ED SPORTS SENIOR CUP PREVIEW (MAY 21ST)

Three of the four quarter-finals in the ED Sports Senior Cup take place this evening, with the CI 4-day warm-up game displacing Malahide vs Leinster in The Village until next Monday.

The action this evening sees 2024 winners Phoenix travelling to Balbriggan, whilst holders, and winners of three of the last four editions of the competition, Merrion host Rush, after the Kenure side saw off The Hills in the preliminary round to secure their place. Finally Pembroke, who have featured in four of the last five finals, last winning in 2021, take on Clontarf in Sydney Parade.

BALBRIGGAN VS PHOENIX

Balbriggan enter this game as close to full strength as they have been as yet this season. Their batting has been led by big contributions in their two games thus far by Lara Maritz and Julia Hoal, who are likely to reprise their partnership once again at the top of the order. Madison Landsman is a destructive player at number three and threatened to go off last week before being dismissed for 23. Overseas player Courtney Gounden, 2025 skipper Tess Maritz and Holywood starlet Erin Bond round out a strong top 6 for the ‘Brigg. On the bowling front, Landsman, Gounden and Lara Maritz all play all-rounder roles and will likely bowl 4 overs each, whilst Erin Knight bowled an economic spell in last week’s victory over Rush. Erin Bond and Indie Harper round out a consistent bowling unit.

Phoenix meanwhile have a team which will be buoyed by a strong outing against the early pace-setters Malahide last weekend. Alice Tector and Siúin Woods are a very strong opening duo, with Tector’s scores this season of 67 & 48* making her one of the form players in the league. Georgina Dempsey is another destroyer at number three, holder of the fifth highest score in CL Women’s Senior T20 history, she is a key cog who can change the game in a heartbeat. Arisha Foysal and Nevedha Saravanarajan will be joined by Aditiba Chudasama in the middle order this week, with the USA skipper arriving since last week’s league victory. Darcey Dalwood and Tector will lead the way with the ball, with seam support coming from the skipper Dempsey and Ali Keenan, whilst the excellent leg-breaks of Foysal round out the attack.

Two all-rounders who can change the game look like they could well decide this game, and whilst we usually make reference to a specific bat vs ball battle, it’s very likely that these two could face off in both innings. If Georgina Dempsey comes out on top against Lara Maritz, Phoenix could find themselves in the driving seat.

KEY BATTLE: Lara Maritz vs Georgina Dempsey

MERRION VS RUSH

Merrion kick off yet another title defence with a home draw to Rush, and there is a real mix of youth and experience in their side this evening. Niamh MacNulty’s charges feature two sets of twins this time out, as there’s 1^st XI debuts for teenage duo Isolde & Tansy Ní Dhónaill, and they take the field alongside a pair they would doubtless be dreaming of emulating, former internationals Isobel and Cecelia Joyce. They are without key batters in the shape of Annabel Squires and Rebecca Stokell this evening, meaning they will look to the likes of Aisling Lawlor and Leah Paul to put the side on the front foot, whilst Celeste Raack returns to the side and will look to anchor the innings. Julianne Morrissey will be the key spin option alongside Lawlor, whilst on the seam bowling front, MacNulty alongside the league’s leading bowler in 2025, Aoife Brennan, will be vital in the absence of Síbha Bhoja. Sorcha Cunningham takes over the keeping duties with Ally Boucher also missing this week.

Rush meanwhile will be hoping to repeat their performance in last week’s preliminary round game, when an excellent performance with the bat saw Cate Pedersen and Ellie McGee batting The Hills out of the game. The side have been hampered thus far by the absence of Aoife Beggs and Aisling McCormack, key openers with the bat and ball respectively, and the wait for their return goes on. Beyond Pedersen and McGee at the top, Aadita Subramanya Ramnathpur and Aisling Beggs round out the top order, whilst left-hander Eileen Foley is a hard-hitter in the middle order. With the ball, McGee and Ramnathpur were the star turns in the preliminary round, with McGee’s 3/12 being a particular stand-out. The absence of Beggs and McCormack has seen Mabel O’Donoghue and the two Armstrongs, Darcie & Pippa playing key roles so far this season, and they will once again be vital to the side’s chances.

Ellie McGee has discovered a real knack for taking key wickets in recent times, at club level and stepping up to Super Series, if she can knock over the clean-striking Aisling Lawlor, it could put Rush in with a shout of restricting Merrion.

KEY BATTLE: Aisling Lawlor vs Ellie McGee

PEMBROKE VS CLONTARF

Pembroke go in search of some level of redemption this season, as 2025 saw them lose their third final in four years, all of which have been against near-neighbours Merrion. The last time they won this competition, in 2021, they went on to go all the way and claim the all-Ireland crown. Skipper Isobel Jennings sees a major boost to her side this week, as Orla Prendergast returns to the XI for the first time this season, having been rested for Sunday’s Super Series games. Fellow World T20 squad member LouLou Little also features in the side, whilst the batting unit also includes Sarah Forbes and the big-hitting of Clare Shillington in the middle order, as well as the in-form Eimear Mullen, who comes into the game off the back of 85 for the 2^nd team last week. The bowling sees KimLi McDonald, Anna Beale and Mhairi Nicoll providing the medium pace, and one of them will likely share the new ball with Little. Forbes’ off-breaks will be to the fore in the middle overs, whilst it will be interesting to see if Prendergast is permitted to bowl ahead of a busy period of cricket upcoming. Izzy McLean takes the gloves for the hosts in this game, however she may well be another spin option should Jennings decide it to be required.

Clontarf are near to full strength this week, with the key to their side as usual being the opening pair of Christina Coulter-Reilly and Robyn Searle. Genevieve Morrissey will bat at three and likely allow those around her to take the game on, which should be useful to the aggressive style of Rosie Neuman-Jones and Lucy Barry, who also look set to feature in the top 6. Left-arm seamer Sinead Thomson leads the bowlers, and her opening spell is set to be vital, fellow medium pacers Lucy and Sophie O’Toole were to the forefront in Mount Temple’s bowling attack in winning yesterday’s Girls Senior Cup, and look set to feature prominently again. The all-round exploits of skipper Barry and off-spinner Neuman-Jones mean that this bowling attack carries plenty of depth, and could well cause Pembroke some issues.

Returning to the side, Orla Prendergast’s batting could well see Pembroke looking to dominate from the outset here, if she can dominate early on against Lucy Barry, it will put the hosts on the front foot in a big way.

KEY BATTLE: Orla Prendergast vs Lucy Barry

ED SPORTS SENIOR CUP

ROUND 1, MAY 21^ST, 6PM START

At Jack Harper Park, Balbriggan vs Phoenix

At Anglesea Road, Merrion vs Rush

At Sydney Parade, Pembroke vs Clontarf

MONDAY, MAY 25^TH, 6PM

At The Village, Malahide vs Leinster