Cup final again an all-Ulster affair

Hardly for the first time, southern interest in today's final of the Irish Senior Cup competition, sponsored by Royal Liver, is academic, with perhaps a smidgin of envy thrown in for good measure.

For the second successive year, and the 13th occasion in all, the final is an all-Ulster affair, with North West arch-rivals Brigade and Limavady in opposition this time around at Beechgrove.

Both have taken home the silverware already this decade. Limavady won the cup for the first time in 1994 and repeated that success - at the expense of Leinster in 1997 - while Brigade, who had been the defeated finalists in 1984, 1987 and 1993, were the winners in 1996.

Two of Ireland's top batsmen - Stephen Smyth of Brigade and Limavady's skipper Decker Curry - are likely to be influential figures. Curry has eight centuries to his credit this season, while Smyth's unbeaten 71 justly earned him the man of the match award in last month's semi-final defeat of Merrion at Anglesea Road.

Curry has also taken well over 50 wickets already this season, while another key Limavady bowler will be seamer Richard McDaid, who did so well for Ireland this summer, his international debut season.

Gordon Cooke will be the spearhead of a very useful Brigade bowling attack; he picked up three wickets against Merrion, as did spinner Ivan Nicholl, while captain Mark Simpson rowed in with a brace.

With so many top cricketers in opposition, a potentially absorbing match is in store. Meantime, down here we will continue to live in hope that sooner, rather than later, a southern club will emulate the feat of Phoenix, the only Leinster side to win the Irish Senior Cup, way back in 1986.

Whitney Moore & Keller, the sponsors of the Leinster Senior League, must be well pleased that the competition is going right down to the wire on this, its final week-end. Clontarf could still be pipped in Section A, in theory, while Railway Union, CYM and North County are in contention for the second Section B promotion place.

North County's home match against Merrion and Railway's away game with Rush tomorrow could be vital. CYM's final outing is against Malahide on Sunday, while a few miles away, depending on Saturday's results, there should be an interested and enthusiastic attendance at The Nevitt for the North County-Railway Union show-down.

The undefeated 191 which skipper Gus Joyce scored for Merrion against Rush last Wednesday established a club record. Joyce's superb innings - 168 balls, 14 fours, eight sixes - overhauled the previous highest senior individual score for Merrion, set by Simon Curley, who hit 175 against Leinster, back in 1963.

All told, Joyce has had a great week with the bat. Before his record against Rush, he had scored an unbeaten 70 against Railway Union last Saturday, following a century, also not out, hit against Old Belvedere, two days earlier.