Merrion 2 vs Leinster 2 - Leinster play their last 2nd XI Premier League game of 2023 and can sit back and relax, being out of the title race, and the battle to avoid relegation (although another five points would make that absolutely certain). Merrion can only win their last two games and hope that Pembroke lose theirs. The last league game between the teams in Anglesea Road was in May 2019, when Leinster ran out winners by 110 runs. John Paul O Dwyer was the top scorer for Leinster (with 78) as they made a perhaps below par score of 214 all out, Nitin Sharma taking 3-45. But there may have been more to the pitch than meets the eye as the spin twins of Craig Mallon (5-34) and Ian O'Herlihy (3-22) ripped through Merrion to dismiss them for 104.
Railway Union 2 vs Clontarf 2 - Railway's attempt to win the 2nd XI Premier League is now out of their hands. As it stands, Pembroke need 31 points from their last two games - should Railway get maximum points from theirs. Clontarf have three games remaining, but need 11 points today to be safe, and to send YMCA 2 down (if they get 12 points North County are down as well). Amazingly there has only been one match between the teams in Park Avenue in the last 13 seasons. That was a June 2014 Senior 2 Cup match, with Clontarf scoring 209/6 from 40 overs thanks to 40 from Mark Collier and 43 from Vijay Anand Gopal. Furqan Ul haq made 58 for Railway Union, but received little support, as Rory Sullivan took 4-15 for Tarf, his best bowling for Clontarf 2 in 23 matches played (post 2010). Railway were bowled out for 140 to lose by 69 runs.
North County 2 vs YMCA 2 - The bottom two in the 2nd XI Premier League meet and if one of them is to survive relegation, it will be by the skins of their teeth. The losers today will be relegated. The winners need to win all their remaining games, and hope that Clontarf lose all three of theirs, a scenario which is fairly unlikely. YMCA's record in Inch is excellent. They lost a league match by 42 runs in July 2012, before winning the next eight. They lost again in April 22 before winning in a Tillain match in June this year by 5 wickets. That 2012 match is a real blast from the recent past. John Andrews (28) and Niall McGovern (28) added 62 for the 1st wicket for County, before Umar Jehangir's 4-23 for YM reduced County to 88/6 before a final North County burst by Umar Saleem (38) and Asif Ali (23) got County to 186 all out. Lee Cole top scored for YM with 37 and James Fitzgerald made 22, but it was Manmeet Singh and Asif Ali who stole the who. Singh took 4-29 and Ali 5-33 (his best ever bowling for North County in 64 matches from 2011-2016) as YM were bowled out for 144.
Knockharley 1 vs Balbriggan 2 - No preview as waiting for scorecard of Cork Harlequins 1 vs Wexford Wanderers 1 (August 26)
Wexford Wanderers 1 vs Phoenix 2 - No preview as waiting for scorecard of Cork Harlequins 1 vs Wexford Wanderers 1 (August 26)
YMCA 3 vs The Hills 2 - No preview as waiting for scorecards of Cork Harlequins 1 vs Wexford Wanderers 1 (August 26)
Malahide 2 vs Pembroke 2 - The final of the 2023 Senior 2 Cup final, with two 2nd XI Premier League sides meeting in Balbriggan. Malahide are two times previous winners of the trophy, winning in 1972 and 2001, whilst Pembroke won in 1950, 1959, 1974 and 1976. Will Pembroke's 47 year wait come to an end? The teams last met in the Senior 2 Cup in May 2011, when Danny Barclay (4-34) and Andrew Leonard (5-38) spun through the Malahide batting to dismiss them for 116. Brian Gilmore top scored for Malahide with 38, but there wasn't too much else. The day didn't get any better for Malahide when Pembroke batted, as Robin Russell (53) and Jack Balbirnie (50*) knocked off the runs in 19.3 overs for a 10 wicket win. Malahide are 13-4 for the season with their leading run scorer being Timcy Khanduja with 459 runs at 30.60. Neil Boyne has put in another very solid season with the ball, with 26 wickets at 11.19 and he needs three more wickets to break Peter Saville's 2018 record for most wickets in a season for Malahide 2 (post 2010). For Pembroke 2, Greg Holins leads the way with the bat, scoring 503 runs at 50.30 whilst with the ball Donncha Tucker has taken 22 wickets at 19.59.
Clondalkin 2 vs Ongar 1 - Ongar need 8 points to be crowned Division 14 champions for 2023, and with three games left, there is no particular pressure on them to complete the job today. Clondalkin have three games remaining, but need to win all three if they are going to get the second promotion spot. However if Malahide 5 lose to Slieve Bloom next week, Clondalkin may be able to get promoted with only two wins. The sides' one previous match was on June 10 this year in Ringcommons. Two early wickets left Clondalkin at 12/2, but runs for most of the order (Abul Shapon 31, Shakil Ahmed 45, Nayemur Rahman 71, Mehdi Solayman 20 and Niaz Sait 39) got Clondalkin to a very good 233/5 from 40 overs. But Ongar are full of confidence in their first season, and 90* from Naveen Kumar Baddam (his highest score in 82 Cricket Leinster matches) and 43* from Suman Bokka got them home with 3 wickets and two overs to spare. Sahith Kancharla took 4-34 for Clondalkin, his best bowling figures in 42 matches in Leinster since 2021.
Swords 3 vs Terenure 4 - No preview as waiting for result of Knockharley 3 vs Swords 3 (yesterday)
Mullingar 3 vs Athlone 3 - Mullingar 3 have been dragged back into the relegation mire at the bottom end of Division 17. They still have three game to play, and need to win at least one (and possible more) to move up from 8th to the safety of 7th. Much depends on other teams, and all Mullingar can do at the moment is win as many games as possible. Athlone are in a similar position, but do have five games left, and should be able to win a couple of those to get to a safe position. This year's reverse fixture saw Athlone make 136 all out, Paras Setia top scoring with 29 and Riju Varghese taking 3-37. In reply, Philip Sharp's 4-1 in 4.4 overs set the mood for the innings. Mullingar recovered a bit from 13-5, but were eventually bowled out for 97 with Suresh Bhau top scoring at number 9 with 23. Sharp's effort was the first instance recorded of 4-1 for Athlone.
North Kildare 5 vs Tyrrelstown 3 - No preview as waiting for result of North Kildare 5 vs Halverstown 1 (yesterday)
Civil Service 2 vs Malahide 3 - Civil Service have a tiny possibility of making the second promotion spot in Division 5, but could do with another win from their last three games to be truly safe from relegation. Malahide are in a similar position - they could be promoted but need Sandyford 1 to fall apart in their last four games. This year's league match in Malahide on May 21 saw one of the great Malahide comebacks. Anu K Saju (3-47) and Rohith Gunaseelan (3-49) sliced through the Malahide order, leaving the hosts at 89/7. Riley Shoebridge then joined Nick Turner, and the pair added 145 for the 8th wicket with Shoebridge scoring 64* and Turner 91. It was Shoebridge's joint highest score in Leinster (the third time he has scored 64) and the highest score on record for Malahide number 9 (all teams) and the partnership was the highest 8th wicket partnership on record for any Malahide team. Service then collapsed to 48/5 before a late order rally got them to 200 all out. Prasan Shah top scored with 49 for Service.
Lucan 1 vs Ashbourne 1 - A Division 9 win for Lucan today will guarantee them promotion. The league title would still be possible, but it will need North Kildare 3 to lose both of their last two games. Should Ashbourne win, it makes it all very interesting. They would be perhaps 10 points behind Lucan with one game remaining, a home match against leaders North Kildare 3. North Kildare play The Hills next week as well, meaning all of the top four still have a decent chance! The sides met in Divison 9 in St Catherine's Park in May 2022. Abid Ali took 4-44 for Ashbourne, his best bowling for Ashbourne in a 23 match season for the Meath club before crossing back over the border and returning to North Kildare. That kept Lucan to 178 all out, with Syed Raza top scoring for Lucan with 47. Manpreet Rocky Singh (as is usual) was brilliant at the top of the innings with 5-10 from 9 overs, but the rest of the Lucan attack struggled to chip away. However at 128/9 they should have been home and dry. Nishad Sudhakaran (34) and Kiran Patel (21) had other ideas adding 51 for the last wicket to seal a famous one wicket win. It remains Ashbourne 1's record 10th wicket stand.
Sandyford 1 vs Rush 2 - Two Division 5 teams with lots to play for. Sandyford have four games remaining, and are 57 points behind leaders Adamstown with two games in hand. Crucially the pair play each other on September 16 in what may well be a play off for the title. Rush are down in 7th place with two games remaining. The second relegation spot is amongst four clubs, and Rush need to win one or possibly both of their remaining matches to escape. The sides have not met in Marlay Park since 2016, with Rush winning the last three games played there. Sandyford's last win was a Division 6 game in April 2012. Six Sandyford bowlers took wickets as Rush were bowled out for 113, with Eoin Sheehan top scoring with 34. Sandyford then cruised home by 8 wickets with Srikanth Boddu scoring 61 from 46 balls.
Castleknock 3 vs The Hills 4 - The Division 16 title race is down to three teams - these two and Wicklow County 2 in second. The Hills are 61 points behind Castleknock with a game in hand. Win today - win the game in hand and they could have the gap to around 15 points. But they would still need Castleknock to slip up in their last game against Swords 3. Promotion may be the better bet and they are 20 points behind Wicklow County, so would still be relying on their results. There has ony been one league match between the teams in Porterstown, when The Hills won by 9 wickets in last year's Division 17. Akash Sabharwal (3-14) and Conor O'Brien (3-13) took the bulk of the wickets as Castleknock made only 111 - Arif Mohammed top scoring with 40. The Hills steadily chased down that total, losing only one wicket as Muddesser Bhandara (28), Tom Mullen (38) and Conor O'Brien (31) earned the points.
Carlow 1 vs Longford 1 - Longford's rained off match last week against Mullingar was enough to see them confirmed as Division 6 champions for 2023. It is their third league title after winning Division 6 in 2016 and Division 5 in 2017. Carlow play Longford today and Leinster 3, and two wins would put the pressure on Terenure to finish the season well. The only previous match between the teams was on May 7 this year. Carlow were bowled out for 141, with Fadi Khan the star with 2-25. It was his 7th five wicket haul for Longford 1, by far the best for the team. Zahir Uddin's 60 was the stand out for Carlow. In reply, Longford hardly broke sweat with Muhammad Sheraz Tariq scoring 56. They won by 8 wickets from 18 overs.
Clontarf 4 vs Terenure 2 - Clontarf play their final game in a tough Division 6 season and can only look forward to a better 2024. Terenure still have three games to go at the top, and are in a tense three way battle with Mullingar and Carlow. Two wins should be enough, but with a match against Pembroke on September 10 and a game against Longford which has not yet been re-arranged, they don't have much wriggle room. Another pair of teams who had never met until this year. On May 7, there were Terenure fifties for Dom Byrne (53*) and Hilal Asad (66 - his first 50 since 51 for Old Belvedere against The Hills 2 in May 2011). That got Terenure to 263/7, a chase which would have been Clontarf 4's highest ever if they had chased it. It wasn't to be as only Nilanga Peiris stood up (with 60) as Niqash Ali's 4-18 help dismiss Tarf for 135.
Dundalk 1 vs Wexford Wanderers 2 - The top two sides in Division 13 meet in a cracker of a finale. Dundalk still have three matches to play, and have a game in hand on Wexford, so in reality should romp to the title. A win for Dundalk today will confirm them as champions. But a Wexford win will lead to a few Dundalk nerves, but with Adamstown and Gorey still to play, Dundalk should prevail. The only previous league game between the sides in Hiney Park saw Dundalk win by 5 wickets in May 2022. Six Dundalk bowlers took wickets as Wexford were bowled out for 134 (Stephen Hadley Snr and Samiullah Nasseri both scoring 26). Dundalk's reply was solid, with all five dismissed batters getting into double figures. Shahid Mahmood top scored with 33 as Dundalk won in 23 overs.
Athlone 1 vs North County 3 - Athlone have already secured promotion to Division 7 for 2024, and need a win today to confirm them as Division 8 champions, their second league title after winning Division 17 in 2018. North County will be up for it though, as they could still take the league with four good performances in their last four matches. A loss for County today will then see them neck and neck with Knockharley 2 for the second promotion spot. The one previous league game between the teams was on May 13 this year. There were North County 50s for Manmeet Singh (53), Rehan Ali (72) and Kashif Qazi (73) with Rehan and Kashif adding 133 for the 7th wicket - a North County 3 record for the 7th wicket. But Athlone didn't give up, and had contributions all of the way down the order - although only Owais Zulfiqar Ali passed 50 with 63*, his first fifty for Athlone in his second innings. They eventually won with five balls and three wickets to spare. It was Athlone 1's highest ever successful run chase.
The Hills 3 vs North Kildare 3 - A win for The Hills 3 in their last Division 9 match of the season gives them an outside chance of the title and a better chance of promotion. First, they need to win with maximum points, and then hope that North Kildare fail to get any points in their last game with similar slip ups for Lucan 1 and Ashbourne 1. This is unlikely, so a better bet maybe for The Hills to bank on a big win today, followed by a Lucan loss to Ashbourne today, and then a big North Kildare win over Ashbourne on September 10. North Kildare have their fate in their own hands - two wins and they are champions. The only previous match between these teams was on July 23 this year, seeing a big North Kildare win. Anu Nath was the centrepiece for North Kildare with 129. That was his first hundred for North Kildare in what is now nine matches for the club. Contributions all the way down the order got North Kildare to 305 all out. The Hills used nine bowlers, with Conor Maguire the noteworthy one with 4-28, his first four wicket return since August 2019. Four Hills batters got into the 20's, but Ajayveer Malhan's 4-27 ensured there was no chance of a win for The Hills, as they were bowled out for 153.
Rush 4 vs Finglas 3 - No preview as waiting for scorecard of Wexford Wanderers 3 vs Rush 4 (August 27)
Phoenix 4 vs Clondalkin 1 - Two teams who should be safe from relegation in Division 8, but for whom a win today would make a big difference. Phoenix are in 5th place with two games remaining. They are 26 points from safety, but one has to assume that one win will be enough. Clondalkin are one place below them but do have four games to go. They need 45 points at the moment from those four games, but that may reduce depending on how Swords 1 do in their last two matches. Phoenix have never won this encounter, with the only two league games being played in 2018. The match in Phoenix was played on September 8, and saw Phoenix set Clondalkin 195 to win from their 40 overs. That innings was built around Wamiq Siddiqui's 75, one of the 22 times Siddiqui has passed 50 for Phoenix. Since making his debut in 2017 no one has passed 50 for Phoenix more times than Siddiqui - Anudeep Yalamuru comes next on the list wth 12. However 69 from Md Khurshid Anowar and consistent runs all the way down the order, saw Clondalkin get home easily to win by 3 wickets.
Adamstown 7 vs Phoenix 6 - No preview as waiting for result of Adamstown 7 vs Naas 2 (yesterday)
Tyrrelstown 1 vs Adamstown 2 - Adamstown could do with winning one of their two remaining Division 7 games to avoid relegation. Tyrrelstown still have four to play - win those and they are the champions, although they may well be able to win the league with less games. The only previous match between the teams was on June 5 this year when solid contributions from Bradley Fernandes (45), Kunal Nagare (43) and Suhas Yellur (44) got Adamstown to a useful 218 all out with Sachin Dev the pick for Tyrrelstown with 3-46. Vamsi Mukollu (46) and Shirish Sonawane (52) got Tyrrelstown off to a good start, before wickets slowly started to fall. 84/0 became 128/4 and then 168/5 slipped to 204/9. It was left to Vikram Gade (13) and Sachin Dev (2) to get the 15 needed for the last wicket to give Tyrrelstown a famous victory. It was Tyrrelstown 1's first one wicket victory since July 2017 (against Knockharley 3)
Kilkenny 3 vs Sandyford 3 - No preview as waiting for scorecards of Wexford Wanderers 3 vs Rush 4 (August 27) and North Kildare 6 vs Clondalkin 3 (June 11)
North Kildare 6 vs Swords 4 - No preview as waiting for scorecards of Wexford Wanderers 3 vs Rush 4 (August 27) and North Kildare 6 vs Clondalkin 3 (June 11)
Greystones 2 vs Mullingar 2 - No preview as waiting for scorecard of Terenure 3 vs Mullingar 2 (August 26)
Halverstown 2 vs Ongar 2 - Halverstown play their last Division 19 game of the year, safe in the knowledge that their Division 19 status is confirmed for 2024. Ongar 2 still have four games to play and are 39 points behind Sandyford with a game in hand. But they still have to play each other, and with Ongar also still to play Sandyford, the league is wide open. The reverse fixture on May 21 saw Ongar run out 60 run winners. Brian McAllister took 5-20 for Halverstown (his first five wicket haul in 20 matches for Halverstown since 2018) as Ongar made only 152 (Rakshit D Muddu top scoring with 36). That proved to be more than enough as Arun Reddy Katheri's 4-20 accopanied by plenty of other good Ongar bowling limited Halverstown to only 92/9 from 40 overs, Junaid Khan hitting 25 and Desmond Drumm 24*
Wicklow County 2 vs Adamstown 6 - Three games to go for Wicklow County in Division 16 and whilst they are favourites to nail down the second promotion spot, they still need to get over the line. After today they play Sword 3 and Malahide 6 and could easily win their last three matches, possibly even challenging for the title. Adamstown are solidly mid-table - perhaps one more win making them completely safe from relegation - although that is unlikely. Last year's match in Bray was dominated by Thejas Sreedharan who scored 126*. The Wicklow County legend has currently scored 3590 runs at 25.64 for the club, the majority of them (2842 at 31.93) for Wicklow County 2. That got them 240/5, which Adamstown never looked like chasing. Shankar Gopalakrishnan top scored for Adamstown with 29, but the twin threats of Sri Chidipothu (5-30) and Sreedharan (5-11) blew Adamstown away for 92. That was Chidipothu's first five wicket haul in an 81 match Cricket Leinster career.
Pembroke 5 vs Malahide 6 - A crucial battle at the bottom of Division 16. Malahide are bottom, but have four games left. Three games will see them to safety and two could be enough. Pembroke are up in 7th place, but only have two games remaining. One victory in their last two should be enough - and they play Malahide again next week. Surprisingly, these teams have never played, so a quick look at the players to watch. Bhushan Baviskar has scored a phenomenal 547 runs for the team at 60.78 at the same time as averaging a distinctly useful 34.6 in Division 6. He (and Subramaniyam Ravisankar with 452 runs at 45.20) have smashed Prajwal Doddaballapura's 2018 record of 348 runs in a season for Pembroke 5. Graham Mooney and Vaibhav Salvi lead the wicket taking with 13 each. An incredible 57 players have played for Malahide 6 this year, with Sanjay Pahuja scoring most runs with 190 at 38 and James Dickinson taking most wickets with 12 at 9.75