Last year's Junior Cup ended in the manner of all great cup stories. A Merrion 7 team entered the final on the back of being dismissed for only 12 on the Saturday, before bouncing back the following day with a 149 run win over Cabinteely. The sixth tier cup in Leinster has just as much chance of throwing up a surprise as other cup competitions (if not more so), so we'll attempt to pin the tail on the donkey here, by making a few predictions for the 2016 edition of the Junior Cup.
The very top tie of the draw throws up an intriguing match. Clondalkin make their entry in competitive cricket this year, and although there is little to go on, many members of Clondalkin's squad have experience else where in the province. Both Abul Shapon and Syfuzzaman Khan have performed at a higher level, and with a good few players making their debuts in Leinster, there could be a few surprises. Pembroke 5 got to the semi final last year, but may fall at the first hurdle.
The Hills 4 and Merrion 6 are both ranked towards the middle of the field, and their first round tie will be a tight one. Surprisingly, Merrion have a pretty poor cup record in the last few seasons, only winning one of their four matches, whereas The Hills reached the semi final in 2014. Too close to call, but The Hills may sneak it.
Lucan 1 have lost in the first round in each of the three previous seasons, but are a league above Phoenix 5, and will be favourites going in to the match. Despite having something of a derby feel, these two haven't met since 2013, when both league matches were shared. Another tight one, but Lucan of Division 11 should beat Phoenix of Division 12.
The winner of that match will be at home in the quarter finals to the winners of Sandyford 2 vs Clontarf 5. Clontarf are the most trophy laden team in the draw, with seven cups over their history, the last being the Minor Cup in 2005. They also have some handy recent form, reaching semi finals in both 2014 and 2015. That may be enough to get past Sandyford 2, despite Sandyford having a habit recently of winning first round matches before losing shortly afterwards.
Merrion 7 - winners of cups in 2014 (Minor) and 2015 (Junior), emphasise how hard it is to predict a winner. On league form, they shouldn't have a chance in their preliminary round clash with Rush 3. But they keep surprising all and sundry, and may be capable of another one this year. Who ever wins that prelim round, will struggle to get any further when they come up against a Ringcommons side who will be keen to atone for a poor 2015.
Malahide 5 and Leinster 6 have a great deal in common, although unfortunately not much of it is good. Both are ranked towards the bottom of the eighteen teams in the draw. Neither have won a cup game in the last three years, and both have to go a long way through time to find their last Junior Cup triumph - Malahide 5 won it in 1996, and Leinster 6 in 2003. The one area they can be separated is their recent head to head - Malahide have won four of their last six matches against Leinster 6, and are therefore favourites to advance.
Terenure's proud history is well known, and Terenure 3 won the Junior Cup before anyone else in the draw - back in 1958. That was the last time they won it though, and the enter this year's tournament as the highest league placed team in 2015. It gets better, in that they have been drawn in a preliminary round match against the lowest ranked team in Dundrum 3. There could be a big surprise here though - the last time the teams played was back in 2011, when Dundrum won both matches. The winners play North County 5 in the first round proper, and we're going to have another hunch that there could be a second surprise here. North County 5 haven't had a cup victory in any match for three years, but this year could be there year.
The final tie sees two more Division 12 teams clash - the first ever meeting between Civil Service 3 and Cabinteely 1. Cabinteely finished runners up in last year's final, whereas Civil Service haven't got to a semi final in the last three years - Cabinteely to advance.
As for our tips for the latter rounds? Don't go straight to the bookies, but we're going for a last four of Ringcommons 1, Clontarf 5, Clondalkin 1 and North County 5, with perhaps new boys Clondalkin pipping North County in the final.