JJ CASSIDY – 2021 HOPKINS CUP WINNER!

The 2021 winner of the Hopkins Cup, for the leading Premier League wicket-keeper, has been confirmed as JJ Cassidy of YMCA CC. Across 15 matches, Cassidy managed a total of 17 dismissals behind the stumps, with 10 catches and an extremely impressive 7 stumpings being how the dismissals were split up.

It’s the first time since 2017 that the cup hasn’t been won by Merrion CC, with Michael Lewis and Patrick Tice twice bringing the cup back to Anglesea Road. The last time a YMCA player had a hand on the trophy was in 2014, when PJ Moor shared the gong with Pembroke’s Lorcan Tucker, whilst Lee Cole won the award outright in 2012.

There have been two other YMCA winners of the Hopkins Cup, with Keith Bailey taking the award home three times in the space of 5 seasons, leading the way in 1986, ‘88 and ’90, which places him second in the all-time most successful players for this award, however the category is completely dominated by Dara Armstrong’s period of success from 1995-2010, when he was the most successful ‘keeper in the league on no fewer than 10 occasions in a 16 season period.

The 2021 season however belongs to Cassidy, who’s 17 dismissals put him well clear of the next-best Mark Donegan who snared 13 victims behind the stumps, whilst in third place was Fintan McAllister who claimed 11 scalps.

In a stark contrast with the other two awards which we have looked at already this week – the shorter season means that the 17 dismissals required to win the cup this season is actually the second fewest which have ever been needed to top the charts, only in 2020 were fewer victims claimed by the winner, however the fact that Cassidy was 4 clear of the rest of the field proves him to be a more than worthy winner of the award.

Congratulations from all at Cricket Leinster to JJ on being crowned the winner of the Hopkins Cup, for the 2021 season.