We missed out on R10 due to the weather and with a series of re-fixes scheduled for next week [not the coming week due to fixture congestion] we still have five rounds of matches to go before we know the outcome of this year’s competition. The top three sides avoid each other this Bank Holiday Monday so the aim of Merrion, Clontarf and North County will be to avoid mishap. In this uber competitive league this season it is unlikely that all three will succeed.
The final game is perhaps the most interesting in that The Hills travel to Sydney Parade and have a massive incentive to secure a win and create, what they hope, will be a reasonable distance from the bottom two side. The Hills select from a full squad. Pembroke will be without Andrew Balbirnie but will be strengthened by the return of Josh Little.
In the other games Clontarf take on a Phoenix side that has faltered in recent weeks and will need a much improved performance if it is going to challenge Clontarf on their home soil. They surprised Clontarf earlier in the season but can they do it again against a team on a high following their success in the T20s on Saturday.
Normally a top v bottom clash at this point of the season would be counted a near formality. Merrion also have home advantage and should have the all-round strength to account for Leinster. The visitors have put in some better performances recently but rely heavily on big performances from their main players. But Merrion need to bounce back from a disappointing final on Saturday.
North County require a win to keep pressure on the two leading sides. They have home advantage, which is important and look to be at about full strength. YMCA have been disrupted in recent weeks missing key players, but have nonetheless done well enough to make themselves reasonable comfortable mid-table. They will miss the bat and ball contribution from Simi Singh. A positive result just might put them on the path for a late run. Much as happened last season with Leinster.
In the corresponding games earlier in the season there were wins for Phoenix, Merrion, YMCA and Pembroke.
Limited number of teams announced - in part due to clubs waiting to see how players fared afte4r T20s.
Phoenix:Brad Kneebone [C], Dave Vernon, Gordy Miller, Richie Lawrence, Reinhardt Strydom
Louis MacDonough, Fletcher Coutts, Stephen Black, Ben White, Adam Chester, Rory Anders
The Hills [from]: Nicolaas Pretorius [C/W], Max Sorensen, Albert van der Merwe, Daya Singh, Tomas Rooney Murphy, Mark Donegan, Naz Shoukat, Harry Archer, Luke Clinton, Andy Kavanagh, Cian Nulty, Killian Everard.
Leinster: G. Dockrell [C], D. Coad, G. Delany, M. Patel, J. Carroll, F. O'Sullivan, A Clough , S. Bahadur, I. O'Herlihy (wk), B. Azhar, E. McKay
North County: Niall McGovern [C], Jamie Grassi, Malcolm Nofal, Jonno Andrews, Eddie Richardson, Tomas Sheil, Andrew Sheridan, Adam Coughlan, Manmeet Singh, Sean Kingston, Cian Mulvaney
Pembroke: Fiachra Tucker [C], Lorcan Tucker, Diarmaid Tucker, Theo Lawson , Paul Lawson , Benn Hoey, Gavin Hoey, JJ Garth, Josh Little, Alex Ridley, Jack Balbirnie