Cricket Irish Senior Cup final previewLeinster's domination of the Irish Senior Cup continues at Castle Avenue today with a final containing two clubs from the province. Neither Rush nor Railway Union have ever won this competition but both have been beaten finalists in recent years so expect a hard-fought encounter featuring two teams determined to relieve some of the pain of defeats past.
Rush have been somewhat of a surprise package in this competition so far in 2006. They have not had the consistency to challenge the leaders in Section A of the WM League but they have managed to bring it all together whenever a round of the Irish Senior Cup comes along.
Of course it helps that their captain Brían O'Rourke seems to relish this competition. He is averaging 79 in the cup this season, having compiled 316 runs, including 105 in the second round against North Down at Kenure.
O'Rourke's tenacious batting coupled with Shahid Iqbal's tight bowling has made Rush a very difficult side to beat.
And they have certainly had the tougher route to the final. In the first round, they had to travel to Wallace Park to face Lisburn and then after accounting for North Down at home, they had two fierce local derbies, first away to Clontarf and then home to pre-tournament favourites and defending champions North County. O'Rourke's 73 against Clontarf and 98 against County went a long way to getting his side through those games.
Rush will be without international William Porterfield, who is at a trial for Derbyshire at present, but in Naseer Shoukat and Sadat Gull, they have two wily campaigners and the inclusion of Fintan McAllister and Dan van Zyl in their team will still make them a tough nut to crack.
But if any club has the appropriate tools to do just that, it's Railway Union. They have been a breath of fresh air in Leinster cricket this season, a young side that plays with freedom and passion as they seek to dominate every side they face.
They have already won the Dublin Grass Machinery League, the LHW 20/20 Cup and Section B of the WM League and after losing to North County in the final of this competition in 2005 and 2003, they will feel their time has come.
Kenny Carroll will lead his side from the front. Like his opposite number O'Rourke, Carroll has done well in this competition, averaging over 60, and there have been precious few bowling attacks in the country able to deal with him.
Carroll will be backed up by fellow Ireland internationals brothers Niall and Kevin O'Brien as well as Adrian Murphy, who scored 113 against The Hills in the quarter-final, and Mohammed Tariq.
These are two sides who are in form and high in confidence. On paper Railway may just have the edge but it is really too close to call. Play starts in Castle Avenue at 11am and there will be live commentary on NEAR 101.6fm from noon.
RAILWAY UNION: K Carroll (captain), N O'Brien, K O'Brien, A Murphy, C Mullen, M Tariq, G Singh, R Wynne, G Black, R Whelan, J Rogan. 12th man: G O'Meara.
RUSH (squad): B O'Rourke (captain), A Butterly, N Shaukat, S Iqbal, F McAllister, M Donnelly, N Mullen, D van Zyl, L Medcalfe, K Clarke, C Doyle, A Caren, R McGuire.
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