IBI CORPORATE FINANCE PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW – ROUND 2 (MAY 2ND)

Week one of the IBI Corporate Finance Premier League saw an awful lot of ‘as you were’ as four of last season’s top six once again hold positions in the top-half of the table. Clontarf, Cork County and Pembroke sit together at the top with 24 points apiece. Championship winners North County lie fourth, a point ahead of the other successful sides in the shape of Leinster and Merrion.

This weekend sees plenty of interesting battles, with a double-booking of action across Saturday and Monday likely to see the league table taking shape.

Life doesn’t get any easier for the new-boys Civil Service, who head to Merrion, whilst Clontarf and Cork County will look to build on good starts at home to Railway Union and North County respectively. There’s also an abundance of cricket in Fingal, where Malahide will host Leinster, Balbriggan take on Phoenix, and finally Rush play host to Pembroke.

CLONTARF VS RAILWAY UNION

Kicking off proceedings in Castle Avenue, where for the second season in a row Clontarf sit top of the table having claimed 24 points in round 1. This fixture last term took place on the May Bank Holiday Monday, and saw the hosts indebted to a century for their then overseas player Patrick Xie in securing the victory. If last week is anything to go by, Railway Union should be equally concerned this time around, as Sam Morgan took to life in Ireland like a duck to water in his unbeaten 96, showing great control throughout his innings. His role in the middle order looks to be key for ‘Tarf this year, as the settled top three sees Séamus Lynch and Mitchell Thompson, a duo that likes to dominate the bowling, leading the charge, with Eoghan Delany still batting extremely well in his role at number three which knits the innings together. Whilst the middle order wasn’t exposed last week, it comprises firepower in the shape of Fionn Hand, whilst Kartik Joshi is another accomplished cricketer who looks capable of performing should he be required, the line-up is deepened this weekend by the inclusion of Andrew Delany at number 7.

With the ball, ‘Tarf are still without three of their 1.1 bowling options for this fixture, with John McNally and David Delany both sidelined, whilst Reuben Wilson won’t return to the side until Monday. Hand was excellent in his opening spell last week, taking two in his first over, and this is the sort of start they will be looking for once again, with their bowling attack still looking somewhat second-string. Nawaz Khan will share the new ball duties with his skipper, with Liam Gilhooly the third seamer in the side. The side also enter the Bullring with three front-line spin bowling options, as left-arm orthodox Cillian McDonnell leads the way, with support from a pair of offies in Yash Bala, who was the stand out bowler in the 2^nd XI Prem last season, and Joshi, who bowled brilliantly without the due rewards

Railway Union meanwhile were chastened by neighbours Pembroke last weekend, and will be desperate to bounce back this weekend. They welcome skipper Philippe le Roux back into their batting line-up, which strengthens a batting unit that struggled in facing too many dot balls last time around. He slots in just after Rob O’Brien at number 4, pushing each other batter down one, this means they now have a much deeper look to the unit, with Srihan Karpe (who has previously scored a century in the U23 District Cup) batting at number 9. Ashil Prakash and Bruce Whaley will set the tone, Whaley will no doubt look to be the aggressor having made a quick-fire 64 opening the batting in their 2^nd team last weekend, meanwhile Abhay Tipnis and Liam McCarthy are the left-handed duo at 6 and 7 who will be looking to boost the side’s score late on.

With the ball, they welcome Digamber Mishra into the team this weekend, and he’ll provide the back-up to McCarthy and Farman Afridi’s opening spell. Rob Carr is the other medium pacer in the side, before the spin takes centre stage. Tipnis and Karpe were the only bowlers other than McCarthy who could control the scoring rate, they are likely to be key again, especially if Clontarf get off to a decent start.

For the hosts, their top 4 are absolutely crucial with the bat, and no doubt they will be hoping to get off to a good start once again this weekend, if Séamus Lynch can put ‘Tarf on the front foot against Liam McCarthy, it will be tough for the visitors to claw things back. Job number one for McCarthy as ever is to attempt to control ‘Moose’

KEY BATTLE: Séamus Lynch vs Liam McCarthy

MALAHIDE VS LEINSTER

Malahide welcome Leinster to The Village with both sides having contrasting fortunes in similar games. Leinster were on the back-foot for a long period of their victory over Balbriggan before a late partnership saw them over the line, whilst Malahide will have been kicking themselves after letting Merrion slip through their hands having had their visitors over the barrel at 5/3.

Malahide’s batting faltered last weekend, which will have frustrated new player-coach Greg Ford no-end. They thrived for much of last season when Robbie Foulkes provided them with a strong start at the top of the order, and will be hopeful he can kick his season into gear in this game. If they can add Matt Ford into their line-up this weekend, it would provide a much needed boost, as their loss of wickets in clusters last weekend was ultimately very costly, having lost 2/10 and 3/13 at different stages inside their first 6 wickets to fall. Some promise comes from the half-century made by Jeremy Martins, whilst each of Adam Doyle, Mike Frost and Greg Ford made starts which they will have been disappointed not to kick-on from. This will need to change if the hosts are to put Leinster under pressure this time.

With the ball meanwhile, they seem to have a well balanced unit. Ravi Kumar’s opening spell provides control and the knack for taking important wickets, whilst Ex-Lightning seamer James Newland’s left-arm has been generally consistent for a number of years and is the other half of a solid duo. Kelvin Donnelly and Martins are the other frontline seamers, with Andy Sheridan having not bowled last weekend. The middle overs are likely to see Mike Frost’s slow left-arm and Robbie Foulkes’ cutters attempting to keep things tight, that pair delivered 20 overs that cost just 64 runs in last week’s fixture.

Leinster meanwhile will be hoping that their incredible bowling unit can produce the goods this weekend. Jai Moondra and Bilal Azhar were the two left-armers who found success against Balbriggan last time out, however they will be hoping that overseas man Tom O’Connor can crack the door open early on with his left-arm pace. Mark Tonge and Joey Carroll add two further right-arm seam options, whilst last week saw just three overs of spin come from Tom Johnson, this area being the one which could potentially be strengthened should Saqib Bahadur return to the side.

Their batting however is where they will be looking for a reasonably big improvement this time around, even in spite of chasing 227 successfully last weekend. Luke Horgan underwent a baptism of fire, being dismissed first ball, however himself and Tom Johnson are set to open the digs again. The lowest score from numbers 3 to 7 was 19, however none of Monil Patel, Younas Ahmadzai, Joey Carroll or Mark Tonge could kick on and make the big score which would have provided the solid platform and make their chase straightforward. This will doubtless be an are where Leinster look to improve this weekend, even if O’Connor’s unbeaten 46 did show that he can provide the essential rearguard which will be called upon at times this year if they are to once again be challenging at the sharp end.

Malahide’s Ravi Kumar is one of the trickiest operators around, he’ll be hoping to get an  early look at Monil Patel, and if he can, Patel will need to dominate in order to put Leinster on the front foot in this fixture.

KEY BATTLE: Ravi Kumar vs Monil Patel

BALBRIGGAN VS PHOENIX

Balbriggan come into this tie feeling like they’ve let one slip through their fingers last weekend, as they left 10 overs unused having been 112/2 and in a decent position. They will have been encouraged by Connor Fletcher’s start with the bat, and hopeful that they can see Ghanim Dara join him at the top of the order this time around. Cameron Rowe and Chris de Freitas at three and four have been their stand-out batters for a number of seasons, and de Freitas’ effort last weekend saw him top-score and showed no sign of him letting his foot off the gas any time soon. Aaron McGeehan is a strong addition to the team at number 5, whilst head coach Andre Botha will be hoping at least one of that top order can bat as deep as possible, allowing the 6/7/8 of Seb De Oliveira, Dylan Lues and Jordan Hollard to accelerate in the latter parts of the innings.

With the ball, the team will have been encouraged by two-fors for each of Matt Hollard, De Oliveira and Lues, however the lack of impact from their other bowlers will have been a cause for some concern. Hollard is relentless with the new ball and his extra pace regularly causes issues for opposition top orders, however there was little in the way of seam support beyond he and De Oliveira, so it will be interesting to see if Ruan Strauss can bounce back, or if they potentially look to add another quick-bowler to the side this weekend. Lues and Jordan Hollard provided the off-break options last weekend, however they again were shorn of the usual third in their attack, with Farooq Nasr absent, a return for him would also see the side in a much better place with the ball.

Phoenix meanwhile had a bizarre start last week, overcoming a rocky start with the bat to be the only side who batted first to complete 50 overs, before seeming to capitulate with the ball early on. Only two bowlers, Raghav Grover and Sean McNicholl were able to keep the run rate below 5 an over during their respective spells, as a total of 37 extras also gifted their opposition a head-start. This time around, they’ll be hoping to see Tyrone Kane on-song, and more control from the likes of Amish Sidhu if they are to restrict Balbriggan. Their additional bowling options including the likes of Rory MacColl and Aadil Naizam could then be under less pressure by the time skipper Shane Getkate throws the ball their way.

With the bat, Getkate leads the way alongside Johit Munjal, whilst Amish Sidhu saw himself promoted to number three last week however that was without success. Their main men are found at 4 and 5 in the shape of George Dockrell and Tyrone Kane, who possess both the class and power game to take the game away from any opposition. Callum O’Byrne has also had some success in the middle order in previous seasons, and along with in-form all-rounder Raghav Grover will add more support.

Balbriggan’s key man is undoubtedly Chris de Freitas, and they will be hoping to see him get on top in the middle overs, if he can capitalise on Amish Sidhu turning the ball back into him, it will wreak havoc with Phoenix’s prospective bowling options.

KEY BATTLE: Chris de Freitas vs Amish Sidhu

RUSH VS PEMBROKE

Rush host Pembroke in the top flight of league cricket for the first time since 1998, and do so already on a reconnaissance mission after a thumping defeat in their Fingal derby against North County last weekend. Their bowling was the area where they’ll have taken significant encouragement however in that defeat, bowling their opponents out in under 40 overs with no fewer than five of their bowlers taking wickets. Allan Eastwood shares the opening duties with Alex Neary, with the former international no doubt hoping to make his mark against his former club. Abid Taniwal is still yet to return to the bowling crease since an injury halted him in mid-2025, and Rush will be looking forward to seeing him back at the end of his run-up again whenever that may be. Conor Butterly and Gary Smith were the other options selected last week. Their spinners are doubtless set to be important this weekend, Nasir Totakhil was one of the most feared bowlers in the league last-term, however last week’s game didn’t go his way and he must now bounce back to lead the line with his left-arm orthodox. He’s supported by the off-spin from both Isaac Bird and Nathan McGuire, with the latter having starred taking 4 wickets in last weekend’s defeat.

With the bat, it was a surprise to see Neary occupying a slot at the top of the order last time around, and remains to be seen whether he will be reprising that role once again. If the order remains unchanged, there is some star quality right down to number 8, where Hashir Sultan resides, a man who has scored quickly and heavily at this level in the past. The star quality sits at number three, four and five, where Bird, McGuire and Taniwal boast clean-hitting allied with the ability to make big scores. Bird was in the runs last time out, whilst McGuire has shown on several occasions that if he gets in and set he is almost impossible to dislodge. Left-hander Taniwal meanwhile was the Championship’s leading scorer in 2025, and will be hoping to add to his growing reputation in the coming weeks.

Pembroke meanwhile know they have an in-form pair of opening batters to call on this weekend, as both Tim Tector and JJ Garth come into this fixture off the back of scores of 74 last time around. Much of their batting line-up is dependent on the availability of some of their bigger names, however it’s likely that we will once again see Harry Tector at 3, whilst overseas man Addison Sherriff batted at four last week and was not out at the end of the run-chase. Macdara Cosgrave and Gavin Hoey will be set to bat in the middle order alongside new skipper Jack Tector, in a line-up that could still include names such as Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker very soon.

On the bowling front, the visitors had Barry McCarthy in their side last time out and his inclusion in the side once again would be a boost. Addison Sherriff showed some decent pedigree with the new ball, whilst they could also potentially see Byron McDonough returning to their seam bowling unit. Luke Murray could be the man to drop out in that instance, however his spell last weekend in Railway Union may encourage skipper Tector to retain him in the side. The spin, as usual, comes from Gavin Hoey’s leg-breaks, and Paul Lawson’s off-spin, with both producing tight spells last time out, with support from Harry Tector’s off-breaks also a potential option.

Fixtures between these teams have tended to go in favour of the Sydney Parade outfit for much of the last 15 years, and if their batting gets off to a flier yet again this weekend that could well prove to be the case again. They’ll be looking to Tim Tector to dominate the PowerPlay overs, whilst Rush will look to their most experienced bowler, Allan Eastwood, in an effort to dismiss the Irish International.

KEY BATTLE: Allan Eastwood vs Tim Tector

MERRION VS CIVIL SERVICE

It’s out of the frying pan into the fire for Civil Service, as they visit Anglesea Road where Merrion welcome back more than 10,000 senior runs into their starting XI. John Anderson’s return in place of Danny Forkin adds a significant amount of strength to the home side’s XI, which in spite of finding itself 5/3 early on last week managed to haul itself to 204 and ultimately a comfortable win. Anderson looks set to slot back in at either number 3 or 4, with Seb Dijkstra occupying the other slot. That would allow Stephen Doheny and Swapnil Modgill to resume their partnership at the top of the innings, and also retain Jamie Forbes at number 5 after the left-hander started his season nicely last week, making a crucial half-century. The side do however bat deep now, with both Sean Stanton and Mikey O’Reilly in the runs lower down the order, as well as having both Andy Doheny and Corne Botha who are both capable of finding the ropes when needed in that middle-to-lower order as well.

With the ball, the one change to the side sees last weekend’s successful off-spinner Oisín Bhoja replaced by Peter Forkin, who will be supported by Modgill’s off-breaks which played a bit-part role last time around. O’Reilly and skipper Stanton opened the bowling last weekend, and there’s little to suggest they will change that formula this time around. Tom Ford will be hoping to put week one behind him quickly this time out, whilst Botha delivered the sort of spell Merrion would have hoped for, with a low economy allied with some important wickets. Andy Doheny’s medium pace wasn’t used until late in the piece last time, however the impact it made suggests he might well get thrown the ball slightly earlier this time around.

Civil Service’s Premier League return last weekend was a chastening day out, and whilst they were by no means disgraced, especially having been in a precarious position early on, they will be well aware of the need to improve significantly as the season progresses. The skipper, Deepak Jayachandran leads from the front with the bat, alongside wicket-keeper Simranjeet Singh, whilst the middle order is choc-full of new signings this term. Abhishek Kare bats at three and was perhaps a touch unlucky in his dismissal last weekend, before some excellent stroke players in Hedayat Khogiani and Swaraj Batham, who backed up his 35 on Saturday with more runs for their 2^nd XI on Sunday. Zaman Safi also repaid some faith from his new club, moving up from his tail-end role last season, by being the first player to pass 50 for the side this season. Dev Ranolia and Edson Silva are two clean ball-strikers who didn’t feature last weekend, and if they return, the visitors batting line-up will be significantly stronger this time around.

Mubasher Siddique and Noor Ullah will share the opening duties, whilst Zaman Safi was arguably the most impressive of their bowlers visually at least when he was thrown the ball as first change. They boast an abundance of spinners led by Ramgokul Srinivasan and Roshin Raviprasad, who bowl left and right arm off-spin respectively. Batham and Kare were both trialled last weekend, however both only bowled a couple of overs as skipper Jayachandran rotated through his arsenal in an effort to break partnerships. No doubt, like with the bat, a debut for Ranolia and his left-arm orthodox would strengthen the bowling attack significantly.

Service will need Deepak Jayachandran to get his side off to a strong start with the bat here to allow them to settle into the game, however Merrion’s left-arm seamer Mikey O’Reilly has returned to full fitness and will be aiming to put pressure on from the outset, if he can take early wickets, Merrion will be well on top.

KEY BATTLE: Mikey O’Reilly vs Deepak Jayachandran

CORK COUNTY VS NORTH COUNTY

Two sides who kicked off with wins last weekend face off in The Mardyke, and Cork County will no doubt be full of confidence after their incredible opening day run-chase. With the bat, Raj Undre’s top score in CL competitions led the way, and he continues at the top of the order alongside Sunil Gautam. Tasmanian Josh Hartill had a flawless debut and continues in the number three role, with the returning Brian Upman slotting in at number 4. South African Thorne Prophet and Niall Donnelly round out the top 6, with the side now missing Eshan O’Sullivan for the next few weeks, and Tiago Oelofse unavailable this weekend.

On the bowling front, William Shields will once again open the bowling along with Prophet, and their opening spell last week proved to be key in piling early pressure onto Phoenix. Zubair Khan is the third seamer in the side, whilst Raj Undre may also roll his arm over in the absence of Oelofse. Cork County have long had a well-deserved reputation for having an excellent spin-bowling unit, and this season is no different. Bakhtyar Nabi is the main man with his off-breaks, and whilst O’Sullivan is missing, they also welcome leg-spinner Nabeel Anjum back to their XI this Saturday, the three-pronged spin attack is rounded out by the skipper Diarmuid Carey, who was one of four bowlers to take ‘two-for’ last weekend.

The visitors North County were indebted to an incredible knock for Lochie Hardy to set up their victory last weekend, with his 105 coming at a healthy strike rate of 120. Skipper Eddie Richardson however will be fully aware of the need for their middle order to back up these sort of starts. John Devane at the top of the order has come into his own in recent seasons at this level, and if he and Hardy can set the game up for their 3/4/5, the Inch men will no doubt be confident that their classy left-hander Suliman Safi, arguably their greatest ever club product in Richardson and power-hitting Jamie Grassi can produce plenty of runs between them. Alan Joseph Mathew rounds out the top 6 and he has shown the ability to dig the side out of holes regularly, and there’s no doubt the side will be encouraged by the cameo which Jake Devane played at number 7 last time around. Niall McGovern also features this weekend, and adds depth and experience to the batting line-up wherever he slots in.

Richardson will have a new opening partner this weekend in the absence of Abdul Ghaffar, and with both Hardy or Husnain Maroof capable of taking the new ball, County are unlikely to be hugely inconvenienced by this change, not least with that pair coming into the game off the back of taking three and four wickets respectively last weekend. Sean Sludds is the fourth seamer in the line-up, with plenty of options available for Richardson to choose from. The spin bowling front sees Alan Joseph Mathew’s off-breaks leading the way, and whilst they didn’t need to turn to Brandon Morris last time out, he offers a strong option which could be very useful in the slightly different conditions this time around.

Whilst Raj Undre’s knock was the stand out for Cork County last weekend, a chanceless unbeaten innings from Josh Hartill showed that they have a real class operator at number three this season. Eddie Richardson relishes the chance to bowl to overseas players, and the travelling North County faithful will be hoping to see his iconic celebration early on this weekend to put their team in the box seat.

KEY BATTLE: Josh Hartill vs Eddie Richardson

IBI CORPORATE  FINANCE PREMIER LEAGUE

MATCH DAY 1 – MAY 2^ND – All 12 Noon Start

At Castle Avenue, Clontarf vs Railway Union

At The Village, Malahide vs Leinster

At Jack Harper Park, Balbriggan vs Phoenix

At Kenure, Rush vs Pembroke

At Anglesea Road, Merrion vs Civil Service

At The Mardyke, Cork County vs North County