This weekend sees the completion (weather permitting) of three Leinster Cup competitions as follows
Senior Cup final – Clontarf v YMCA – Sat 1st August - Claremont Rd. – 11.00 am
Senior 2 Cup final – Laois v YMCA 2 – Sun 2nd August – Clontarf – 1.00 pm
Middle Cup final – Clontarf 3 v Pembroke 3 – Mon 3rd August – Rush – 1.00 pm
Senior Cup
Following the success of the Senior League from 1919, the Leinster Cricket Union introduced a cup competition in 1935. Up until the early seventies the competition was timeless with several famous matches running through weekends and into midweek evenings. In 1972 it was decided to adopt the one-day 60 over a side (with restrictions on bowlers) format which had become popular in English first class cricket in the 1960s. Although first class one day cricket is now standardised at 50 overs a side, Leinster has remained faithful to the 60 over version. We are quite possibly the only place in the world where this is still played - a factor that needed some tweaking of the most recent Duckworth –Lewis software after this year’s first round.
This year’s finalists have had many successes in the competition. Clontarf won it first in 1943 and apart from a period in the 70s and 80s when they had several losing finals, have been regular winners. The 21st century has seen particular success. This is their tenth final in sixteen seasons and they have won six, including a three in a row between 2007 and 2009. They go into the final as holders, having beaten Malahide last year. YMCA had to wait until 1984 for their first success but that was the start of a purple patch where they contested eight finals in eleven seasons, winning seven of them. Interestingly the only one they lost in that period was in 1992 to Clontarf. In all they have contested twelve finals and won ten most recently in 2013. Apart from the 1992 match, the teams met in 1987 and 1990 with YM the winners on both occasions.
Although YM’s league form has been inconsistent, they have been convincing winners in their cup matches. A 300 run chase against Phoenix in the first round was followed by comprehensive wins over Malahide and Pembroke. On the other hand Clontarf, whose league performances have been impressive, have been less convincing in the cup. They were indebted to their lower order to retrieve a bad position against Leinster in the first round and despite then beating North County reasonably convincingly, they collapsed from a comfortable position against Cork County in the semi-final, getting home in the end by one wicket.
Teams
Clontarf: E Delany (capt), B Coghlan, A Cusack,A.Darcy, S Dutt , R.Forrest, M.Granger, C.Kelly, S Moreton, J.Morrissey, A Poynter . 12th man M Collier
YMCA: A.Van der Merwe (capt), T.Fisher, P.Flanagan, R.Garth, R.Jones, S.McAuley, S.Murphy, Y.Ali Shah, S.Singh, H.Tector, J.Tector.
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Senior 2 Cup
In 1942 Belvedere school presented the Leinster Cricket Union with a cup to be competed for by second elevens of those clubs in the Senior Cup and first elevens of clubs below Senior. The first winners were Railway Union 2nds. Since then it has been a keenly contested competition but one in which neither of this year’s finalists have been particularly successful.
YMCA 2nds have won the trophy only once, in 1991, when they were captained by John Dunlop, brother of Angus, this year’s captain. Angus is not the only ex-international captain on the YM team which will also feature Alan Lewis. That success was until last year their only appearance in the final but having come second in 2014, they will be keen to go one better this year. Despite struggling somewhat in the Division 2 league, they have had comprehensive cup wins over Malahide, Civil Service and Merrion on their way to the final.
Laois, a club of much more recent origin, have yet to taste success in the competition, having been beaten in 2004 and 2008 in their only previous final appearances. They have however had good wins over Phoenix, Pembroke and Greystones in the earlier rounds and no doubt will be confident that in the presence of their own Roland Bradley, current LCU President , they will rise to the occasion.
Teams
YMCA: A.Dunlop (capt), A.Bailey, R.Chawla, U.Jehangi , Y.Kashyap, M.Kirk , A.Lewis, D.McDonough, C.Meier, J.Meier, S.Streek.
Laois: R.Meraj (capt), N. Anwar, P.Blackley, B.Hur, A.Khana, N. Raees, M.Ramazan, R.Rixon-Fuller, Z.Shauket, A.Siddiqi, A.Smit.
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Middle Cup Final
The Middle Cup competition commenced in 1970 when a restructuring of what was then called Junior cricket required a new cup competition between Senior 2 and Intermediate. The first winners were Old Belvedere 3, a club very strong at that time but sadly no longer with us. Of this year’s finalists, Clontarf have been the more successful having won the competition seven times, and been runners up on three other occasions. Pembroke have contested five finals, winning three. Most of Clontarf’s successes however were some years ago, including a win over Pembroke in 1973, with their most recent win coming in 2003. By contrast, Pembroke have been more successful in this century with their most recent win being in 2011.
Pembroke are a league division higher but neither team has been particularly impressive in league matches. In the cup, Pembroke struggled to beat Phoenix in the first round but won reasonably comfortably thereafter. Clontarf on the other hand got through the first two rounds without too much difficulty but had the narrowest win possible in the semi-final , beating Rush on fewer wickets lost with runs equal. A close contest in the final may well be in prospect.
Teams
Clontarf: from B. McDermott (capt), D.Ashton, B.Boland, E. Bowes, M.Butler, A.Delany, I.Dent, R. Kirk, D McGeehan, H. Opperman, R. Patterson, I. Smillie.
Pembroke: D. O’Riordan (capt), S. Bromfield, J. Dunleavy, S. Gupta, R. Hastie, C. Hoey, J. Hoey, C. Kavanagh, A. Mays, B. Tucker, D. Tucker