The Minor Cup is the seventh tier cup competition, with the 2015 edition of this venerable trophy having its final in Laois Cricket Club on August 22nd. The competition is one of the older on the provincial circuit, with the first edition of the Minor Cup being won by YMCA 4 in 1926. A new competition, aimed at a lower level of cricket was instigated in 1986, and fittingly that was won by another YMCA side, YMCA 5.
Merrion 7 are the reigning champions, beating AIB in last year's final ,the star of the show being Karthik Neela, who took 5-22 as AIB were bundled out for 106 chasing Merrion's 129. Merrion 7 have been moved up a level this year, so won't have a chance to defend their crown. There are six other sides in the competition that have cup success in their past, and those six (alluded to in the article) will not surprisingly be looking to increase their haul, whilst the other dozen will be desperately trying to win their first ever cup.
Below are some personal predictions. A good bit of research has gone into them, but please don't take them personally, and I would love to be proved wrong!
The top quarter of the draw sees four Division 13 sides battling for the one semi final spot. Dundrum 3 host Pembroke 6, in a first ever clash between the sides. Pembroke's cup form has been fairly dire in recent years, and their last two Minor Cup matches resulted in losses to non-league teams. There was however a good cup run in the higher Junior Cup (go figure) in 2013, when they got to the semi final. Dundrum 3's cup form has not been the best either, and their best has been a losing semi final in this competition in 2013. Nothing like sitting on the fence, this one could go either way.
Phoenix 5 were the 1991 Minor Cup champions, and they take on a Laois 3 team who has recent success, with back to back Minor Cup wins in both 2007 and 2008. The last two meetings between these two both went Laois' way (although they were back in 2012), and this is another one, that we can't predict. We will say though ,that the winner of this match will beat the winner of the other match in the quarter final, meaning our first prediction for a semi finalist is Phoenix 5/Laois 3!
The second quarter looks to be the strongest part of the draw. Adamstown 4 are the new kid on the block. They lost their first ever cup match last year (in the Minor 2 Cup), but are more than capable of springing a surprise. They are up against the team in this year's competition with the best record by far. Leinster 7, the reigning Minor 2 Cup champions have only lost one cup match since 2010 (a Minor Cup semi final to Adamstown 2 in 2012). They didn't compete in 2013, but won the Minor Cup in 2011 to go with last year's triumph. Leinster should come through this one.
Those two teams were both Division 14 teams, as are the next two in the draw, Knockharley 3 and Castleknock 3. This should be an easier one to guess - the pair played twice last year, with Knockharley 3 winning both matches by 8 wickets. All things being equal, they will win again. Leinster 7 should be strong enough to overcome Knockharley 3 in the quarter final.
The third quarter throws up five teams from across the league spectrum. In a preliminary round match, Division 16 AIB 1 take on Railway Union 6 of Division 13, the 2013 Minor Cup winners. On paper, that looks like a Railway banker (no pun intended). But AIB have promised that their cup side will be much stronger than their league side, and they will be no push over, having been runners up in both the 2012 and 2014 Minor Cups. A cracker in prospect, we're making no prediction as to the winner, but whoever does, will go all the way to the semi finals, possibly. They will play Mullingar 3 in the first round proper who have only had two cup wins since 2010 - against Leinster 8 and Ashbourne 1.
The other part of the third quarter sees Dublin University 3 of Division 13 play Wicklow County 2 of Division 14. Wicklow won the Junior Cup as North Wicklow in 2006, although the club is much changed since then. These two clubs have not played each other at any level since 2010, and as such it's a difficult one to predict - we'll go for the students, although they haven't even been entered in a cup competition in the last four seasons.
The bottom quarter of the draw will see the winner of Sandyford 3/Bagenalstown 2 play Swords 2, and Greystones 3 play North Kildare 3. Sandyford 3 have a decent record in the Minor Cup, being losing semi finalists in 2013 and 2014, and they should be too strong for Bagenalstown - whom they beat by 3 runs in last year's Minor Cup.
Swords 2 have a chance though. They play a level higher than both Sandyford and Bagenalstown, and are due a cup run.
Greystones have not played North Kildare (1995 Minor Cup winners) at any level during their short existence. They play two leagues below North Kildare, but an upset is not out of the question. North Kildare 3 haven't won a cup match since our detailed records began (in 2011), and so would be breaking ground if they won this year.
So our prediction? Phoenix 5/Laois 3 will overcome Leinster 7 in the first semi final, whilst AIB 1/Railway Union 6 will beat Sandyford 3 in the other one. And if we had to pin the tail on the donkey, we'll say Phoenix 5 will beat AIB 1 in the final.