Last year's Minor Cup saw history as Swords 2 won the first piece of silverware in the history of the club. That day saw a 39 run win over Dundrum 3, mainly due to a 119 run partnership for the 8th wicket between Swords' Augustus Binu and Girish Kumar. Swords take their place again in this year's competition, and it would be a brave person who wagered against them repeating the feat.
There will be one preliminary round in this year's competition, when the 2003 winners Civil Service 4 take on 2011 winners (and winners of the 2014 Minor 2 Cup), Leinster 7. Leinster play in Division 13, with Civil Service one league below, and as such. Leinster have to be favourites to advance. There they will meet Castleknock 3, a team that has a poor record against both Leinster 7 (0-4) and Civil Service 4 (0-1). Taking all that into consideration, Leinster look a good bit to reach the quarter finals.
In that quarter final, they will be away to either Halverstown 1 or Bagenalstown 2. Halverstown have a cup pedigree a cut above any one else in the draw, having won the higher Junior Cup in both 1980 and 2001. Both were a long time ago, and don't count for anything. This all Division 13 clash should still go Halverstown's way (they have won both of their previous encounters against Bagenalstown 2), and we think Halverstown will go even further, overcoming Leinster 7 in a tight quarter final.
The other quarter of the top half of the draw sees four teams spread around the Greater Dublin region. Balbriggan 3 host Wicklow County 2 in an all Division 14 tie. Wicklow County have won their last three matches against the Balbriggan third string, and it is without too much difficulty that we predict a Wicklow County advance. Railway Union 5ths' last win of the Minor Cup was back in 1994, and the long wait will be one year longer after this year's competition. They haven't played Ashbourne 1 before, but the Meath side should have enough to advance. On paper they should be the favourites against Wicklow County in a hypothetical quarter final, but Ashbourne are untested at Division 13 (they were promoted from Division 16 this year), and there could be a Wicklow County "upset".
YMCA 6 are the one non-league team in the draw, and a team that is entering competitive cricket for the first time in a while will struggle against the might of Adamstown 4. The quarter final will be a whole lot harder for Adamstown though - they will face the winners of Knockharley 3 or Laois 3. Laois are the second highest ranked side in the draw, have a 2-0 record against Knockharley, and reached the semi final in 2014. They should beat Knockharley again, and we think they will go a lot further.
The bottom quarter of the draw will see holders Swords 2 travel to North Kildare 3, in a tie which is the pick of the first round. Swords should win, but it could go either way. The winners will play either Trinity 3 or Pembroke 6 - we think the College Park side will reach the quarter finals on the basis of their four wins over Pembroke in the last five meetings.
So will have a complete stab in the dark, and say the semi finalists will be Halverstown 1, Laois 3, Swords 2 and Wicklow County 2, with Laois picking up the trophy, on their home ground come August 20th.