The 2018 Whelan Cup will be a festival of T20 cricket for sides in Divisions 9-12, with a record 28 teams from around the province taking part in the revamped first round. As with the Russell Court Trophy reviewed yesterday, there will be eight groups of three, with the three teams playing each other on Saturday, May 26th.
Those days will decide the ten quarter finalists, four of which will play straight knock outs matches, and six of whom will be in two groups of three.
According to our new T20 rankings, the top four teams to watch are YMCA 4 (who play 2017 Russell Court Trophy champions, AIB 1), Adamstown 3 who host The Hills 4 and Malahide 4, Clondalkin 1 (who will be in their home of Tymon Park against Carlow 1 and DLR County 3 (and are pictured above winning the Whelan Cup in 2017) and North County 4, who travel to Donabate to play Swords 2 and Dundalk 1.
Finals day is in Railway Union CC on July 22nd
| Team | Played | Points | Average |
| YMCA 4 | 2 | 95 | 47.500 |
| Adamstown 3 | 7 | 265 | 37.857 |
| Clondalkin 1 | 7 | 265 | 37.857 |
| North County 4 | 3 | 110 | 36.667 |
| Sandyford 2 | 8 | 285 | 35.625 |
| Castleknock 2 | 7 | 240 | 34.286 |
| Rush 3 | 9 | 305 | 33.889 |
| Civil Service 2 | 5 | 165 | 33.000 |
| Merrion 6 | 6 | 195 | 32.500 |
| Halverstown 1 | 8 | 240 | 30.000 |
| Lucan 1 | 3 | 85 | 28.333 |
| Mullingar 2 | 6 | 170 | 28.333 |
| AIB 1 | 10 | 275 | 27.500 |
| Phoenix 4 | 4 | 105 | 26.250 |
| Malahide 4 | 5 | 125 | 25.000 |
| Clontarf 5 | 4 | 95 | 23.750 |
| Tyrrelstown 1 | 9 | 195 | 21.667 |
| The Hills 4 | 1 | 20 | 20.000 |
| Swords 2 | 4 | 75 | 18.750 |
| Balbriggan 3 | 6 | 95 | 15.833 |