SPORTSHUB SENIOR LEAGUE CUP PREVIEW – 30TH APRIL 2022

This May Bank Holiday sees a bumper weekend of Senior League Cup cricket, as round 2 is played in full on Saturday followed up by Round 3 on Monday. For now however we’ll focus solely on Saturday’s games, which throw up some fascinating clashes across the two groups.

Kicking off in Group A where YMCA are the visitors to Anglesea Road to face Merrion in what is already looking like a “must-win” game for the away side.

Having lost out to Balbriggan last weekend, YM will need to bounce back strongly and they are significantly boosted by the return of Simi Singh to their side for Saturday’s game, along with Curtis Campher and Harry Tector, he makes the middle order of the Claremont Road side look an incredibly formidable obstacle for Merrion’s bowlers to negotiate. Jack Tector was in the runs last weekend, top scoring with 62, so there should be no shortage of ability for the away side to score whatever amount of runs are required to beat Merrion.

With the ball, the return of Singh is obviously a big boost in that area too, and will build a strong partnership through the middle with Curtis Campher. Reuben Wilson made an excellent start to 1^st team cricket last week with a superb opening spell, and given YM’s relative lack of seamers his continuing progress will be crucial this weekend if they are to trouble Merrion’s top order.

The home side on the other hand welcome John Anderson and Dom Joyce back into their middle order this week having both been unavailable last weekend. Debutant Swapnil Modgil made an instant impact at the top of the order, with an excellent unbeaten innings of 51 as they comprehensively defeated North Kildare by 9 wickets despite the absence of Anderson and Joyce. Jack Carty was also unbeaten on 49* last week and Merrion’s batting order as a result looks every bit as strong as YMCA’s respective top 5.

Last week Merrion’s bowling attack saw three left-arm spinners and all will be in action again this time around, the trio of captain Tom Stanton, Amish Sidhu and Daniel Forkin accounted for half the North Kildare batting line-up, whilst Charl Malan’s off-breaks took two wickets for themselves and added another welcome dimension to the attack. Jack Carty and Muhammad Sinan are the main pace options in the side as Merrion are equally light on the seam bowling front as their counterparts.

Curtis Campher’s medium pace is going to be a vital part of the game tomorrow as he will be tasked with stemming the free scoring of John Anderson in Merrion’s middle overs. If he can take the big wicket of the former International, it will be a huge boost to YM’s chances of restricting Merrion’s batting line up.

KEY BATTLE: John Anderson vs Curtis Campher

Next up, Rush host Cork County in Kenure and will be buoyed by an excellent start to their season last week with a win against Leinster. Cork County on the other hand succumbed to a jarring 9 wicket loss against Clontarf in a result that will have served as a sharp wake-up call to the side as to the standard of top level club cricket in Leinster.

Whilst Rush don’t necessarily possess the pace of a David Delany in their side, they boast two excellent hit-the-deck bowlers in veteran Allan Eastwood and Jarred Barnes, which could cause their visitors every bit as many issues as they suffered during last week’s game. This fixture last season saw Rush’s current stand-in captain Daniel Coffey star with the ball taking the excellent figures of 6/23 from 8 overs as they ran out 7 wicket victors.

With the bat, Rush remain relatively unproven at this level, Llew Johnson’s 154 last week proved him to be a class act however the true test of how badly Neil Rock’s injury is going to hit them will come if he doesn’t produce another good effort this weekend. Jack McGee made a promising brisk 45 and along with brother Finn at the top, they carry a lot of responsibility to ensure a solid foundation is set for their lower order to be able to play to their strengths at the back end of the innings.

Cork County on the other hand are probably slightly happier with the cards they hold with the bat than the ball, they have plenty of experience at the top order in the shape of Ross Durity, whilst the middle order of Benjamin Marris, Rudolph Pollard and Joubert Pienaar are full of expansive stroke making. They will need a big score from one of their top 5 this week if they are to bounce back from last weekend’s drubbing.

With the ball, the Leesiders’ spin attack is their main weapon, which has two negatives this weekend, Rush’s dimensions not being hugely spinner-friendly and the early season wickets combine for a nightmare concoction for Abubakar Saddique and Diarmuid Carey to deal with, so there will again be a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Francois Mostert and Pollard with the ball to take early wickets and get the away side into the game.

Given his role last weekend, Llew Johnson’s runs could quickly become Rush’s most important asset and with that in mind his early battle with the deceptive seam bowling of Rudolph Pollard will be a hugely important part of the game.

KEY BATTLE: Llew Johnson vs Rudolph Pollard

The next game sees Clontarf bouncing into their fixture with Leinster on a massive high having blown Cork County away last weekend, Leinster had a close run affair with Rush, but in spite of a gallant effort came up 8 runs short in pursuit of their hosts’ 278.

Leinster visit Castle Avenue with plenty of players in good form, Saqib Bahadur’s century last week was a superb innings timed brilliantly which couldn’t quite see his side over the line. Scoring 270 with Gareth Delany failing to fire will be seen as an ominous sign by many and with so many potential runs available between Chris Janik and Joey Carroll, they will be hoping to get a solid base to work from against this strong Clontarf unit.

With the ball, the Rathmines side’s skipper Bilal Azhar, Carroll and teenager Mark Tonge all produced wickets last weekend and are the three seamers to watch out for in the side, whilst Delany’s leg-breaks going 1/37 from ten overs was arguably the pick given the ground they were bowling on. His impact will be important with the ball again this week as they face some of the best players of spin in the province in the ‘Tarf middle order.

That’s where we’ll pick up with the home side’s batting, Andrew Poynter and Eoghan Delany barely needed to strap on their pads last week such was the dominance of the home side, and they will have been encouraged by the powerful half-century for PJ Moor and solid not-out runs for Andrew Vincent. If Leinster don’t take early wickets it could be a long day against this excellent batting unit, with the strongly rated overseas Ruan Cronje only managing to face just 7 balls last week in the chase there is a feeling the side could have plenty more to offer.

With the ball, David Delany is back to full fitness and will again enjoy bowling on his home ground, and when he’s enjoying bowling it usually means there aren’t many batsmen enjoying their innings! Mick Granger is his new ball partner and the pair are one of the most dangerous around. Fionn Hand also returns to the line-up this weekend having missed last week's game. Cronje and the enigmatic Paul Ryan both took three wickets apiece last week in a consummate all-round performance and if both spinners can keep it tight again this week, Leinster will be struggling to find any bowling that is easy to score off.

Given his return to form this season, David Delany’s spell is a part of the game every supporter will want to witness, his battle with his cousin Gareth at the top of Leinster’s batting innings is sure to be enthralling.

KEY BATTLE: David Delany vs Gareth Delany

Finally in Group A, North Kildare welcome Balbriggan to The Maws for their first home game of the season. The home side suffered a heavy defeat last weekend to a very powerful Merrion side, whilst Balbriggan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they chased down YMCA’s total of 231 having at one stage looked like they would never even get close.

The home side’s relatively frail batting will rely heavily on whether overseas player Kaustab Pawar is available this weekend or not, and whilst not firing on all cylinders in Saturday’s game, Monil Patel ran up a huge score elsewhere on Sunday and gives cause for some encouragement in the batting stakes, alongside Waqar Azmat, who top scored last week, and Murtaza Sidiqi that trio makes up the spine of the North Kildare batting line-up and will be relied upon for runs if they are to make any impact on this game.

With the ball, Muzamil Sherzad is undoubtedly the best performer in this side, he bowled with control last week and dismissed Stephen Doheny in his opening spell. After him however there weren’t many bowlers able to retain consistency and they allowed Merrion to score freely. Young Devansh Bansali and Yaseen Sherzad will be the two bowlers NK will hope to help them achieve more consistency this week across the innings.

Balbriggan’s top order completely faltered last weekend and they still were able to pull a brilliant win out of the fire, however with the talent they possess at the top between Fletcher, Dara, Nasr, Ford and De Freitas, it would be an astounding prediction to say something like that could possibly happen again to the side. Irishman Nathan Rooney is their trump card at number 6, he’s their main accelerator in the middle order and really helped to steady the ship last weekend, unlike in years gone by, Dylan Lues and Andrew Darroch provide further boundary hitting ability after Rooney and that will be a huge help to the side this season.

With the ball, Ryan Hadley and Darroch provide a pacey opening duo, and if they can get into their visitors top order, they could prove a massive handful for sure. Kashif Ali also comes into this game off the back of a fine performance last weekend whilst there’s set to be a debut for Malcolm McGregor who will add depth to the spin-bowling department.

Given his potential with the ball, Muzamil Sherzad is possibly the most important player for NK this weekend, his battle with Balbriggan’s top order, and Conor Fletcher in particular, will be vital if they are to keep the entirety of that extremely strong batting line-up under wraps.

KEY BATTLE: Muzamil Sherzad vs Conor Fletcher

In Group B we have a number of excellent battles on the cards starting off in Sydney Parade, where Pembroke welcome Dublin University in a game which sees two of the sides which got off to a winning side face off against each other.

Pembroke’s batting last weekend owed much to an excellent innings of 92 from Barry McCarthy after the foundation had been laid by a Robin Kelly half-century. Danny Hogan is set to return for the ‘Broke this weekend, captain Theo Lawson and Lorcan Tucker are set to be the main men in the middle order, whilst they will be hoping that the useful contributions lower-down from the likes of Paul Lawson and Joe Prendergast can continue, as Pembroke will know exactly what score is required if they are to see off a very familiar Dublin University side.

With the ball, it was a strong all-round performance last weekend for the home side, Piyush Sharma, Donncha Tucker and Patrick Morris all in the wickets, the latter arguably the most pleasing for the home side as he bowled with great pace and control, after the game Barry McCarthy couldn’t speak highly enough of the potential Morris possesses. In the spin department whilst Paul Lawson wasn’t allowed to settle last weekend, his familiarity with the Dublin University middle order will be a massive advantage to Pembroke as they aim to turn the students over.

Dublin University kicked off with an excellent batting performance last weekend, and wicket-keeper Nicolaas Pretorius’ half-century was vital in their run-chase, Gavin Hoey’s not out runs came in their usually belligerent style as they made relatively easy work of chasing Railway’s 175 inside 32 overs. This weekend is sure to be a greater test, not least at the top of the order where Sanil Gupta and David Vincent set a solid foundation last weekend. The potential inclusion of Nigel Jones this week would massively bolster the side.

With the ball, DU have a myriad of options, exemplified last week by the pick of their bowlers being the 6^th and 7^th players who turned their respective arms over. Matt Humphreys produced a fine spell on debut and is arguably their most potent weapon, but it was Jack Atkinson and David Vincent who produced 6 wickets between them who really stole the show and put the College Park side right on top in the game. With options like that, alongside an already very strong opening attack of Mikey O’Reilly and Theo Dempsey, it’s tough to pick holes in much of the line-up.

Given his power-hitting ability, Gavin Hoey will be a huge player for Dublin University in this game, it’s likely that Pembroke will want to use their most experienced bowler against him and Paul Lawson is certainly that. If the pair face off it will be a vital part of the game, as Hoey’s runs and the manner in which he scores them are absolutely vital to the balance of DU’s side.

KEY BATTLE: Paul Lawson vs Gavin Hoey

Next up, The Hills visit Phoenix in what is already a must-win clash for both sides if they are to retain qualification hopes. Both suffered agonising losses last weekend, The Hills downed in the local derby to North County by just 4 runs, whilst Phoenix were turned over by Malahide by just one wicket.

The home side will have been encouraged however by the runs from Oliver Hald, whilst Tyrone Kane and Will Bennett both made starts and didn’t kick on. George Dockrell made something of a return to form with some mid-week runs for the Leinster Lightning in their warm-up against the Northern Knights. Opening pair Stephen Black and Dev Ranolia will be looked at to see off The Hills’ opening spell and allow Phoenix’s dynamic middle order a chance to cash in later in the innings.

With the ball, Aaron Cawley and Ranolia stood above the rest last weekend, and if they can retain that form, alongside the classy operators in the side in captain Kane and leggie Ben White, the ‘Nix bowling attack is one to be feared, particularly if George Dockrell also gets through a full spell of bowling as well.

The Hills’ batting line-up produced a strong effort last weekend, and they will again be looking to their 3, 4 and 5 of Commins, Donegan and Blignaut to give them the bulk of their runs. Both openers will have been frustrated to get starts and not kick on, and against this strong Phoenix line-up Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin will be vital in setting a foundation that the aforementioned Hills middle order can build upon.

With the ball, Matthew Weldon and Ashley Bain were tasked with giving Dylan Blignaut good support last weekend, but it was Tómas Rooney-Murphy who was the pick of the seamers, taking wickets and bowling economically. Teenager Weldon’s confidence ought to be sky-high having dismissed Malcolm Nofal last weekend, and with another high-class operator in his sights at number 3 for Phoenix this weekend, he could become The Hills’ man for a big moment very quickly.

With how potent some of Phoenix’s bowlers can be, a strong start with the bat will be vital for The Hills, Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin at the top of the order will be tasked with keeping Tyrone Kane away from the middle order, as a result that clash will play a big role in what way the game falls.

KEY BATTLE: Tyrone Kane vs Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin

Next up, Railway Union visit Terenure in a repeat of what was an astonishing game of cricket last season. Both sides lost last weekend and both suffered batting collapses in their middle orders in doing so. That was also the theme of the game between the two sides last year and if either of them can buck the trend both sides seem to be in, it will give a huge boost to their chances of winning.

The home side’s batting had a strong start last weekend, with Séamus Lynch and Henry Dall in the runs early on before a wobble in the middle overs saw an end to their chances of causing an upset. They will be looking to Liam Harris and captain Dónal Lynch for runs in the middle order to solidify that area after the tail managed to produce some decent efforts at the back end of last weekend’s innings.

With the ball, Zubair Khan and Raghav Grover both bowled with decent pace last weekend however lacked the early accuracy needed, Aidan Doyle’s five wicket haul was a huge boost to the side and no doubt to his confidence as well. Although Bhavic Tukrel isn’t available this weekend, he’s replaced by James Smith who makes his second debut for Terenure nearly 10 years on from his first. Sadiq Safi and Dall will provide the spin options in the side.

Railway are bereft of Kenny Carroll for this weekend’s game, but do have the services of Kevin O’Brien for the first time this season, his runs will be crucial to the side this weekend. Philippe le Roux and Hashir Sultan will be looked to in the middle order to contribute runs in a side which is otherwise quite fresh and inexperienced at this level.

Their bowling will be led primarily by the skipper Liam McCarthy, he’s their main seam threat and will be supported by Seán O’Brien and Kashif Shah in that area. Hamza Maan is the chief spinner in the team and his return to Railway this season has been a major boost to the side.

With Carroll missing this weekend, all Railway eyes will be on Kevin O’Brien in the hope for big runs, making his wicket crucial in their innings, for Terenure Aidan Doyle has become the bowler with the habit of taking big wickets at important times in games and he will be one player relishing the chance to bowl at Railway’s star man.

KEY BATTLE: Aidan Doyle vs Kevin O’Brien

Finally in Group B, we have the clash between Malahide and North County, the other two victors in last week’s opening round face off in Malahide, both sides will be looking to keep the ball rolling however it’s probably North County who could be pointed at as having had a better performance of the two sides last weekend.

Malahide welcome back skipper Matt Ford this weekend and will be hoping he can add some firepower and stability to the middle-order. Australian Ryan Hackney made a decent start to his innings last weekend but was dismissed in the 30s, something which he will naturally be looking to atone for this time around. Callum Riches and Ali Frost also provide more run scoring ability in a batting unit where everyone will be looking to up their game slightly from last weekend having nearly failed to chase a relatively moderate score.

With the ball, again the home side will be hoping Ali Frost and Diarmuid Burke can keep up their strong form from last weekend’s game. The return of Ford adds an extra dimension of spin, whilst Callum Riches successful return to the bowling crease last week will be a welcome addition to the sides bowling armoury. Mike Frost’s left-arm spin was again threatening and economical and will be possibly Malahide’s biggest bowling asset this year.

North County’s batting line-up last weekend produced a fine performance, Eddie Richardson’s unbeaten century was a mammoth effort on a first week of the season pitch, alongside Andrew Sheridan making 50 they will look to pick up exactly where they left off this weekend. Malcolm Nofal showed a glimpse of what he’s all about and will no doubt have been livid to get out having done the hard part in making a start. Those three will be the main protagonists for the away side again this weekend as they look to continue from their good start.

With the ball, Nofal showed his worth last week with a superb spell of bowling, whilst Abdul Ghaffar possesses the extra notch of pace to unsettle batsmen just that smallest bit, his four wickets last weekend were a massive part of their victory. Richardson’s batting exploits limited his bowling to just two overs last weekend, so if he is ready to bowl again this weekend it will essentially be a new bowler in the line-up compared to last weekend.

After his excellent spell last weekend, Malahide will want Mike Frost to continue in the same vein again this weekend, he’ll be tasked with taming Eddie Richardson’s batting which will be no small ask throughout the middle overs of the North County innings.

KEY BATTLE: Mike Frost vs Eddie Richardson

SPORTSHUB SENIOR LEAGUE CUP FIXTURES

GROUP A

At Anglesea Road, Merrion vs YMCA

At Kenure, Rush vs Cork County

At Castle Avenue, Clontarf vs Leinster

At The Maws, North Kildare vs Balbriggan

GROUP B

At Sydney Parade, Pembroke vs Dublin University

At Phoenix Park, Phoenix vs The Hills

At Terenure, Terenure vs Railway Union

At Malahide, Malahide vs North County