Introduction to this year's Senior Plate
The highest ranked team in the draw is #018 The Hurlutown Partnership, then #021 Hunslet Parkside C.C. Both are in the lower half of the draw and scheduled to meet in the semi-final, barring an upset. Their opening games offer a reasonable test, but one they should pass:
- #018 The Hurlutown Partnership ( One Day 3.3 ) vs. #039 Marching On Together ( One Day 3.3 )
- #037 Ella XI ( Day 3.2 ) vs. #021 Hunslet Parkside C.C. ( One Day 3.4 )
The most successful team in the draw is #049 Western Suburbs Hacks having been a losing finalist in the first running of the plate. The previous winners Ireland Lions, did not qualify for an invite, and Hammers CC. have left the league. The competition was cancelled last year.
- #056 Muggles Cricket Club ( One Day 3.1 ) vs. #049 Western Suburbs Hacks ( One Day 3.2 )
There are nine newcomers to the Senior Plate: #018 The Hurlutown Partnership; #021 Hunslet Parkside C.C.; #031 Celtic Wolves; #037 Ella XI; #039 Marching On Together; #040 North Cardiff Cosmos; #041 Spingleberry; #050 The Cross Lances; and #056 Muggles Cricket Club.
The are just three entries from the fourth tier: #054 St Johns Athletic; #059 Babylon5; and #060 Insane Inglewood Posse. All have competed in the plate before. Their hunt for glory begins and may end here:
- #038 Dunbrody CC ( One Day 3.4 ) vs. #054 St Johns Athletic ( One Day 4.8 )
- #059 Babylon5 ( One Day 4.1 ) vs. #021 Hunslet Parkside C.C. ( One Day 3.4 )
- #060 Insane Inglewood Posse ( One Day 4.6 ) vs. #047 FPCC Ireland ( One Day 3.4 )
For this reason, starting, next season I have decided to reverse the order of invitation to the plates to begin with the lowest ranked teams. This will ensure that new joiners and the other Division 4 sides are guaranteed to be accepted into the competition and so ensure that all teams in the Irish League setup have the chance to compete in either the Cup or the Plate. It also increases the chances of providing testing but "winnable" matchups early on in the competition. I wish I had thought of it sooner.
The remaining matchups in the first round are:
- #031 Celtic Wolves ( One Day 3.4 ) vs. #040 North Cardiff Cosmos ( One Day 3.4 )
- #050 The Cross Lances ( One Day 3.4 ) vs. #043 Chester Ducks ( One Day 3.3 )
Round One - a brief recap
- Dunbrody's Romesh Wettimuny (4-23) saw of St John's, despite Carey Ponting's valiant 83 in a losing cause. Timmy Shevill and Ethan Scully both scored half-centuries in a winning cause.
- Muggles bowlers were muddled by Hacks' batters Swinbourne Nagel (113*) and Lohan Laxman (82*). Cabous Wordsworth (3-23) has a great name that is a homonym for a railway wagon with accommodation for the train crew, usually at the end of the train.
- Spingleberry scored 70 more runs than Babylon5 on a flat wicket. So many runs but the following all achieved their half-centuries Jack Donfeld (65*), Keven Horne (64*), and Richard Adair (64).
- Manish Sankaran scored 70 not out for the Celtic Wolves but the North Cardiff Cosmos easily overhailed the total thanks to Khimraj Gilkes (67*) and Bryan Bradford (48*).
- Marching On's James Lavery hit 81 in response to Hurlutown's 147-3 in which Mark Conway made 69 not out. It was the Partnership's fast bowling that won the day: Thorpe Lind (4-24) and Rian Flanagan (3-37).
- Wade Neyland hit an Insane knock of 82 whilst David Price took 3-16 but Anderson Wilkerson (65*)and Thorpe Murphy (57*) comfortably clinched the tie for FPCC Ireland.
- Hakeem Maina (4-22) helped the Ducks avoid being Cross Lanced; Viyusa Sekhoto's fifty finished the job.
Game of the round: Ella XI v Hunslet Parkside C.C.
Contributions from Ella's top IV [Sanee Buultjens (28), Leonard Flores (42), Luis Barton (53) and Nirmala Nawalage (37*)] helped them to 171-3. And Hunslet's top four Elton Kasteni (17), Murray Boyle (47), Ross Buckley (55) and Keith Payne (33) seemingly had them on track for a win. However, three run outs in the last two overs left them a tantalising single run short (two on countback) at 170-6.
Quarter Finals - a brief recap
- High scoring on a flat wicket. Ethan Scully (99), Edward Pearse (58) and Tjards Karstens (48) took Dunbrody to 237-3. It feels like Reece Kielty (85), Swinbourne Nagel (64) and Lohan Laxman (50) should have scored enough for WS Hacks; but they were 25 runs short and out of the Plate.
- Khimraj Gilkes (59*) and Bryan Bradford (48*) put together another winning partnership for the North Cardiff Cosmos.
- Crash, bang, wallop! Antonie Wylie (131) and Liphaphang Maraire (90 not out), then Thorpe Lind with four wickets for eight runs, absolutely pulverised FPCC for The Hurlutown Partnership.
- Slow wicket, so few runs. Sanee Buultjens (45) then Thilanga Kassier (43*) and James Scott (34*) took Ella XI to 157-4. Anirudhh Baskaran (43*) got not support and Ella took another trio of run outs in the win. Maybe it's not just catches that win matches.
Semi Finals - a brief recap
Two one-sided semi finals, lets hope for better from the climax to the Irish League Cup season.
- It was all about bowlers on a sticky wicket Sean Kane (3-17) and Lukey Caffyn (3-19) were the main reasons Dunbrody contained the North Cardiff Cosmos to 127-9 which fell well short of the target. An honourable mention goes to Cosmos bowler Theophillus Ngala who took 3-28. The game was determined by a telling contribution at the start by the Dunbrody openers; Tjarda Karstens (60) and Ethan Scully (58) were the only batters to cope with the conditions.
- The number three and four batters for The Hurlutown Partnership determined the victory, Liphaphang Maraire (73) and Patrick Donaldson (50 not out) navigated an uneven wicket. Aftab Rafique, with 3 for 18, was the only bowler who seemed to flourished as Ella's response never really got going despite 34 from Sanee Buultjens and 35 not out by Thilanga Kassier.
The Plate Final - a brief recap
I said lets hope for better from the climax to the Irish League Cup season but to be honest The Hurlutown Partnership currently ranked #9 (One Day) and #6 (Twenty20) in Ireland look strong favourites. They look likely to get promoted from both this season. But never say "never", eh?