland and Northants wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien was back in Ireland at the weekend taking part in coaching sessions at Cork County.
