2018 Senior 2 Cup draw

The draw for the 2018 Cricket Leinster Senior 2 Cup was made last weekend (you can listen to a podcast of the draw here), and for many people the interest around the draw concerned the teams that did and didn't appear in the draw.

With the league structure for the Open Competitions for 2018 not yet released, there have only been a few clues as to the fallout from the 2017 season. But with the Senior 2 Cup normally restricted to those competing in Divisions 3 and 4, there seem to be a few pointers.

North Kildare 1 appear in the draw, indicating that their stay in Division 2 (and the Leinster Senior Cup) appears to be over. Who will replace them, or how they are replaced remains to be seen.

Division 5 champions Longford 1 appear to be missing from the draw, perhaps indicating that they have not been promoted, and there is a new name in Leinster cricket - DLR County. The new club results from the merger of Dundrum and Cabinteely, with the club being based in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

In the draw itself, holders Clontarf 2 face Malahide 2, both of whom finished in the bottom half of Division 3 last year. That is a tough draw for Malahide, who as a club have only won 3 of the last 28 matches between the clubs. However one of those wins was in Castle Avenue at the start of 2016, so there is hope.

North County 2 were the runners-up in 2017, as well as being runners-up in Division 4, but they have been dealt a tough draw at home to 2017 Division 3 champions Pembroke 2. Pembroke have won the last three matches between the teams, but historically it has been a well fought encounter.

The Hills 2 have drawn North Kildare 1, and to be honest no one knows quite what to expect with that one. The Hills finished in second place in Division 3 last year, and North Kildare bottom of Division 2, so there shouldn't be much between them. The last time the two teams met in The Hills was in June 2015 with North Kildare winning by 4 runs. It should be close.

Two surprises of 2017 will face off in the 1st round. Leinster surprised many by nearly advancing to the Division 3 title, whilst Knockharley more than held their own in their first season in Division 4, and advanced to the semi finals of this competition. Knockharley 1 have only hosted Leinster twice in the past 7 years - beating Leinster 3 in 2016, and Leinster 4 in 2011.

Two more teams who finished towards the bottom of Division 3 last year will clash in the Phoenix Park with Phoenix 2 hosting YMCA 2. The last match between the teams in the Senior 2 Cup was back in 2012, when Johnny Harte took 4-16 to send YMCA to a 5 wicket DLS win.

Civil Service 1 will host Laois 1 (another clue to the league structures, indicating that Civil Service were not relegated from Division 4). The two league matches in 2016 were shared, with each team winning the away match.

The final match will see Merrion 2 (five time winners of the Senior 2 Cup this century) play the newly formed DLR County. Essentially it will mean Dundrum's Division 4 team improved by some of the best players from Cabinteely such as Sandeep Shahdeo and Vikalp Jain.

The dates and venues for the 2018 Senior 2 Cup will be announced over the coming weeks