Wexford Wanderers 3 vs Kilkenny 3 - Kilkenny in 4th place with a 2-3 record in Division 18, with Wexford Wanderers 2 finding themselves in 8th place after losing their first two matches. In the last match the played each other, Karthik Gajendra scored 55 as Wexford made 121 all out. Gajendra then followed it up with 5-36 but despite his efforts, Kilkenny still sneaked home by 2 wickets. It was the best bowling figures recorded for Wexford Wanderers 3, and the 3rd instance of a player taking 5 wickets and scoring a 50 in the same match for Wexford. The previous two were Nithin Padmaprabhu in vs Civil Service 1 in 2019, and Lahiru Fernando vs Clontarf 4 in 2013.
Merrion 1 vs Balbriggan 1 - The eighth senior match between the teams, with Merrion leading the head to head 7-1. Merrion's performances in those seven matches have been dominated by two players with John Anderson scoring 447 runs at an astonishing average of 223.5. With the ball, only one bowler has taken more than five wickets - Tom Stanton with 15 wickets at 15.6. Both will be licking their lips this morning. For Balbriggan, Connor Fletcher has been the leading run scorer in those seven matches, with 199 runs at 28.43, with their leading wicket taker in the matches being Kashif Ali with 6 wickets at 37.17.
Leinster 1 vs YMCA 1 - Leinster had a good win over YMCA in the Leinster Senior Cup, but you need to go back to Augusy 2017 to find their last Premier win over YMCA in Observatory Lane. Gareth Delany (130) and Craig Mallon (120*) added 206 for the 2nd wicket as Leinster clocked up 335/6 before 5-36 helped dismiss YMCA for 143 to seal a big win. It's the highest Senior 2nd wicket partnership we have on record for Leinster (and the 13th highest overall). Leinster's Bilal Azhar still needs 47 runs to reach 1000 senior runs, and Saqib Bahadur needs 64 runs to reach the same landmark.
Clontarf 1 vs Malahide 1 - Clontarf have an excellent record over Malahide in Senior matches, winning seven of the last eight in a spell going back to June 2010. But recent form is everything. and Malahide won last year's Premier league clash in Castle Avenue by 8 wickets as Ryan Hackney (61*) saw Malahide home easily. How much form from the Alan Murray transfers to the Premier League is difficult to know, but for what it is worth, Robert Forrest is the leading Clontarf 1 run scorer this season with 171 runs at 34.2, with their leading wicket taker being Ruan Cronje with 13 wickets at 11.08. For Malahide, the top run scorer is Younas Ahmadzai with 233 runs at 46.6, with their top wicket taker being James Newland with 12 wickets at 15.33
Railway Union 1 vs The Hills 1 - The Hills have lost the last six Senior matches between the teams, with Railway's last win being all the way back in April 2014. In that win, Pat Collins top scored for Railway with 71, but star of the show was Naseer Shoukat, who took 6-41 to bowl Railway out for 225. That was Naseer's 15th haul of five wickets in an innings, and he has only managed to add one more since. Only Richard Hastie (21) has taken more 5 wicket hauls since Naseer's debut in 1995. But The Hills could only make 159ao, pick of the bowlers being Kevin O'Brien with 3-34.
Phoenix 1 vs Civil Service 1 - The first Senior Phoenix Park derby since 22nd July 1944. Phoenix won that one, along with the 15 matches before it, with Civil Service's last win being on August 11 1934 (winning by 7 wickets after bowling Phoenix out for 125). Mubasher Siddique is the leading Senior run scorer for Civil Service among those currently playing, putting him in 88th place on the all time list, one place behind the great Jimmy Boucher, who played nine games for Civil Service between 1925 and 1928 before playing the rest of his career with Phoenix, famously being the leading all time wicket taker in Leinster Senior cricket with 1303 wickets at 11.49.
Pembroke 1 vs Cork County 1 - The tenth Senior match between the two teams, from 1996 to 2017. All ten of the matches went the same way - wins by Pembroke. Only one of those matches was a second tier game in Sydney Parade. Played on May 19 2012, a certain Andrew Balbrinie scored 141* as Pembroke scored 274/3. That remains his only Senior hundred in Leinster cricket in Sydney Parade. Andrew Leonard then took 4-13 as Cork County were bowled out for exactly 100.
North Kildare 1 vs Terenure 1 - In eight Senior matches between the teams since their first one in 2016, the matches have been tied at four wins a piece. In the five matches played at The Maws, Terenure have batted first every time, but with mixed results, ranging from 152 all out in 2017, to 303-2 in 2017. That innings saw an opening partnership of 297 between Givon Christian (175) and Jeremy Bray (105*). Needless to say, plenty of records were broken there. It was the highest 1st wicket partnership we have on record for all Senior Cricket in Leinster (although records are incomplete.) Assuming he doesn't score any more, that was the last of Jeremy Bray's record equaling (with Andre Botha) 25 hundreds in Leinster Senior cricket.
North County 1 vs Rush 1 - Only the seventh Senior match to be played between these two, and despite Rush's decent record (won three, lost three), they haven't won in Balrothery since 2007. Llewelyn Johnson now needs just two more runs to become the 17th player to score 1000 senior runs for Rush. Jonathan Andrews leads North County's run scoring this season with 227 runs at 75.67, with their leading wicket taker being Eddie Richardson with 11 wickets at 14.64. For Rush, Llewelyn Johnson is top run scorer with 230 runs at 57.5, and the top wicket takers are Jared Barnes and Cian Egerton with 9 each.
Adamstown 1 vs North County 2 - A tough trip for North County 2, who are winless from their first three games in the Tillain Cup (one of which was rained off). If they can win their three remaining matches, they have a chance of the semis. For Adamstown, a win and a loss over YMCA 2 last week leaves them needing two or three wins. No previous matches between the two teams, but North County have not started the season well, with two losses in Division 3, with Adamstown unbeaten in four matches in Division 4.
Tyrrelstown 2 vs Adamstown 3 - Tyrrelstown 2 are one of the last teams to start their season in the cup competitions, playing their first match today against an Adamstown 3 side who won and lost a game against North Kildare 3. Tyrrelstown have had a good start to the league campaign, winning their last three in Division 11 after losing to Rush 3 in their first match. Adamstown are 2-2 in Division 9 and the Inter Cup.
YMCA 3 vs Cork Harlequins 1 - The bottom two in Division 4 face off. Cork Harlequins have now last their last four matches, two in 2022 and two this year. Not to be outdone though, YMCA 3 have now gone five matches without a win, which is their joint worst ever - in fact they have managed a five games without a win run six times over the last twelve seasons. No player on either side has reached 100 runs or five wickets for the season yet.
Lucan 1 vs DLR County 1 - Early days in Group B of the Middle Cup, where DLR County 1 have just had a rained off match, and Lucan 1 lost to Kilkenny 1. DLR County are currently 3rd in Division 8 with a mixed record of 2-3, with Lucan second in Division 9 with a game won and a game lost. The teams have met twice before in Division 9 (in 2021 and 2022), with the games being shared. The 2022 match in notable for a 244 run win for DLR County. Prasad Rudrappa Shivu scored 135 as DLR ran up 315/8, before bowling out Lucan to win by 244 runs. That is the highest individual score recorded for DLR County 1; the highest winning margin of runs for the club, and the highest winning margin by runs in Division 9
Swords 1 vs Clontarf 4 - Still early days in Group B of the LHK Insurance Middle Cup, with Swords' only match being a loss in the reverse of this game last weekend. Clontarf won a tight game by 11 runs, Swords scoring 114ao in reply to Tarf's 125/9. In three previous matches in Swords' home of Newbridge Demesne, Clontarf have won all three, batting first in each.
Naas 2 vs Balbriggan 4 - 8th hosts 9th in Division 17, with neither side having a win in the league. They did start a match against each other in the league, but like so many matches in April, it was curtailed by the rain. Naas 2's last win was back on August 14th last year, a run of six matches that is the team's worst ever.
Clontarf 7 vs Carlow 4 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Malahide 5 vs Merrion 6 - Merrion play their first match in this year's Junior Cup, whilst Malahide have a win and two losses. Both need to win today. In Division 14 the sides met on May 21 with Merrion making 110 all out, before Malahide chased it down with 20 overs to spare to win by 5 wickets. Bhanu Gokarla is the leading run scorer for Malahide so far this year with 140 runs at 28, with the leading wicket taker being Omkar Tawade with 12 wickets at 12.75. Early days for Merrion 6 - no one has got to 100 runs or five wickets for the season.
Ongar 2 vs Sandyford 4 - Only three matches have been completed in Group A of the Adamstown Cup, with Sandyford having a no result, and Ongar winning one and losing one. It hasn't been too bad a first season for Ongar 2, who have a 4-2 record, with Sandyford 2-1. For Ongar, their stars have been with the ball with Adithya Annam taking 13 wickets at 5.54 ( no batter has yet got to 100 runs for the season). For Sandyford, Viswanathan Umamaheswaran has scored 143 runs at 71.5 and Nitish Batra has 7 wickets at 10.
Terenure 2 vs Pembroke 3 - Two teams that are in the wrong half of Division, although in Pembroke's case it is down to one loss and two rained off matches. Terenure have already beaten Pembroke this season, with Pembroke's last win over them being back in 2018. That 2018 victory was Pembroke 3's highest ever run chase. Terenure scored 261/6 thanks to 124* from Donal Vaughan. In reply, Alec Barrett scored 66 and David O'Riordan 88*
as Pembroke won by 3 wickets with an over to spare.
Athlone 1 vs Knockharley 2 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
The Hills 5 vs Greystones 4 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Halverstown 1 vs Gorey 1 - Not the best of the starts for Gorey, who sit bottom of Division 13 after four matches, and travel to a Halverstown side who beat Adamstown 5 and lost to Dundalk 1. The teams have met four times in their history, with Halverstown winning the first three, and Gorey winning their last match - in Gorey last June. No Gorey player has yet got to 100 runs for the season, nor more than three wickets with the ball. Similarly no Halverstown batter has filled their boots yet, but Neville Case is their leading bowler, with 8 wickets at 2.75.
Balbriggan 3 vs Leinster 4 - Early season league tables have to be treated with caution. Balbriggan are top of Division 10, with a 3-1 record, putting them on 88 points. Leinster 4 are down in 6th, but have three games in hand and are unbeaten after two matches. The sides met twice in the Whelan Cup in 2020, with the matches being shared. Balbriggan are 3-2 for all matches this season, with their leading batter being Brian Dunphy with 178 runs at 35.6. Their leading wicket takers are Dunphy and Roger Kear, who have eight wickets a piece. Leinster are 5-1 in all competitions. Waleed Khan has scored 270 runs at 67.50 (putting him 7th in the province), with the leading wicket taker being Abdul Khan with 10 wickets at 8.5.
Merrion 7 vs Leinster 6 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Castleknock 1 vs Greystones 1 - Not the ideal start to the season for either team in Division 7, a league that both would have fancied getting promoted from. Castleknock are in 5th place with a 3-3 record, with Greystones currently bottom at 0-2. Greystones haven't won a game in Porterstown Park, losing their last three. That includes a YMCA Salver match on May 1 when Greystones scored 110/8 and Castleknock chased it down with three overs and four wickets to spare. Greystones' leading players this year are Mamoon Rashid with the bat (187 runs at 62.33) and Ramayya Botcha with the ball (8 wickets at 13.38). For Castleknock, the best are Qasim Raza Sethi with 236 at 29.5 and Gurjeet Singh with 18 wickets at 12.5. That is the currently the joint second highest wicket tally in the province.
Knockharley 3 vs Pembroke 5 - Pembroke 5 are into the the top half of the table with their win over Terenure on May 21, with Knockharley down in 8th place after losing to Castleknock last Saturday. Their only previous clash was in a low scoring affair in Kentstown in July 2021. Pembroke got to 136/8 from their 40 overs with Tom Lord taking his career best of 3-19. Knockharley chipped away at the total, but also kept losing wickets and Sean Smith took 5-21 to give Pembroke a 19 run win. It was Smith's third 5 wicket haul since 2011, and his career best.
Kilkenny 1 vs Merrion 4 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Greystones 3 vs Castleknock 3 - A second meeting between the clubs today. The 1sts clash in Porterstown, with the 3rds playing in Druids Glen. Greystones have lost their first match against Athlone 2, but with five to go, still have a chance of qualification. Castleknock 3 are 0-3 and are probably out of it. The teams haven't met since 2013, when Castleknock won both the Division 14 games. Castleknock 3 are currently on a run of seven matches without a loss, but they have a good bit to go to break their best run - 11 games with out a loss from last May to August.
DLR County 2 vs Finglas 3 - Two teams who currently occupy the top two spots in Group B of the Minor Cup meet in Shanganagh Park. DLR County 2 are on a fantastic run. having won all seven matches they have played this year - their best ever run in Leinster cricket. Finglas are on a decent run themselves - 6-2 for the season, but winners of their last five. A win today will equal their best ever run of six matches without a loss between last April and July.
Laois 2 vs Finglas 1 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Ashbourne 2 vs Finglas 2 - Ashbourne are looking confident in second place in Group B of the Junior Cup after wins over Adamstown 5 and North County 5. Finglas have had more of a mixed bag with a win, a loss and a rained off match. Ashbourne 2's all time leading run scorer is Anoop Bolledla with 789 runs at 23.21, with the all time leading wicket taker also being Bolledla with 52 wickets at 16.77. For Finglas 2, the equivalents are Sajesh Sudarsanan with 851 runs at 23 and Syam Mohan with 48 wickets at 12.65
Civil Service 3 vs Clontarf 3 - Clontarf start their YMCA Salver season away to a Civil Service side who won their first two matches to sit on top of Group C. Service finished 25 places behind Clontarf in the league last year, so should be the underdogs. But both teams have struggled a bit this year so who knows? Service have a 4-2 record across the Salver and Division 7, whilst Clontarf have lost all four games in Division 5. They are entering record breaking territory, with their current run of five losses in a row, only just behind their record of seven matches without a win across June and July last year.
Wicklow County 2 vs Clondalkin 3 - Bottom hosts fourth in Group B of the Minor Cup, but in truth it is very early days, with Wicklow County losing to DLR County, and Clondalkin losing to Finglas 3. Clondalkin are 2-3 for all competitions this year, with Wicklow County being 3-2. Thejas Sreedharan has a brilliant 224 runs at 56 for Wicklow County, with their leading wicket taker this season being Sashi Kanth with 11 wickets at 11.09. For Clondalkin, their top run scorer is Jai Wardhan with 214 runs at 42.8, and their leading wicket taker is Manik Moniruzzaman with 8 wickets at 7.13.
The Hills 3 vs North County 3 - The Hills are up against it in the Middle Cup, having lost their first two matches, against Phoenix 4 and North County. North County's win last weekend was no real surprise, as The Hills have only won one of the last nine encounters between the teams. So far this season, no player has scored over 100 runs for The Hills 3, but the leading wicket takers are Ashad Farooqi and Muhammad Hassan with 7 each. Similarly for North County 3 no batter has passed 100 runs, but the leading wicket taker is Kashif Qazi with 13 wickets at 7.46.
Sandyford 1 vs Railway Union 2 - A match with a history that is only as long as two matches under the shadow of Covid, when they shared two matches, one win a piece. The two matches were remarkably similar, with one exception. In game one, Sandyford scored 128/9 from 20 overs, before Railway only made 119/8. In the second match, Ger O'Brien improved on his duck in the first match, scoring 53 as Railway chased down Sandyford's 126/7.
Rush 3 vs Sandyford 2 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Mullingar 2 vs Terenure 3 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Carlow 1 vs Railway Union 3 - Railway's useful run of four wins in a row came to a halt last Sunday with a 6 wicket loss to Longford in Division 6. But they sit top of Group D in the Middle Cup with wins over Clontarf 4 and crucially, Carlow 1 last Saturday. Carlow beat Railway in their first game of the season on April 16, but have lost their last two, and that mid-April victory remains their only win this year. The game last week was a low scoring affair in Park Avenue. Railway scored 112 from their 20 overs with no one passing 30 or taking more than two wickets. Zahir Uddin and Sunil Trikha added 67 for the 1st wicket for Carlow, but tight spells from Johnny Woods, Robert O'Brien and Kashif Shah left Carlow 7 runs short.
Tyrrelstown 5 vs Adamstown 7 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Adamstown 5 vs North Kildare 5 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Lucan 2 vs Tyrrelstown 3 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Ongar 1 vs Wexford Wanderers 2 - No preview, as previous matches this season involving at least one of these teams still to be processed.
Swords 3 vs Athlone 2 - Another T20 Cup where it is far too early to be predicting who will advance to the semi finals. In total four matches have been played and three rained off, so it is all to play for. Athlone are top at the moment with a win, a loss and two rained off matches, with Swords down in 6th with a loss and a rained off match. Swords are 2-4 in all matches this year, with Athlone being 3-1.
Malahide 3 vs Phoenix 3 - The two unbeaten teams in Group D of the YMCA Salver go head to head. Malahide 3 have got off to a brilliant start to the season, also being unbeaten in Division 5 with four wins. Phoenix's league season has been good as well (3-1) but this is down in Division 7, and Malahide should be too strong. Adam Doyle has been the star with the bat for Malahide 3 this season, with 230 runs at 57.5. With the ball, the leading wicket takers are Nick Turner, Prince Paulson and Ben Askew who have all taken 6 wickets. For Phoenix, look out for Bijesh Bhaskaran (186 runs at 46.50) and Aaron Joseph with 10 wickets at 11.8.