Senior 2 Cup Final
Clontarf 2 v YMCA 2 – Castle Ave – Sunday 3rd August – 1.00 pm
The Leinster Senior Cup was first competed for in 1935. In 1942 Belvedere school presented the Leinster Cricket Union with a cup to be competed for by second elevens of those clubs in the Senior Cup and first elevens of clubs below Senior. The first winners were Railway Union 2nds. Clontarf 2nds, the current holders and finalists this year, first won it in 1965. Since then however they have gone on to win it twelve times in all, more often than any other club. By contrast YMCA 2nds have won the trophy only once, in 1991, when they were captained by John Dunlop, brother of Angus, this year’s captain. Angus is not the only ex-international on the YM team which will also feature Alan Lewis. A good omen for YM may be that in 1991 they also won the Tillain Cup, which they won again last weekend. While Clontarf 2nds do not contain such distinguished cricketers on their side they have the successful tradition spoken of above not to mention home advantage at Castle Avenue.
Middle Cup Final
Merrion 3 v Terenure 2 – Rush – Monday 4th August – 1.00 pm
The Middle Cup competition commenced in 1970 when a restructuring of what was then called Junior cricket required a new cup competition between Senior 2 and Intermediate. The first winners were Old Belvedere 3, a club very strong at that time but sadly no longer with us. Of this year’s finalists, Merrion have been the more successful having won the competition six times, most recently in 2010 and been runners up on several other occasions. By contrast, Terenure are contesting their first final although this can partially be explained by their not having had a team at this level in quite a few seasons. Given they are currently in second position in Division 4 while Terenure 2 are mid-table in Division 5, Merrion 3 might see themselves as favourites . However Terenure saw off Division 4 table toppers Phoenix 3 on their way to the final so as often happens, league form may count for nothing.