It is a somewhat stuttering start to the Premier League campaign this year with only one match, Merrion v YMCA [Anglesea Road: 12.00], surviving the travails suffered by curators who have been unable to get onto grounds to prepare wickets due to the very wet spell of weather this spring.
In what promises to be an exciting and ultra competitive season for the newly branded league with joint sponsors Mason Alexander and LHW Financial Planning, today’s game will also see the introduction of cameras as part of a programme to provide live streaming of matches and video content. Cricket Leinster will offer a ‘Game of the Day’ for each round of the competition - no prizes for guessing which match is chosen today. Although full services are not yet available [due in about two weeks] this season will also see two clubs, Merrion and Pembroke, providing their own video streaming service.
But what of the cricket. At this stage of the season there is nothing to be said about current form. A few players on both sides have been active in foreign parts over the winter - but how valuable this will be given the current soft conditions is anyone’s guess. In terms of past form - the teams currently lie third [Merrion] and fourth [YMCA] on the All Ireland Performance Index.
The teams as selected are close to full strength. YMCA do not have opening bowler James Parkinson available and Merrion are suffering a few winter niggles which may restrict bowling options. Close attention will be paid to the new Overseas Player for Merrion, Poonish Mehra, who arrived in Dublin this week. Another new face for Merrion is Jack Carty an all-rounder from Queensland. On the YMCA side, South African Jarred Barnes makes his Leinster debut - he previously played up North.
The two teams as selected are:
YMCA: Jack Tector [C], Oliver Gunning, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Sam Murphy [W], Bobby Gamble, Padraic Flanagan, Asher Abbassi, Aviral Shukla, Alister Blair-White and Jarred Barnes.
Merrion: Dom Joyce [C], Patrick Tice [W], John Anderson, Tyrone Kane, Tom Stanton, Sean Stanton, Jack Carty, Poonish Mehra, Michael Lewis, JJ Walsh, Max Neville.
There are no other matches one today in the Premier or Senior [D2] Leagues. Hopefully there will be a good crowd down in Merrion to see the season kick-off. But visitors are reminded that parking will be at a premium given the Leinster rugby match that is on in the Aviva Stadium and the Ideal Homes on at the RDS.