IBI CORPORATE FINANCE FIRST TEAM LEAGUE (ROUND 2, 3.5.2026)

The second round of the IBI Corporate Finance First Team League is scheduled to take place on Sunday (3rd May) with Terenure, The Vineyard and The Maws as the host venues again this weekend.

TERENURE VS ADAMSTOWN

Terenure will face Adamstown on the back of an opening day win over Cork Harlequins whilst Adamstown will be buoyed by their secural of an 8-run win in The Vineyard when they successfully defended 184.

Terenure have been in sensational form since the season began, backing up their Leinster Senior Cup win over Knockharley with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Cork Harlequins last weekend, and they will be looking to make it three wins from three this weekend.

Last weekend’s result laid down a marker, Cork Harlequins were bowled out for 164, with Kripesh Shetty the pick of the bowlers with 4/34, before Henry Dall and Sid Nair put the result beyond doubt with a brilliant 90-run third wicket partnership, Dall contributing 52 before being dismissed, with Nair finishing unbeaten on 53 to see the hosts home inside 22 overs. A clinical start to the league campaign from the ‘Clee.

Adamstown arrive with a spring in their step after a brilliant opening weekend result, as their young and largely new-look side pulled off a prized scalp against The Hills at The Vineyard. Their composure in a tight chase, where they held their nerve to win by eight runs with The Hills needing just 33 from the final stages, was a real statement of maturity from a side finding their feet at this level, and they will take enormous confidence into this fixture.

The batting is anchored by Sidharth Biju, who top-scored last weekend with a composed 53, and he is set to open alongside Angad Bawa in what looks a promising partnership at the top of the order. Prashanth Damodaran showed his value last weekend with 39, and will again be a key figure in the middle order alongside Aryan Adelkar and skipper Dinesh Antony Kidagan David, who rounds out what is a young but increasingly dangerous batting unit.

THE HILLS VS KNOCKHARLEY

This weekend also sees Knockharley travel to Milverton on the back of two credible early season performances at this level especially with the bat – they successfully defended 246 last weekend against North Kildare and will be heartened by the fact that they have so far demonstrated to themselves and to others that they can compete effectively at this level.

Having bounced back from their week one defeat with a stunning 74-run victory over North Kildare last weekend, they will be on cloud nine. Daneyaal Janjua continues to be the story of the early season, backing up his week one century with a blistering 59, including five maximums, in another match-winning performance. Brandon Kruger set the platform with 42 at the top of the order, and whilst no other batter passed 24 in that aforementioned total of 246, the bowlers more than did their job in restricting North Kildare to 172 all out in the chase. Kashif Ali and Brandon Kruger were the pick of the bowlers with three wickets apiece, as the side showed a level of control and composure that belies their inexperience at this level.

For The Hills, they will already be feeling the pressure of pre-season expectation that they should dominate at this level and in doing so, secure immediate re-entry into the Premier League for 2027. They will have been stunned by their opening day defeat to Adamstown. Despite 5/39 for Cian Nulty, a middle-order batting failure meant that they came up 8 runs short, all out in just the 34th over of the chase.

The Hills will have been bitterly disappointed with how last weekend unfolded. A promising start saw Muzamil Sherzad race to 43 off 43 balls to put the side well ahead of the run-rate in their chase of 184, however a collapse to 104/6 ultimately proved their undoing, with Adamstown holding their nerve to win by eight runs and leave the Milverton men still searching for their first points of the season. There were bright spots, Nulty's sensational bowling effort the stand out, whilst Stefano Di Bartolomeo showed real character with 32 to keep the chase alive, however Weldon will know that a performance of that nature cannot be repeated this weekend.

The batting carries no shortage of talent. Yaseen and Muzamil Sherzad will open the innings, with the middle order in the capable hands of Nathan Rooney, skipper Weldon, Italian international Stefano Di Bartolomeo and young Joey Russell, who will also take the gloves. The main addition this weekend however is that of Overseas Player Liam Blackford, who is a highly touted Victorian and adds a new dimension to the side. The firepower is undeniably there, and a collective effort this weekend is what the side will be demanding of themselves after last week's collapse.

NORTH KILDARE VS CORK HARLEQUINS

North Kildare will host Cork Harlequins at The Maws as both sides look to bounce back immediately from opening day defeats last weekend. Whilst it was a challenging afternoon for Quins in Terenure, Umer Khan at least provided some fireworks, clubbing 6 sixes and three fours in a 33-ball 59.

North Kildare will have been bitterly disappointed with how last weekend unfolded. Having been in the box seat for much of the 2025 season only to fall short, they will have been eager to hit the ground running this year, and a home defeat to Knockharley will have stung. They were competitive throughout, with Moize Haider getting them off to a solid start with 40, and Nurulain Boda showing his value with both bat and ball, however a wobble in the middle order that saw them slip from 73/3 to 76/6 ultimately proved too much to overcome. They will need a far more composed batting effort this weekend if they are to get their season back on track.

Cork Harlequins arrive on the back of a chastening seven-wicket defeat to Terenure in week one, and will be desperate to show that result was not a true reflection of what this side is capable of. There were glimpses of what this batting unit can do last weekend, with Devon Joyce and Adam Hickey showing some resilience in a brief partnership last weekend, however the side will need a much more collective effort this time around if they are to post a competitive total.

One of the lessons from week one across the board will have been the need for greater application from the batting line-ups with over 30 overs unused by the teams batting first across the three matches last Sunday.

League Table Summary (after Round One)