CRICKET/Preview: There are some games that players find difficult to get excited about. On a chilly Sunday morning in September, with the threat of rain in the air and a trip to some distant, inhospitable ground for a meaningless league game ahead of them, players might be forgiven for thinking they would like to be somewhere else.
Not today, though. The Conqueror Senior Cup is the pinnacle of the domestic game in Leinster and the reason why many players continue to turn out for their clubs year after year.
This year, we have two clubs with a very different cup history. In the 69 years of the competition, Clontarf have been in 15 finals, winning six of them, the last victory coming in 2000. In contrast, this is Rush's first appearance in the final; they've been a senior club for just 10 years.
For Rush, 1995 was a big year. Not only did they move into the senior ranks but they also welcomed to their club a special player who has helped them become a major force in Irish club cricket.
Naseer Shoukat was a talented all-rounder from the Wabda club, one of two first-class sides in Faisalabad, Pakistan, when he made the long trip to north Dublin. Since then, "Naz" has been terrorising Irish batsmen and bowlers with his impeccable seam bowling and hard-hitting batting.
Now, in the same season he makes his debut for his adopted country, the 38-year-old postman will also play in his first Leinster Senior Cup final.
That said, last year's runners-up, Clontarf, will still go into this game as favourites and with Trent Johnston coming off the back of some wonderful performances for Ireland, particularly with the bat, nothing will be easy for Rush.
While Rush's bowling is clearly as good as any in the country, their batting has looked frail at times.
If Tarf can bat first and put on anything over 200, one would think they would have the class and experience to defend it. But if Rush put a decent target on the board and get into Ian Synnott's team early, then the cup could be wending its way to Kenure for the first time.
Play starts in Park Avenue at 11 am and live commentary of the match can be heard in the north Dublin area on NEAR fm (101.6).
