One of Leinster cricket's great ironies. The third tier of T20 competition (for sides in Divisions 5-8) has a trophy donated by the famous Dunlop family, and named after the YMCA club with which they will be forever associated, has never been won by any team from the Sandymount based club.This will be the 26th YMCA Salver. Do YMCA 4 have a chance of lifting the trophy?
The draw is split into North and South halves, and we'll start our preview by looking at the chances of those north of the Liffey (or south west in Laois' case).
The top of the draw sees Division 6 North County 3 host Division 8 Balbriggan 2. North County 3 have never won this competition, but we have a feeling that this could be their year. They have an excellent recent record, being losing quarter finalists in 2011, 2012 and 2014 as well as being runners up in 2014. Although they haven't played Balbriggan 2 at all in recent years, Balbriggan have not won a game in the Salver since 2012's semi final. North County should progress and there they will play a Phoenix 3 side that despite being in a higher division, has a poor T20 record. They have only won one match from five since 2011, and that lone win was on 2012. North County may spring a shock, and reach (at least) the quarter finals.
Rush 2 travel to Porterstown to play Castleknock 1 in another preliminary round match. Rush had a poor record until they romped to the semi finals last year. So will that Rush turn up, or the one who didn't win a match in the seasons 2011, 2011 and 2013? They have a close relationship with Castleknock (close as in not much between them) and have shared the six matches they have played. So a tough one to call, with home advantage possibly counting for Castleknock. Which ever one wins, will run into a Knockharley 1 team that should be one of the strongest in the tournament. Counting against Knockharley will be the fact that this is their recent debut in T20 comps, and a lack of experience may haunt them against the other favourites in the competition. Knockharley should advance to the quarter finals, but whether they advance further remains to be seen.
Civil Service 2 play Mullingar 1 in the first round proper, although the winner of this match is not quite as easy to pick as league position would suggest. Mullingar drop back down to this competition after being in Division 4 for the last few years, and will be level above Civil Service 2. Mullingar lost to Civil Service 1 three times in 2013, but this is the Service second string, and the Westmeath team should advance to the quarters. Traditionally, Cricket Leinster's T20 competitions have been biased towards Dublin teams, with teams outside the capital being made to play their matches away from home. Whilst this is changing, it has left Mullingar with a lack of T20 experience. Should they muster a decent team to travel to Dublin 8 in the first round, they will have home advantage for the quarter final, and should progress to at least the semis.
The final quarter of the North section sees Clontarf 3 of Division 6 welcome Laois 2 of Division 7 to Castle Avenue. Laois were masters of this format, but have slipped away in recent years. After winning this competition in 2011, reaching a semi final and quarter final in 2012 and 2013 respectively, they were first round losers last year. A temporary blip, or a permanent downward pattern? They haven't played Clontarf 3 since 2012, but a close one is guaranteed. Clontarf are an up and down team as well, being runners up in 2012, but preliminary round losers last year. Home advantage should count for Clontarf, but whoever wins this prelim match, will lose in the next round when they take on Malahide 3.
Generally Malahide 3 have had a poor record in this comp, but they went on a run to last year's final. Malahide beat Clontarf 3 twice last season, and have a 3-1 record over Laois 2 since 2012. Malahide will become out fourth quarter finalists.
Eleven teams make up the southern section, with another three preliminary matches. In the first, we get to answer our question regarding YMCA's chances this season. Unfortunately for YMCA, their 4th team are entered in the YM Salver, and that immediately means they are up against it. They are one of four Division 8 teams in the draw, and will be up against Division 6 Adamstown 1. Adamstown are slowly moving up the ranks and have an excellent record in the Salver, being 4-2, including getting to the semi finals in 2013. They beat YMCA 4 twice in 2012, and should advance. Pembroke 3 await in the first round, a side with something of a mixed record. Four time winners of the YM Salver in an 11 year spell between 1990 and 2001, they have only been sporadically entered in the Salver in recent years (their record of not winning a match since the 2011 first round is not quite as bad as it sounds). They should have enough to get through to the quarter finals.
Wicklow County 1 won this tournament as North Wicklow back in 2006, but haven't won a game since they came back to the YM Salver after a spell in the higher Tillain Cup. They face a Terenure 2 team, three divisions higher, who has only one win in the Salver since 2011 - which just happened to be against Wicklow County. Terenure should advance.
Two division five sides clash in another preliminary round match as Leinster 3 travel to Merrion 4. Leinster last won this tournament back in 2009, and whilst they don't have a great record, it is better than Merrion's. The Anglesea Road side were only entered in this competition in 2012, and 2014, and their last win was in the first round in 2012. Whichever side wins will then face North Kildare 2, a side who lost in the first round each year they played. We think Leinster 3 may be the team to advance to the quarter finals.
The final part of the draw, sees the reigning champions, Railway Union 3 await the winners of the preliminary round tie between Dundrum 2 and Sandyford 1. Sandyford are 1-4 in all YMCA Salver matches since 2011, and haven't won a game since beating Railway Union 3 back in 2012. They also lost to Dundrum 2 in the Middle 2 Cup last year, so this one looks like a Dundrum win. Whether it is Dundrum or Sandyford who advances will make little difference, as Railway Union 3 look a good bet to retain their title, a feat that has not been performed since Pembroke 3 in 2000/2001.
Of our eight quarter finalists, who has the best chance of going all the way? If we have to pick, we'll say the semi finals will be North County 3 vs Mullingar 1 and Pembroke 3 vs Railway Union 3, with perhaps County pipping Pembroke in the final. That final will be on July 10th in Terenure CC.