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DUBLIN – This weekend the Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup and Clear Currency National Cup competitions return to cricket grounds all over Ireland after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Match Centre

As a new feature for fans, thanks to a partnership between Cricket Ireland and NV Play we will have a livescoring match centre available to follow: https://www.ci.cricketireland.ie/general/match-centre-club-cup-competitions

Title sponsor returns

Clear Currency returns in 2022 as the competition title sponsor.

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Paul Reilly, Chief Commercial Officer with Clear Currency, said:

“It’s fantastic to be involved with another exciting season of Irish cricket. Best of luck to all the teams involved with the All Ireland T20 matches for men and women, plus the Irish Senior and National cup fixtures.”

Previews

Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup

The Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup is now 40 years old. Beginning in 1982, it is a 50-over competition for the top-ranked clubs in their respective provincial unions. The teams compete for the much sought after Bob Kerr Trophy (named after former President and Chairman of the Irish Cricket Union who passed away at the 2007 Cricket World Cup).

Cup holders Pembroke, along with fellow semi-finalists in 2019 (Waringstown, CIYMS and Phoenix) receive a bye into Round 2.

One of the ties of the round will take place at Clontarf, with the home side taking on CSNI at Castle Avenue. Both sides are flying high in their respective leagues and are full of highly-talented players – Clontarf featuring PJ Moor, David Delany and Fionn Hand, and CSNI featuring Stuart Thompson, Marc Ellison (current Northern Knights assistant coach) and Luke Georgeson.

Coming off the back of a superb 125 against Cork County last weekend, Harry Tector and his YMCA team-mates will host a Bready side who were recently impressive seven-wicket winners over Strabane in the Long’s SuperValu 40-Over league. It will be a big occasion for YMCA as it’s the first home game back at Claremont Road in over a year (read backstory).

Cork Harlequins will face a daunting round-trip to face Ireland international Andy McBrine’s Donemana side in the opening round. Meanwhile, Malahide, who are struggling in the LCU league cup, will travel north and hope to pull off a victory over high-flying Lisburn. Malahide will rely on young Leinster Lightning pace bowler David O’Halloran for wickets, while Lisburn have a talented line-up with the ball that includes Northern Knights duo Josh Manley and Matthew Humphreys.

The first-round draw:

• Clontarf v CSNI
• YMCA v Bready
• Leinster v Eglinton
• Merrion v Coleraine
• Lisburn v Malahide
• Woodvale v Balbriggan
• North Down v Brigade
• Fox Lodge v The Hills
• Newbuildings v Carrickfergus
• Ardmore v Instonians
• Cork County bye (opponent withdrew)
• Donemana v Cork Harlequins

The following clubs received first-round byes: Pembroke, Waringstown, Phoenix, CIYMS

Clear Currency National Cup

The Clear Currency National Cup is a 40-over competition featuring the next-tier of clubs across all five provincial unions and is now into its 10th year. The holders Railway Union and Bonds Glen have received byes into the second round (Bonds Glen drew the bye in the draw after previous National Cup runners-up Ardmore moved into the Irish Senior Cup draw).

Muckamore (from County Antrim) make a 1,000km round-trip to the Oyster Oval in Kerry – possibly the longest trip of the round.

In an all-Connacht clash, Roscommon’s Ballaghaderreen will host County Galway. In their most recent outing Ballaghaderreen had a big victory over Merlin Woods, with Owais Ali scoring 154 not out, and was ably assisted by Zohaib Haneef with 94. County Galway are coming into this game on the back of three straight victories in the Leinster league, the latest of those a three-wicket win over Clontarf 3s with Khizar Mehmood taking 5-22 with the ball.

The game between Derriaghy and Ballyhaunis has been moved to the reserve date of May 29th at the request of the away side.

There are also three North West v Leinster clashes as Strabane host Civil Service, Burndennett play North County and Glendermott take on Athlone.

The first-round draw:

• Rush v Saintfield
• Laois v St Johnston
• Knockharley v Midleton
• Cliftonville Academy v Terenure
• Cregagh v Killyclooney
• Derriaghy v Ballyhaunis
• Strabane v Civil Service
• Burndennett v North County
• Ballyspallen v Templepatrick
• Glendermott v Athlone
• Limerick v Wexford Wanderers
• County Kerry v Muckamore
• UCC bye (opponent withdrew)
• Ballaghaderreen v County Galway

The following clubs received first-round byes: Railway Union, Bonds Glen

Gerard Mulreaney
The Cup competitions are back!
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