2018 Minor Cup preview - A battle between Greystones 2 and Clontarf 6?

Neither of the 2017 finalists of Cricket Leinster's Minor Cup (AIB 1 pictured above, and Bagenalstown 2) are in the 2018 edition. So who are likely to still be standing when the Minor Cup roadshow rolls into Knockharley on September 15th?

The Tyrrelstown club has been making great strides off the pitch, but have been hampered by delays with their new ground in Tyrrelstown Park. But they are entering a second team for the first time this year, and they will play a Leinster 6 team who are something of a mystery. This year's Minor Cup contains teams mainly from Divisions 13 and 14, but also contains one team (Merrion 7) from Division 12 and one team from Division 15 - Leinster 6. So the Rathmines side start as out as outsiders, but they do have a fine cup pedigree, getting to the semi final of the Minor 2 Cup last year, and winning the Intermediate Cup as recently as 2011. This one could well go down as a shock, with Leinster overcoming league position to advance.

Phoenix 5 have a pretty awful cup record in previous years, failing to win any of the last three. Knockharley 3 aren't a great deal better, but the Knockharley club has won the last seven matches against Phoenix. We'll use that as a pointer towards a Knockharley victory, but to be honest, with all seven of those victories down to the skills of Knockharley 1, take it with a pinch of salt.

The third tie sees a fascinating match up between Railway Union 4 and Merrion 7. The two teams last met in 2012, before Railway 4 rose sharply up the leagues.....and then back again to one more face the seventh string from Anglesea Road. Merrion won this trophy in 2014, following it up with the higher Junior Cup in 2015, but we have a slight feeling that Railway may be fairly string at this level, and having survived the travails of being homeless for much of 2017, they could be back with a bang.

Terenure 3 have struggled in cup competitions in recent seasons, losing in their first round every year since 2015. And this year they are unlucky to be up against a side that has one of the most formidable cup records in the province. Greystones 2 have reached the last four of their cup competition every year since 2013, with most of those performances being in the much higher Intermediate Cup. Greystones asked for their seconds to be dropped several divisions, and although they may not be up to the standard of recent years, they have an excellent chance of reaching another semi final.

Malahide 5 and Pembroke 5 will square off in a preliminary round match, with the winners taking the Dart to play Wicklow County 2 in Bray. Neither Pembroke nor Malahide have had bulging trophy cabinets recently (although Pembroke did get to the Junior Cup semi final in 2015), and matches between the sides have been keenly fought - with Pembroke just edging ahead in the seven match series. Which ever team advances will come unstuck against Wicklow County who have an impressive record against both Pembroke and Malahide. 

Gorey look to be a club going in the right direction and could well have a decent league season ahead of them. But they have a tough draw in the cup, hosting a Clontarf 6 team, who along with Greystones 2 will be one of the favourites. They were runners up in the Minor 2 Cup in 2015 and 2016, and semi finalists in this comp last year. A close match is in prospect (the two matches between the teams were shared in 2017), but at this early stage, we'll tip Clontarf.

Adamstown 4 will play Laois 3, a team they have beaten three times out of four. Neither team has quite fulfilled its potential recently, with not a semi final placing in the last three years between the teams. Adamstown to make the quarter finals.

The bottom of the draw will see the return of Wexford Wanderers 2 to cup cricket, after three years away. For obvious reasons, there is little history between them and Castleknock 3 (two matches shared many moons ago), but Castleknock 3 should be able to use home advantage well.

Castleknock will make the semi finals, along with Knockharley 3, Greystones 2 and Clontarf 6, with Clontarf beating Greystones in an epic end of season final.