Irish League Youth Cup S59-date *** PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ***

[crackit]

Welcome to the Irish League Youth Cup.

• All, and only, teams in the Irish League receive an invite.

• Teams are invited in the order or their One Day ranking at the end of S62

• There will be 32 teams in the cup, or 64, if sufficient numbers accept.

• So the top 32 (or 64 teams) that accept are guaranteed place in the draw.

Later, all Division 3 and 4 sides that not making round two of the cup are invited to the Irish League Youth Plate.

Competition Details:

• It is a knock-out cup.

• The draw is random (there is no seeding).

• Games are played on a Wednesday.

• Games played are T20 friendlies

• Games do not impact player fatigue for league matches.

• Local weather conditions are applied

Pitch preparation is at the whim of the home team’s groundskeeper (random).

What's the catch?

• There is none, entry is free.

• We ask, but don't enforce, that those who can pull Irish youth players as a contribution.

• Both finalists win an award of Pavilion membership.

Then why?
As always, my hope is to:

• Develop a sense of identity, belonging and community to the Irish league setup.

• Support the Irish national side by encouraging youth pulls where possible.

• Offer teams in lower divisions the chance to test themselves against higher league opposition.

• Have fun.

It would be great if you would join in by hitting the accept button when you receive your invite.

[crackit]

Timeline

• w/s Sunday 12 October: All invitations will be sent in rank order. Note: You may accept right up to the deadline, the top ranked teams accepting are included in the draw.

• 12 November: Acceptance deadline

• 19 November: Round of 64 / 32.

• 26 November: Round of 32 / 16.

• 3 December: Round of 16 / Quarter-finals.

• 10 December: Quarter-finals / Semi-finals.

• 17 December: Semi-finals / Final.

• 24 December: Final / nothing.

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Team Roll of Honour

Season 62:

• Winner: Staindrop Lordies

• Runner-up: Hunslet Parkside C.C.

• Semi-finalists: kato xi; Woodlands CC

Season 61:

• Winner: Chester Ducks

• Runner-up: Staindrop Lordies

• Semi-finalists: Ella XI; Hunslet Parkside C.C.

Season 60:

• Winner: Spinney Wanderers

• Runner-up: Celtic Wolves

• Semi-finalists: Meeting Mr Miandad; Shaktar Senseless

Season 59:

• Winner: The WaddiWallas

• Runner-up: Spinney Wanderers

• Semi-finalists: kato xi; Royal Eleven

Individual leaders
Player of the Tournament, for most fantasy points:

• S62: 387 - Mark McDermott (Hunslet Parkside C.C.)

• S61: 510 - Malcolm Sartori (Chester Ducks)

• S60: 410 - Senan Scannell (Celtic Wolves)

• S59: 433 - Joost Brentjens (Spinney Wanderers)

Golden pads, for most runs scored by a batter:

• S62: 273 - Mark McDermott (Hunslet Parkside C.C.)

• S61: 359 - Malcolm Sartori (Chester Ducks)

• S60: 222 - Christian Tynan (Meeting Mr Miandad)

• S59: 279 - Joost Brentjens (Spinney Wanderers)

Golden cap, for most wickets taken by a bowler:

• S62: 10-109 Tshepo Matsikenyeri (lf, Staindrop Lordies)

• S61: 9-94 Randall Norris (lfm, Chester Ducks)

• S60: 8-64 Taral Soni (rws, Corleone)

• S59: 10 – 141 Desmond Depay (rfm, Spinney Wanderers)

Golden gloves, for most dismissals involving the keeper:

• S62: 6 in 3 games (5c, 1st) - Philip Burke (The Cross Lances)

• : 6 in 4 games (6c, 0st) - Dave Tone (Woodlands CC)

• : 6 in 4 games (6c, 0st) - Eric O'Leary (kato xi)

• : 6 in 5 games (6c, 0st) - Jonas Wilkes (Staindrop Lordies)

• S61: 8 (6c, 2st) - Dinny Taylor (Staindrop Lordies)

• S60: 11 (9c, 2st) Diarmuid McGrath (Meeting Mr Miandad)

• S59:12 (10c, 2st) Dogo Kiribui (The WaddiWallas)

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First Round
Note: Rankings used are as of the start of the season.
#035 Woodlands CC ( Youth 3.2 ) vs. #015 The Cross Lances ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 4-2]
Woodlands CC won by 13 runs
#040 Belmont CC ( Youth 3.2 ) vs. #003 kato xi ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry:0-0]
kato xi won by 73 runs
#022 Royal Eleven ( Youth 3.3 ) vs. #002 Marching On Together ( Youth 3.4 ) [Youth Rivalry: 8-12]
Marching On Together won by 5 wickets
#001 Vegas Venoms ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #033 Billericay Bluebirds ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-2]
Vegas Venoms won by 55 runs

#006 The Hurlutown Partnership ( Youth 3.4 ) vs. #025 Blwe Scavengerz ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-2]
The Hurlutown Partnership won by 33 runs
#009 Staindrop Lordies ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #044 Dublin Devils ( Youth 3.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 3-0] [Youth Cup Rivalry: 1-0]
Staindrop Lordies won by 55 runss
#041 Dunbrody CC ( Youth 3.1 ) vs. #039 Insane Inglewood Posse ( Youth 3.3 ) [Youth Rivalry: 0-0]
Dunbrody CC won by 16 runs
#018 Leinster Lightning ( Youth 2.1 ) vs.#008 The New Originals ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 0-1]
The New Originals won by 9 wickets

#026 kilkenny ( Youth 2.2 ) vs. #024 Chester Ducks ( Youth 3.3 ) [Youth Rivalry: 8-4]
Chester Ducks won by 9 wickets
#016 Rebel Spinners ( Youth 3.4 ) vs.#036 Celtic Wolves ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 7-4-1]
Rebel Spinners won by 8 wickets
#007 The WaddiWallas ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #014 Donna's Kebabs ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-2]
Donna's Kebabs won by 10 wickets
#011 Ella XI ( Youth 2.1 ) vs. #034 Applewood Crossing ( Youth 3.4 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-1] [Youth Cup Rivalry: 0-1]
Ella XI won by 6 wickets

#027 Corleone ( Youth 2.2 ) vs. #030 Crzy Tornadoes ( Youth 3.4 ) [Youth Rivalry: 0-0]
Corleone won by 18 runs
#005 Cork City Cobra's ( Youth 1.1 ) vs.#028 Meeting Mr Miandad ( Youth 3.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 25-7]
Cork City Cobra's won by 7 wickets
#021 Weston Super Mud CC ( Youth 3.1 ) vs. #013 Ballingeary Lakers ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-3]
Ballingeary Lakers won by 7 wickets
#038 Spinney Wanderers ( Youth 2.2 ) vs.#020 Shaktar Senseless ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 2-0]
Shaktar Senseless won by 23 runs

Second Round
Note: Rankings used are as of the start of the season.
#035 Woodlands CC ( Youth 3.2 ) vs. #003 kato xi ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 1-3]
kato xi won by 4 wickets
#002 Marching On Together ( Youth 3.4 ) vs. #001 Vegas Venoms ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 1-1]
Vegas Venoms won by 12 runs
#006 The Hurlutown Partnership ( Youth 3.4 ) vs.#009 Staindrop Lordies ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 0-0] [Cup Rivalry: 0-1]
Staindrop Lordies won by 8 wickets
#041 Dunbrody CC ( Youth 3.1 ) vs. #008 The New Originals ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 10-8]
The New Originals won by 48 runs
#024 Chester Ducks ( Youth 3.3 ) vs. #016 Rebel Spinners ( Youth 3.4 ) [Youth Rivalry: 3-2 [Cup Rivalry: 1-0]
Rebel Spinners won by 76 runs
#014 Donna's Kebabs ( Youth 2.2 ) vs. #011 Ella XI ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 0-0]
Ella XI won on countback (wickets fallen)
#027 Corleone ( Youth 2.2 ) vs. #005 Cork City Cobra's ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 1-2-1]
Cork City Cobra's won by 6 wickets
#013 Ballingeary Lakers ( Youth 2.2 ) vs. #020 Shaktar Senseless ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 5-1]
Ballingeary Lakers won by 7 wickets

Quarter Finals
kato xi, Vegas Venoms, Staindrop Lordies and The New Originals all are reaching the quarters for the third time in the five seasons it has been running. They are all in the top half of the draw. The Lordies are the current holders and looking to reach their third successive final.

#003 kato xi ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #001 Vegas Venoms ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 7-10] [Cup Rivalry: 2-0]
kato xi won by 3 wickets
#009 Staindrop Lordies ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #008 The New Originals ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 1-2]
The New Originals won by 7 wickets

#016 Rebel Spinners ( Youth 3.4 ) vs. #011 Ella XI ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: 1-1]
Ella XI won by 4 runs
#005 Cork City Cobra's ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #013 Ballingeary Lakers ( Youth 2.2 ) [Youth Rivalry: 5-3] [Cup Rivalry: 1-0]
Cork City Cobra's won by 9 wickets

Semi Finals
There will be two new finalists. kato xi, have reached this stage twice before and Ella XI once, but neither team has progressed further.

#003 kato xi ( Youth 1.1 ) vs. #008 The New Originals ( Youth 2.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: ?-?]
#011 Ella XI ( Youth 2.1 ) vs. #005 Cork City Cobra's ( Youth 1.1 ) [Youth Rivalry: ?-?]

[Krishna18]

I would love to participate. Let me know how to take part. I am training 2 youth Irish players and will be willing to scout from Ireland also. Thanks!

[crackit]

I would love to participate. Let me know how to take part. I am training 2 youth Irish players and will be willing to scout from Ireland also. Thanks!

Apologies Krishna18 but all, and only, teams in the Irish League receive an invite to the Irish League Youth Cup.

I see that you are a senior national assistant to DEVI, I wish you and the best in the upcoming Twenty20 games. Cheers Crackit

[crackit]

First Quarter of the Draw
The first thing to say is that the top-half of the draw contains six of the top eight ranked teams; the top three are in this quarter.

• #1 Vegas Venoms

• #2 Marching On Together

• #3 kato xi

Given how stacked this quarter is, it is surprising to discover there are no previous finalists; kato xi (twice), Royal Eleven and Woodlands CC have all made the semis. Assuming they do march on together, the top two will meet in Round Two, and the winner play kato xi in the Quarters. Take your pick.

An undefeated century by Seamus Morgan helped Woodlands CC progress to the second round, but here on it gets a little tricky. As expected the top three ranked teams have progressed in this quarter of the draw. This means Woodlands play #3 kato xi [Craig Delamere 84] whilst #1 Vegas Venoms [Mohamed Reifer 92, Alexander Moss 3-28] and #2 Marching On Together [Bill Ahearne 62] definitely won't be, because there can only be one winner. Honourable mention: Darren O'Hara (Royal Eleven) took an impressive 3-26 in a losing effort.

Coming up: 1 v 2, nuff said.

Not as close as it might have been, Marching On were brought up 12 runs short of the Venoms total. A four over spell for 16 runs between 12th-15th ended with Devi Kharki taking two wickets. The final blow was probably the direct hit from Allen Blowers catching Bill Ahearne miles out for 60 run out. Vegas now go on to play #3 ranked kato xi thanks to opener Ciaran Magee whose undefeated 89 saw them progress comfortably past Woodlands CC.

Coming up: 1 v 3, nuff said. Vegas lead the series 10-7, but they have met twice in the cup before and kato xi won both! Take your pick.

A hattrick of cup victories against Vegas to make it a hattrick of semi finals for kato. Mohamed Reifer (65*), Kendrick Douglas (43) and J. Gibson (28*) built a slow and steady total of 139-1 on a slow batting wicket. Conversely kato began fast and faltered as wickets fell to Camiel Smit (2-29), Augustine Dulling (2-34) and to two runouts. Slowly but surely the run rate started to fall back to the required run rate until kato fell behind with three overs left. C. Delamere (42 not out) and captain Rory Hook 12) nearly steered them home before a run out allowed Garvan Sheehan to hit his single run for the victory with one ball remaining. kato have beaten the top two ranked teams to make the semis, and are now the top ranked team left in the cup.

[crackit]

Second Quarter of the Draw
As already hinted at, there are some highly ranked teams here too, including the reigning champions:

• #6 The Hurlutown Partnership

• #8 The New Originals

• #9 Staindrop Lordies

The Lordies begin their defence against the Dublin Devils, who they knocked out in the first round of the cup in Season 60. Aftab Shad (99 not out) starred as the Lordies progressed with ease.

The highly ranked. but lowly tiered, Partnership have never progressed beyond the first round in four attempts. They will be hoping to break their duck against the Blwe Scavengerz from Division 2. Duck broken. Avelyn Browne scored 83 and Yousuf Azizi took an extremely impressive 5-19 to see Hurlutown into round two.

The New Originals will be hoping to make it a hattrick of quarters, having been there twice before. Fellow Youth 2.1 side, Leinster Lightning stand in their way, but the Originals won their only previous meeting earlier this season by 8 wickets. Close call. A 155 run opening stand between Winslow Williams (87*), Norbert Goesinnen (64) propelled the Originals to a victory with just two balls to spare. The honourable mention goes to the Lightning's Rudy Ruettiger who scored 106 not out.

Dunbrody CC successfully defended the total that Terrance Aldridge (110) helped setup. This in turn sets up a meeting with The New Originals in round two. Good luck with that!

Coming up: 6 v 9 not quite as much said, but still looks an exciting prospect.

#9 Lordies overturned the #6 Partnership most thanks to Sam Duda's 66. #8 The New Originals' opener Norbert Goesinnen hit a staggering 155 not out off 59 balls before Leonard Bell's 4-22 done for Dunbrody.

Coming up: 8 v 9 still not quite as much said, but still looks an equally exciting prospect; there not much obvious to see between them to make a call.

It was a day for spinners but only one on show batting dominated. Sam Duda (60), Jonas Wilkes (45* ) and Dylan Hogan (45*) constructed a total of 184 the cup holders might have thought could be a winning total. But Musharraf Essa (98) and Winslow Williams (79*) matched their batting and more to see the New Originals in their first semi.

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Third Quarter of the Draw
The #7 WaddiWallas won the inaugural version of this cup in season 59; Celtic Wolves were runners-up the following season and the Chester Ducks won the season after that. Ella XI have made the semis and kilkenny the quarters; so there is a lot of cup history in this quarter.

kilkenny and Chester offer a great first round match-up. Not close at all! Chester Ducks progress.

Ella XI should beat our own Applewood Crossing but we sprung a surprise on them in the cup last year. Well bother! it was close, but no cigar. Fast bowler Lalith Sivanantham took 3-33 before Ella XI squeaked past our own Applewood Crossing with one ball to spare.

#14 Donna's own Kebabs provide a tasty dark horse and it would go down a riot if the #16 Rebel Spinners progress. This section looks quite interesting, to me at least. No wicket fell but Leonard Samm (103 not out) and Javon Walcott (66 not out) still needed to go to the last over before the Kebabs secured victory over The WaddiWallas. However the Rebel Spinners tamed the Celtic Wolves; Callum O'Nolan (3-24) and Jack O'Hanlon (88 not out) in a comfortable win.

Coming up: two very good match-ups in a very open and "quite interesting" (as I already said) quarter of the draw.

The Rebel Spinners blew the Chester Ducks away. Opener Jack O'Hanlon scoring 90 then Callum O'Nolan taking 3 for 30.

The most interesting of the round. Ella XI scored 162-3 from their twenty overs. Keeper Dharmapala Rifan contributed most with 74 off 33 balls, dramatically accelerating their run rate towards the end with captain Prem Thotagamuwa. Ryan McCall (63) scored highest for the Kebabs and they were ahead of the comparison all the way. With three overs remaining they needed 25 runs when spinner Hetuwa Jayamanna held them to four runs off his six balls. In the next fast bowler Lalith Sivanantham allowed five runs for a wicket leaving Donna's team needing 16 runs to win. In the event they scored 15 but at 162-7 they lost on countback. Phew!

Coming up: can it get any more interesting?.

Well it could at least as interesting, but it didn't look like it was going to be. Disanayaka Goonatilleke (57 not out) batted through as Ella XI reached 128-5. With Ardal Kane flying at 77 for 2 off eight overs the Rebels had brought the required run rate down to 4.33 despite just losing having lost Disanayaka Premadasa to a runout. The bowling off next four overs from Murugesu Kumarihami and Dharma Jagath got alot tighter (1,4,4 and 2 run) for the loss of one more wicket, but the Spinners were still well ahead of the comparision. Then Jagath completed his devastating bowling spell with 3-8, plus two other wickets turned the match on its head and momentum swung away from the Spinners. Even then they needed just nine runs from the last two overs, managing only four for the loss of their remaining two wickets. Quite interesting, I would say.

[crackit]

Fourth Quarter of the Draw
#5 ranked Cork City Cobra's run to the semis looks probable. It looks quite open behind them, the question is whether any of the others could setp-up to cause an upset.

• The Ballingeary Lakers are the nearest ranked opponent

• The once mighty Spinney Wanderers (runners-up the first season, winners the second) might make a return

• Both Meeting Mr Miandad and Shaktar Senseless have both have reached the semis before

The Cobras meet Mr Miandad in round one and have met Mr Miandad quite often before; the 25-7 record suggests all these meetings have not gone well for Mr Miandad previously. And it didn't go well again: Michael Cusack (3-20) contained Mr Miandad despite Eoghan Sweeney's 57 not out as the Cobra's cut another notch in this "rivalry".

#027 Corleone versus #030 Crzy Tornadoes is my pick for game of round one, looks like it may be a close one. Low scoring but not that close Dion McGahern (61*) couldn't help the Tornadoes overhaul Corleone's total set in part by Mustafa Abdellah (53).

The Lakers [Donnacha Ryan 57] waded through Weston Super Mud. Meanwhile Shaktar knocked the Spinney Wanderers Senseless. Martin Dowell 69 and Camden Imrie 60 had an opening partnership that looked as easy as 123, before Rajan Kunwar took 3-33. Honourable mention goes to Kenneth Ridley and Ramnaresh Karki scoring 88 and 66 respectively in a losing cause.

Coming up: Cork City Cobra's inevitable run to the semis? Probably.

Relentless Cork City slithered on by Corleone and Ballingeary beat the Senseless. An honourable mention goes to Shaktar's Amanullah Sadiq for top-scoring in the game (66 not out)

Coming up: I sticking to my guns. Cork City Cobra's inevitable run to the semis? Probably.

Despite Donnacha Ryan scoring 64, Ballingeary never got enough runs on the board. Cork City romped into the semi-finals with five overs spare thanks to Emmet Rankin (46*), Niall Lunn (48) and Leonard Ackerman (37*). Just like I said all along.[/i]

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Leaders
Player of the Tournament, for most fantasy points:

• 311 - Winslow Williams (The New Originals)

• 296 - Craig Delamere (kato xi)

• 263 - Ardal Kane (Rebel Spinners)

• 243 - Dharmapala Rifan (Ella XI)

• 240 - Norbert Goesinnen (The New Originals)

Golden pads, for most runs scored by a batter:

• 203 - Winslow Williams (The New Originals)

• 186 - Jack O'Hanlon (Rebel Spinners)

• 182 - Norbert Goesinnen (The New Originals)

• 175 - Ardal Kane (Rebel Spinners)

• 171 - Donnacha Ryan (Ballingeary Lakers)

Golden cap, for most wickets taken by a bowler:

• 6-41 Yousuf Azizi (rfm, The Hurlutown Partnership)

• 6-78 Callum O'Nolan (rm, Rebel Spinners)

• 6-83 Lalith Sivanantham (lf, Ella XI)

• 6-88 Hamid Sadaf (rm, Staindrop Lordies)

• 5-52 Oscar Anderson (rm, Cork City Cobra's)

• 5-84 Leonard Bell (rm, The New Originals)

• 5-86 Dumisa Maraire (rm, The New Originals)

• plus two other bowlers with 5 wickets

Golden gloves, for most dismissals involving the keeper:

• 7 (7c, 0st) - Winslow Williams (The New Originals)

• 6 (4c, 1st, 1ro) - Dharmapala Rifan (Ella XI)

• 5 (5c, 0st) - Leonard Ackerman (Cork City Cobra's)

• 4 (3c, 1st) - Dave Tone (Woodlands CC)

• 4 (2c, 1st, 1ro) - Stanley Reid (Chester Ducks)