Open Competitions: The First Checkpoint
In my mind I tend to divide the cricket season into a number of different phases. The initial phase comes runs up to the start of the first rounds of cup matches. As we are now about to commence a weekend of cup matches in D1 and D2 it is time to take stock of what we know about the different leagues in this their very early stages.
Given that there is an interesting refix tonight in D2 I though I would start there. D2 this year has already settled into a pattern. Clontarf and Terenure are well out in front and are strongly fancied to take the two promotion spots. Rush has an outside chance but has already lost to Clontarf and Terenure and unless it can claw a win back in the return fixture, and have some other results go its way, it will struggle to overhaul either of the two current leaders. Malahide have an even bigger gap to make up following the double points loss to Dublin University. So at the top of the table the interest is likely to be in who wins D2, not who is going to be promoted. First head to head 3rd June in Terenure.
Unless results go completed off the rails, one would expect that Rush [who beat DU] and Malahide [who have a victory over Balbriggan] will occupy the middle ground at the end of the season and will be more interested in trying to string together a good cup run. Both are still in the RSA National Cup.
The other end of the table has the potential for a good scrap over the relegation places. Leinster have got off to a dreadful start losing to Merrion II and Balbriggan – teams that they have to beat to stay up. DU have played what look like the stronger teams and have come away with a vital win against Malahide. Their remaining games are against Merrion II [who they play tonight], Leinster II and Balbriggan. A win tonight should secure their position in D2 for another year – a lose though could draw them down into a relegation battle.
Still early days but D2 looks to be settling into a number of distinct battles.