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Despite the recent very damp weather, the RSA National Cup will get underway this Saturday. Cricket Ireland spoke to five clubs from all corners of the country before their big games tomorrow to see how their preparations were going.
Despite the recent very damp weather, the RSA National Cup will get underway this Saturday. The cup which is its inaugural year is already looking like it will become a highlight for many clubs right across the country. Cricket Ireland spoke to five clubs from all corners of the country before their big games tomorrow to see how their preparations were going.
County Kerry CC Chairman Richard Rutland

When we had a word with Richard during the week we interrupted him from his training session for County Kerry’s showdown with Longford. He said ‘It’s the first time we’ve played in a competition of this stature and we’re really excited to be playing in it.’ The game on Saturday will be played at County Kerry’s home ground which they play from regularly, based at Tralee Rugby Club. Richard hopes that maybe they might even have a ground of their own one day as they are applying through the Sports Capital Programme for a new cricket specific ground which overlooks the sea in the heart of Kerry.

Asked about County Kerry’s chances of progressing through to the second round draw, he said ‘Hopefully our chances are pretty good. We have a good young team and interest is growing in the sport throughout Kerry all the time’

Clare Cricket Club Chairman Paul Foley

Cricket Ireland caught up with Paul Foley the Chairman of Clare Cricket Club who was driving, with his hands-free on of course, on his way to the second of three weekly training sessions in the build up to their first round match vs Ballaghadereen. He told us a bit about the history of the club. ‘Well the club was established in a pub six years ago when we thought no-one would turn up but twenty people did! Over the last few years we’ve gotten more and more serious about the game and the interest in the sport has been phenomenal’

They’ve even been tasting recent success, he continued ‘Winning the Munster junior cup last year was a real highlight – we didn’t even realise at the time that it has the added bonus of qualifying us for the RSA National Cup and the club has been really energised by that fact that we are now playing in an All-Ireland competition.’

Clare Cricket Club may also be the only side to have been warm weather training before the RSA National Cup, having started the year with a pre-season tour to Malaga where they tied a series one match apiece against a local side who even had to bring in some ‘ringers’ having lost the first match to end up sharing the series.

The final word though was saved for the difficulties a new club can face starting up without established cricket facilities ‘We’ve faced significant challenges as a club, as we’ve currently no ground – we’re relying upon the good will of a school in Shannon, Shannon Comprehensive School, at the moment but we’re hopeful we’ll be able to come to an agreement that will see us get an artificial mat put down permanently. We’re very grateful to Cork Harlequins for allowing us to host the match on Saturday as our ‘home’ fixture’

Donaghcloney CC Match Secretary David Marshall

Club first XI Match Secretary David Marshall chatted to Cricket Ireland and spoke about how much the club was looking forward to the opening round on Saturday when they play Burndennett
‘It’s something we haven’t been involved in before obviously – our first game in the NCU challenge cup and playing in the new coloured clothing last week was something we enjoyed. We think the coloured clothing is a good thing and it definitely brings a few more people down to watch the game.’

When asked about his side’s chances for the first round David wasn’t too sure! ‘We’re looking forward to playing somebody different but we don’t know much about them, so I honestly don’t know if we’ll win – maybe that’s the whole beauty about it!

In general, Donaghcloney is going from strength to strength and they are even putting a third XI out now this season, a further sign of growth for the club

Newbuildings CC Club Secretary Chris Cooper

The newest club in the competition who were only founded within the last year are Newbuildings CC who will look to maintain the proud tradition of North-West sides in All-Ireland competitions. They take on a former winner of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup in Malahide. Chris Cooper told Cricket Ireland, ‘We’re excited to be involved and in our first year as a club to get the opportunity to play in the National Cup is a great honour’.

The club have great ambitions and are trying to do everything they can to promote the game at every level of the game. Chris said, ‘We’re trying to promote cricket at grass-roots level and we’ve already started visiting local schools to help cricket along in the Newbuildings. We’ve a young side and we see a great interest and future in the sport throughout the local area here.’

The game tomorrow will be played at Donemana’s wonderful ground, where Chris feels local knowledge will help ‘A few of us have experience of playing at Donemana’s ground, where the game will be on Saturday and thanks to Donemana who are kindly hosting us for the match.’ The recent weather has posed it’s challenges though, he continued ‘Hopefully, it’s not meant to be too bad tomorrow and we’ll be working on the pitch tonight to try and get it playable as we don’t want to be having a bowl-out!’

When asked about his side’s chances, Chris said, ‘There’s no doubt that the Leinster league is very strong and we know we’ll be in for a tough challenge but when we play, we go at it 110%, we’ll give them a really good game and we’ll be playing to win in front of the big crowd that we’re expecting to be supporting us tomorrow’

Balbriggan Cricket Club– Albert Harper, Honorary Secretary

Finally, Cricket Ireland also caught up with the legend that is Albert Harper who chatted to us directly from a very wet Balbriggan ground on Thursday evening. Albert is not only the Honorary Secretary for ‘as long as he can
remember’ of Balbriggan CC, but also still playing 1st XI cricket at the youthful age of 51 and he couldn’t be more excited about Balbriggan’s entry into the new tournament, ‘It means everything to a club that has never been able to play in an All-Ireland competition. To be able to pit our skills against sides from around the other-unions is a first for us and something we’re really excited about’

He continued ‘It’s a fantastic innovation by Cricket Ireland by bringing in the RSA National Cup, we’re delighted to be given the opportunity and personally for myself it’s a great thing to be entering a new competition at 51 years of age!’

Albert expects the local area to get right behind the club with the white ball and the black sightscreens being a draw, he said ‘There’ll be a full turn-out from the club members and the locals from Balbriggan, I’m sure interest will be very large’ When asked about their chances, Albert was quietly confident, ‘I know that they’re going to very tough to beat but we can possibly get a win tomorrow especially if some of the lads perform to their abilities. There is no doubt it will be hard though as Cliftonville are definitely one of the best northern sides in the competition’

The final word had to go to the weather though which has been wreaking havoc with all cricket preparations over the last few weeks, Albert surmised ‘I’ve been talking to the Cliftonville skipper and the weather has just been horrendous. We need the overhead conditions to stay dry on Friday and Saturday and then we’ll get a good game in, we both really want to play’

The draw in full is below. The breakdown of the entries which come from all five provincial unions is as follows, 4 from the Connaught Cricket Union, 4 from Munster Cricket Union, 8 from the Leinster Cricket Union, 8 from the North West Cricket Union and 8 from the Northern Cricket Union

• Ardmore v Civil Service
• Balbriggan v Cliftonville
• Bangor v Sion Mills
• Burndennett v Donaghcloney
• County Kerry v Longford
• County Clare v Ballaghadereen (at Cork Harlequins)
• Downpatrick v Drummond
• Dundrum v Rush (To be decided by Remote Bowl-Out)
• Galway v Limerick Raiders
• Mullingar v Muckamore
• Newbuildings v Malahide (at Donemana)
• North Kildare v Holywood
• Oakhill v Eglinton (Walkover given to Eglinton by Oakhill)
• Old Belvedere v Killyclooney
• Sligo v Middleton (13 May, Galway CC)
• St Johnston v Woodvale

Photo thanks to Donaghcloney CC