2026 Season Preview

Newly appointed Club Captain, Mikey O’Reilly, writes on the fast approaching 2026 season.

Mikey O’Reilly

I am looking forward to captaining Trinity at College Park for the 2026 season. Taking over from David Vincent who did a brilliant job last year, I’m hoping to build on from the work of Vinno and Gav Hoey over the past few years and put in some strong performances.

2025 was a positive year for Club, with our 2nd XI getting promoted under the tenure of Aidan Muller and our 1st XI reaching the final of the Siggins Cup. Hopefully 2026 can add to that success and bring some much welcomed silverware to College Park.

There have been positive developments for the club over the winter. While retaining College Park’s furniture in Theo Dempsey, Rory Betley and Matthew Humphreys, there are some new faces for the Trin this season. We are delighted to welcome Irish international David Delany to College Park. David has dominated the league for as long as I can remember and he will be a huge asset on and off the field as a mentor to our young team. 

Another valuable addition comes through the arrival of masters student Ahijah Hill. Holding the Barbados Javelin record, AJ’s pace has already caused some noise across the squad at pre-season training and we look forward to watching him send them down this summer. 

More arrivals to the First XI squad include Jackson Andreae (subject to availability), Alifie Molony, Don Retty, Sam Joyce and Conall Woods, all who have slotted in nicely to the squad and will add a lot.

On another note, I’d like to say a massive thank you to Nick Pretorius, our player/coach since 2020 who has departed the club this season due to work commitments. Nick’s been a super teammate and player for the Trin and he will be missed this season.

In other news, I’m delighted to announce JJ Cassidy as our new player/coach for the 2026 season. Former captain of YMCA 1st XI, JJ will add a lot as our wicketkeeper and middle order bat. He’s already made a big impact on our pre-season training sessions and I’m looking forward to seeing how we fare once the summer kicks off. 

DUCC legend Peter Searson also makes his much welcomed return to Trinity this summer! Searso has been a huge part of this club for a long time and everyone is delighted to have him back as our scorer.

Looking ahead to the season, our first senior fixture is at CP on the 16th of May vs Railway, in the first round of the Leinster Senior Cup. After that, there’ll be three Alan Murray Cup group matches against Leinster, Merrion and Civil Service. 

We look forward to trying to bring the Siggins Cup home to CP this year and its inclusion of red ball cricket is welcomed amongst the squad. More 1st XI fixtures include the Trevor West intervarsity comp which we hope to regain after two years of tough defeats. It makes for an exciting season and all support is welcomed and appreciated!

DUCC 1st XI 2025 Season Recap

An article by 1st XI captain David Vincent

Leinster Senior Cup/Alan Murray T20 Cup Competitions

We kicked off our 2025 Open Competitions season with a home draw in the Leinster Senior Cup against North Kildare. Despite losing the toss and being asked to field first, we started the stronger of the two teams. Theo removed the North Kildare opener with only fifth ball of the game, and went on to pick up two more wickets in his opening spell. His opening partner Ben joined the party in the sixth over, picking up a wicket of his own to ensure we stayed on top of our opponents. From there the ball was passed to our test cricketer Humph, who ripped through the North Kildare middle and lower order with a miserly four wicket haul, including a barrage of short pitched bowling. Two further wickets for Yash ensured that the Trin would only be chasing 94 to progress to the next round. The Trin started the chase positively with the new recruit Macdara giving the new ball a thorough tour of the College Park outfield. The dismissal of the Trinity skipper didn’t halt the Trinity chasing juggernaut and we knocked off the runs for the loss of no further wickets, with Macdara making a stylish 60 and Forbsey seeing us home with 18 (we won’t mention the double bouncer…)   

Theo Dempsey steaming in for the Trin’

Our Alan Murray campaign began with a Friday evening fixture at home to Pembroke. One could say we were big underdogs coming into this fixture, mainly based off the presence of three full internationals and an Aussie pro in the opposition side, however the Trin are big fans of the old underdog story. Unfortunately, we didn’t get off to best of starts and with Pembroke raking up 130 runs in 12 overs, we feared we could be in for a long 20 overs. However, a remarkable spell of bowling from our big left arm quick Mikey ensured the run rate stayed in check. Mikey ended up with a nice little Michelle, and we were set 202 to win. An impressive opening spell from one of the Pembroke youths made life difficult for our top order, and we started our chase firmly on the back foot. A 117 run partnership from one of our own youths, Smithy, and the skipper ensured we got reached a respectful total, with Klaus also making a quick 16. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be enough and Pembroke ran out as the victors by 38 runs.

Macdara Cosgrave on the rope

A bizarre series of events meant that our must-win fixture against Terenure was to be played in the idyllic, yet remote setting of Oakhill. Due to the remoteness of the ground, paired with the 6pm start time on a Friday evening, we fielded a team without many of our regulars. Despite this, when the coin landed as tails, we did not hesitate in electing to bat first. The skipper may have been rueing this call when he was dismissed in the second over and was quickly followed by the number 3 after a misunderstanding between the wickets. However, Macdara (43) and Smithy (35) set about rebuilding the innings and set a brilliant platform to finish the innings on a high. Useful contributions from Atko (17) and Rahul (12) propelled the Trin to 142, which on a tired pitch looked like a very competitive score. We continued this momentum into the second innings with two big wickets in the first two overs. Some very tight bowling through the middle overs ensured that Terenure were always behind the scoring rate. In the end, the scoreboard pressure was too much for our opponents and we won out by 37 runs. The wickets were shared round with two for Forbsey and the skipper, and one each for Atko and Kshitij.

After our commanding win in the first round of the Leinster Senior Cup, we then drew Railway at home in the second round. Unfortunately, our first attempt to play the fixture was rained off, and the closure of College Park for a series of concerts meant we had to play the refix away from home. Unfortunately, unlike our first round game, our opponents had the stronger of starts as we struggled to adjust to the bowler friendly pitch. A gutsy 40 from Macdara, supported by 23 from Atko and 11 from Donncha ensured we reached 134, a total which we felt we could defend. However, the opponent openers stated positively and knocked off the runs with the loss of two wickets (one each for Humph and Atko). Unfortunately our long wait to bring the Leinster Senior Cup back to College Park would have to wait another year.

Squad vs Railway

Our Alan Murray group was rounded off with an away trip to Rathmines to play Leinster. The Trin required a big win to advance our of our group and into finals day, so with this in mind we decided to bowl first. We started well, restricting our opposition to a manageable run rate on a pitch and ground that heavily favoured batting. However, one of the Leinster batters then put his foot down and propelled our opponent to an imposing total of 199. Atko was the stand out bowler, as he conceded only 23 runs of his four overs. The skipper also picked up two and Ben also got himself a wicket. A quick series of calculations in the dressing room confirmed that fact that the total had to be chased in double quick time, which was music to the ears of our Guernsey born opening bat Betley. He carted the Leinster bowling attack to all corners of Observatory Lane, as he racked up one of the most aesthetically pleasing 68s you will ever see. When he was dismissed in the ninth over, our total stood 84, and the Trin were dreaming that the Miracle of Rathmines may just come true. However, a strong come back from the Leinster bowling attack ensured that these dreams never materialised and we ended up 50 runs short of our target, despite a fluid innings of 40 from Forbsey.

Guernsey’s finest Mr Rory Betley

U23s Ger Siggins’ District Cup

We started off our U23 District Cup campaign with a Wednesday night T20 game in College Park against North Leinster. Our team featured a number of Trin debutants, and it was two of these fresh faces, Donncha (34) and our Aussie ‘pro’ Boults (74) that led the way with the bat. The ever-reliable Forbsey also chipped in with a twenty to get us up to an extremely competitive total of 157. We started the second half with a wicket fourth ball of the innings and kept the pressure on the North Leinster batting lineup throughout the innings, ultimately restricting them to just 112. The wickets were shared around with Ben, Luke, Macdara, Donncha, and Atko all picking up a pole each.

The Aussie Pro

The next week, we returned to College Park for another Wednesday night t20 fixture, this time against South Leinster. Just like the week before, we won the toss and elected to bat first. Betley (23) got us off to a strong start, however a strong response from the South Leinster bowlers resulted in us losing three wickets in the powerplay. We managed to wrestle back control of the game through a strong partnership between Forbsey and Smithy, which was eventually broken when the later was dismissed for a well made 31. Forbsey then injected some momentum into our innings and was then dismissed himself just after making the first half-century of the season for the Trin. Lower order contributions from Ebrahim and Yash propelled us to 158, and a total that we felt was very competitive. Our opening bowler Atko then started like a house on fire, with a double wicket maiden in the very first over. The Trin bowlers the continued to keep the pressure on the opponent batters. And as the required run rate began to rise, the wickets started to fall. A lower order partnership threatened to make this game a close one, however the Trin ran out winners by 20 runs. Donncha, Atko, and the skipper each picked up 2 wickets, while Macdara claimed one as well, and Yash was unlucky not to pick up one.   

A gorgeous Ryan Smith square drive

Next, we welcomed South Leinster back to College Park as we looked to kick start the 50 over part of this competition. Unfortunately, this would have to wait as we fell foul to the weather, and the game was rained off.

The next week, we were back again in College Park to play North Leinster in a 50 over game. A strong North Leinster bowling performance made life very difficult for the Trin batters, and in the end, we were bowled out for 87. Dinesh top scored with 16, while Macdara (14) and Donncha (13) also made contributions at the top of the order. We started our innings with what was seeming like our usual wicket in the first over, however, our opponents made light work of chasing down our total, and we were forced to accept defeat by 7 wickets. Dinesh rounded out a good all-round performance with two wickets, while Donncha also picked up one scalp with the ball.

The skipper reverses one to the boundary

Two days later, we looked to bounce back from our earlier defeat when we played South Leinster again in College Park. We seemed to be regretting our decision to bat first as we lost three early wickets. However, a brilliant partnership between Lango and Swaroop (who both reached half centuries) ensured that the ship was steadied, and we could go about building a good score. Contributions from Boults, Yash, and Screech ensured that we set South Leinster 192 runs to take the victory. A disciplined pair of opening spells from McCabe and Yash ensured that our opposition couldn’t get off to the flier they wanted, and a flurry of wickets just after the powerplay confirmed that the Trin were well and truly on top. However, our opponents recovered well, ensuring that the game was still very much in the balance. When we took our seventh wicket of the innings with the opponent on 149, we felt victory was within our grasp. Unfortunately, the South Leinster lower order rallied well around their set batter and reached our target with two wickets in hand. There were two wickets each for McCabe, Yash, and Boults, while the skipper also picked up one.

After a series of disappointing 50 over loses, we looked to restart our campaign with back to back t20s in College Park. We started the day by welcoming South Leinster back to CP. We started the game strongly, conceding only 32 runs in the opening powerplay while picking up three wickets. The wickets continued to fall through the middle overs as we restricted the number of boundaries our opponents were able to hit. The skipper then returned to stat-pad a few wickets in the final over, and we ended up bowling out our opponents for 116. The skipper ended up with 4 (burglary), while Yash, Forbsey, and our new Aussie quick Rory also picked up two each. Our innings initially started positively, however, the early loss of our openers threatened to make the chase interesting. However, a chanceless partnership between Forbsey and our overseas pro Boults steadied the ship and swung the odds strongly back in our favour. Boults was the star of the innings, finishing with 63 red, while Forbsey (20), Macdara (11), and Swaroop (10) ensured we chased the total with time to spare.

After a generous helping of sandwiches provided by the pav, we set about rounding out our 20 over campaign with a 100% win rate. Our opponents this time were a strong North Leinster team, who the neutral might say were heavy favourites going into this game. Our opponents started the stronger of the two teams as we lost two early wickets. However, we managed to rebuild the innings through contributions from the skipper (40), Swaroop (29), and Boults (16). We finished our twenty over on 122, which we felt could be difficult on an ageing CP wicket. We took the field in the second innings feeling positive about our earlier efforts, while Muller’s words seemed to disrupt the focus of our opponents' openers. The Prince of CP, Atko started the innings like a steam train, dismissing all of the North Leinster top 3, while conceding only 11 runs from his four over spell. The rest of our bowlers continued this momentum, with Macdara picking up two wickets, and Yash and Forbsey adding one each to their wicket tallies. A fine performance in the field, led by the returning Raj, ensured that the South Leinster batters had too much to do in the final overs, and we ran out as victors by 23 runs. A victory that would live long in the memory for the Trin.

The Prince of College Park

We went into our final game in the U23 District Cup with a simple equation. If we won, the trophy would be ours. We travelled out to Oakhill again, to play this game and we were feeling optimistic that we could return to Dublin with our first major silverware in over fifty years. Unfortunately, we didn’t get off to the strongest of starts, losing three wickets in the powerplay. However, Forbsey was determined to not let the difficult pitch get then better of him, and he knuckled down for a gritty, but well made 69. He was well supported by future Trin prospect Seb (26) and Yash (25), as we fought our way up to 183. Atko struck early once again, and more tight bowling from the Trin men ensured the opposition could only score 52 runs from the opening eighteen overs, when the second wicket fell. What followed was a remarkable spell in the game, where the Trin picked up four wickets for just 4 runs in only seven balls. This brought the score to 97-6 off 26 overs, and we felt victory was not far away. In spite of this, the North Leinster batters had other ideas, as they put on a fighting forty run partnership. A second flurry of wickets then left the Northsiders nine down, still requiring 21 runs. However, a gutsy performance by the opposing number 11, and an unbroken 40 by their number 8 saw our opponents reach their target with just 10 balls to spare. Atko picked up three wickets, while Yash and Boults added two to their tallies. McCabe and the skipper also chipped in with one each. Unfortunately, the Trins long wait for silverware must go on for another year.

Jamie Forbes steadying the ship for the Trin

Muller is at the wheel!

An article by second XI skipper on a long awaited season for DUCC

After the last few seasons’ hard grafts, disappointing results, and bottom-of-the-table returns, 2025’s warm May sun seems to have shone a light at the end of the tunnel for the Dublin University 2s, as we go into the 2026 season with 6 wins from 8 games (5 from 7 in the league), and a real shot at promotion to division 9, having ended the season on 221 points (and on track for 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the league depending on other results). An influx of new players this year revitalised the team, and as captain, I had great expectations for the season given the enthusiasm the squad had at our pre-season training sessions in the Ancillary Hall - despite their being on Monday mornings.

Our first match was against Finglas, suffering a disappointing - but very close - 1 wicket loss. Batting first, we posted 141, despite at one point being 71-7. We bowled well - 4 wickets for Bharath and 3 for myself - and having them 9 down with 12 runs to get, the game could have gone either way. As captain, I feel this match was typical of the good character and attitude the team displayed throughout the season - we salvaged what we could with the bat, bowled as though we were on top the whole game, and consequently walked away with 5 bonus points, which could prove crucial in our push for promotion.

Our next match was 2 days later, against Dundalk, and we walked away with a win. 4 wickets for Rory, and 2 for Shitikanth saw us dismiss the opposition for 211. Ultan and Saif led with the bat, scoring 61 and 58 respectively, and we looked sure to win until the lower-middle order had a collapse. A handy cameo from Doyler (19 off 14 not out), got us to the finish line, with Rory edging a 4 past 3rd man to complete a tight 2 wicket win with 2 balls to spare. Then came a friendly against Hackney CC, which saw a nice return to whites and red-ball for the team. Hackney batted well, scoring 235, however 50s for Doyler and Rory saw us complete our 2nd win of the season, again in the last over of the match.

Our third league match against the Mullingar 2s saw some inspired captaincy, as I made the bold decision to promote Saif from 4 to 3. Clearly motivated by my unwavering faith in him, he settled into the role immediately - smashing 211 not out off just 92 deliveries, setting several records in the process. A fairly decent return for his first knock at first down. Funnily enough, before the game I had been speaking to Ultan and he had asked me what the best innings I had ever seen in person was. I’m sure he now has his answer. Quite simply, I’ve never seen someone strike a cricket ball so effortlessly, and yet so powerfully, in my life. Not once did he look like getting out, and after smashing the ball all over, he’d elegantly place it into a gap and stroll a single. Even the umpires admitted they felt privileged to have witnessed Saif’s double. The team made 356-4, setting a club record in limited overs cricket, and Ultan, Rahul, Vishal, Sampath, and Kavish all contributed nicely with the bat - Rahul in particular falling for a well-made 43. Truth be told, I have seen people fresh off a marathon look less exhausted than those Mullingar lads coming off the pitch. Our bowling innings started well, as I dismissed their opener with the first ball of their reply, and after 3fers for Kushal and Rory, and a 2fer for Stephen, with Saif also taking a wicket, we completed a 198-run rout over the Mullingar 2s. Saif to say this match will live on long in the memory of all involved.

Match hero Saif after his 211*

Our fourth league match was the next day, against the Pembroke 4s. Batting first, we made 167-all-out, a well-made 53 by Kshitij, and cameos from Akshit and Doyler (both making 22), providing valuable runs. At the time I felt we didn’t have enough runs on the board, but we bowled well, Bharath claiming 3 victims, myself 2, and 1 each for Shitikanth, Kshitij and Rory. 2 runouts also proved handy as we bowled Pembroke out for 126 - a good team effort with everyone making a good contribution.

Our next game was against North County, and I was certainly worried about this one, as we had conceded 360 runs against them the season before in Balrothery. However this season the tables were turned, as we posted 244 runs from our 40 overs. Ultan scored an outstanding 96*, carrying the bat, and scores in the 20s from myself, Kshitij and Doyler contributed nicely too. Their reply started off poorly, losing 2 wickets in the first 8 overs, however they made a recovery to 85, which was when I brought Doyler back into the attack, and this proved a good decision, as he took 3 quick wickets, with Shitikanth and Kshitij also taking 2, as we bowled them out for 147, to complete our 4th league win of the season.

Our away match this season was in the Jack Harper Ground as we took on a strong Balbriggan 3s. Batting first, we stumbled to 165/8 off our 40 overs, Rahul scoring a nice 64, and myself a gritty 38, raising our score to something more respectable than it had looked when we were 58-5. In response, Balbriggan batted well, completing a 6 wicket win inside the 30th over. A disappointing loss, however the better team won on the day.

Alas, I was abroad in Croatia for our last match against Lucan, with Ultan taking the reins. The boys posted a competitive 202 runs from their 40 overs, with Rahul making 40 and Vishal a nice 36, while I followed from Dubrovnik’s gorgeous old town, thanks to Vamsi’s stream of WhatsApp updates. Then came radio silence as the boys went out to bowl. Not 5 minutes passed that evening as I had dinner overlooking the Adriatic where I didn’t check the phone hoping to see a message announcing we had won (this was much to my girlfriend’s delight!). By 8pm CEST (7pm in Ireland), I began to get worried - it must have been close - and with each passing minute I became more anxious that they’d lost it. Then at 9pm CEST, a message came in - we’d won by 7 runs, Bharath claiming 3 scalps, and Doyler 2. Rory has subsequently also informed me of how well Vamsi and Kushal bowled, taking 1-28 and 0-26 respectively.

The squad vs Lucan in their final game of 2025

As captain, I’m proud to have led this team. Every game was enjoyable, and each player made good contributions throughout the season. I’ve already touched on the many stand-out individual performances, however there were plenty of performances that may not seem overly impressive on the scorecards, but which changed the course of games, be it through helping build a partnership, steadying the ship and stopping a collapse, or through building pressure with the ball. All in all, this has been a successful season for the 2s, regardless of where we finish in the table, and we have a strong platform going into the 2026 season. Let us hope that this time next year I will be writing about a possible promotion to division 8!

Students impress as Trinity hammer Terenure

Dublin University beat Terenure by 9 wickets, while The Hills and Railway Union had convincing wins over Malahide and Phoenix.

At College Park, Mikey O'Reilly (3-16) set the tone for the day as he removed both Terenure openers in the first over of the day, as the visitors struggled from the off,

Henry Dall top scored with 30 and Zubair Khan made 24, but a total of 129 was never threatening.

There were three wickets too for Gavin Hoey, and two for Jack Atkinson.

Trinity openers Sanil Gupta and David Vincent blunted the Terenure attack as they shared an opening stand of 99 before Vincent fell for 29.

Skipper Gupta was unbeaten on 70 (5 fours, 1 six), while Nic Pretorius raced to the finishing line with a rapid 23 in just 12 balls to secure a comprehensive nine-wickets win.

At Phoenix Park, there was another opening stand of 99, as Kenny Carroll and Ashil Prakash (42) laid a solid foundation for Railway Union.

Carroll hit 6 fours and 2 sixes in a top score of 69, while Liam McCarthy (39) and Hashir Sultan (23) also made runs as they posted 222.

There was no George Dockrell in the Phoenix ranks, for whom Danish international Oliver Hald (3-52) was the most successful.

A fifth wicket stand of 86 in 13 overs between Tyrone Kane (56) and Adam Chester (34) looked to have the contest in the balance at 141 for 4, before Phoenix collapsed.

Hashir Sultan took four wickets as six wickets fell for 16 - Phoenix 157 all out, losing by 65 runs.

The Hills earned Fingal bragging rights as they brushed aside Malahide in a one-sided contest.

Three wickets apiece for Matthew Weldon (3-18) and Dylan Blignaut (3-25), plus two for Ashley Bain (2-14) saw Malahide bundled out for just 88 - Fintan McAllister the last man out for 24.

Murray Commins hit 8 fours and 2 sixes in an even time unbeaten 53 to seal a comfortable seven wickets win.

At College Park, Dublin University beat Terenure by 9 wickets
Terenure 129 all out (43.4 overs; H Dall 30, Z Khan 24; M O’Reilly 3-16, G Hoey 3-46, J Atkinson 2-7)
Dublin University 131/1 (37.2 overs; S Gupta 70*, D Vincent 29, N Pretorius 23*)

At Phoenix Park, Railway Union beat Phoenix by 65 runs
Railway Union 222 all out (48.4 overs; K Carroll 69, A Prakash 42, L McCarthy 39; O Hald 3-52, D Ranolia 2-53)
Phoenix 157 all out (39.5 overs; T Kane 56, A Chester 34; H Sultan 4-19, S Safi 2-10)

Trinity win Irish University Championships

Trinity picked up their first outright title in the Irish Universities Championship for 12 years at College Park on Friday. Under the captaincy of Sanil Gupta, DUCC won all three of their games in the tournament with ease and will be expected to form the bulk of the Irish Universities squad for the Hone-McGregor tournament in Cambridge next week.

An opening stand of 220 by David Cosgrave and Diarmuid Tucker, who both made centuries, saw off Griffith College in the quarter-final, and won a place in the final tournament back in College Park.

On Wednesday UCD bowled out TUD for 120 and chased that easily, while the second semi-final saw Trinity make 272 against Dublin Business School. Theo Dempsey smashed four straight sixes in making 47 in about 20 balls, while Eoghan Grehan (42), Jack Atkinson (38), Mikey O’Reilly (38) and David Cosgrave (33) all contributed to a formidable 45-over total.

Dempsey blew away the top order, taking 4-21, as DBS collapsed to 85 all out.

The final followed a similar course, with Trinity making 193 (Gupta 58, Gavin Hoey 38, Conor Austin 2-14) and bowling out UCD for 67 (Craig Mackay 14, Andrew Vincent 10, Hoey 4-16, Dempsey 3-10).

Irish Universities play Leprechauns in College Park on Wednesday June 8th before flying to take part in the Hone-McGregor tournament at Fenner’s. On Tuesday 14th June they play Scottish Universities and the next day Cambridge University.

The tournament first took place in 2015 and was won by Ireland in 2016, under captain Will von Behr, 2017 (Matthew McCord) and 2018 (Jack Balbirnie). The tournament was cancelled in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Gupta stars as Trinity beat UCD

Sanil Gupta's 98 inspired his Trinity to an 80-run win against UCD in the first Blues match between the side in seven years.

Skipper Gupta hit 11 fours and two sixes as he and Irish Under 19 international David Vincent (44) shared an opening stand of 129 in 20 overs.

While he may have fell two runs short of a deserved century, Gupta's 98 was the highest individual score for Trinity against their old foes in 101 years.

The UCD side contained Ireland Women internationals Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast, with the latter conceding just five runs in an excellent four-overs opening spell.

Merrion spinner Peter Forkin (4-47) was the most successful bowler, while Gavin Hoey's breezy 21 ensuring the hosts got over 200, finishing their 40 overs on 227 for 8.

The UCD chase never really got going at any juncture, with Theo Dempsey striking twice early on.

There was also two wickets for Milo Egan (2-23), but it was the left-arm spin of Irish Under 19 international Matthew Humphreys (3-15) that really put the brakes on.

Stephen Black hit three sixes in his unbeaten 62, but Gaby Lewis (14) was the only other batter to reach double figures as they were dismissed for 147 in the 38th over.

At College Park, Trinity beat UCD by 80 runs

Trinity 227/8 (40 overs; Sanil Gupta 98, David Vincent 44, Gavin Hoey 21; Peter Forkin 4-47)

UCD 147 (38 overs; Stephen Black 62*, Gaby Lewis 14; Matthew Humphreys 3-15, Theo Dempsey 2-17, Milo Egan 2-23)

Leinster Preview 9: Dublin University

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY

• Captain: Sanil Gupta

• Coach: Nigel Jones

• Players in: Mikey O'Reilly, Matthew Humphries, Scott Ruttle, David Vincent, Theo Dempsey

Dublin University bring a different and welcome challenge to Leinster cricket sides and the students have real quality as well as youth at their disposal in 2022.

Sanil Gupta is again entrusted with the skipper's armband and has a quintet of Irish youth internationals in the squad.

"It’s a really exciting season for Dublin University with a number of new additions to the squad," Gupta told CricketEurope. 

"The likes of Mikey O’Reilly, Scott Ruttle, David Vincent, Matthew Humphreys and Theo Dempsey bring heaps of talent to both the bowling and batting and we’re really excited to see them display their skills on their debut.

"Gavin Hoey will no doubt be the player to watch with his aggression with bat and tricky leg spinners with ball.

"We are retaining Nicolaas Pretorious and Michael Hogan who will once again play a huge part in our top order.

"We’ve worked very hard pre-season and are really looking forward to the first game on Saturday."

Trinity players in Varsity Match

TWO former Trinity players, 2016 and 2017 captain Will von Behr and fast-bowler Padraig Flanagan, were on opposite sides in the Varsity match this week at Fenner’s.

Von Behr is playing for Oxford and Flanagan for Cambridge, where they are both pursuing post-graduate studies.

They are the first Trinity graduates to play in the Varsity match since the only previous one, T B Jones, in 1874.

Von Behr won an Irish Senior Cup medal with Merrion in 2017, while Flanagan previously played for Railway Union and YMCA.


In 2007 he was the winner of the find-a-fast-bowler competition run by Cricket Leinster – subsequent winners included internationals David Delany and Josh Little.

By making their first-class debuts Von Behr and Flanagan become the 124th and 125th Trinity cricketers to reach that level.

Details of the previous 123, and much more about the club’s records and history, are in a 240-page book out next week called ‘Trinity Cricketers’ Almanack’.

Published to mark the bicentenary of cricket in College Park, the book can be purchased from www.Trinitycricket.com.

Flanagan is the 25th Irish-born cricketer to play for Cambridge – including two in this century, Michael Taylor and Ben Wylie.


Twelve Irishmen have played for Oxford, most recently Jason Molins, while others made first-class appearances for Cardiff MCCU (Andrew Balbirnie and Matthew Foster), Durham MCCU (Greg Thompson and James McCollum) and Loughborough MCCU (Robert McKinley).

DUCC lose to Malahide

On a beautiful May bank holiday Saturday in College Park a large crowd saw what turned out to be a comprehensive victory for Malahide over the students. Malahide batted first and Trinity initially held the upper hand before a large stand from the Ford brothers say Malahide post a commanding total. In response Trinity lost regular wickets and despite a promising stand between Dean Brogan and captain Lorcan Tucker they fell well short

Trinity beat Terenure

The first game of the 2018 season saw DUCC beat Terenure at College Park. The fruits of the winters work were seen as an improved pitch saw Trinity post nearly 250 runs following a team effort with the bat. Lorcan Tucker and Matthew Strony scored 50's and Andrew Delaney saw DUCC through to a competitive total. Trinity defended this and the result was a victory by 53 runs