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!