Halverstown’s Cup Final awaits

The Halverstown team that beat Tyrrellstown.

On Saturday 24 August, Halverstown’s 2nd team will play in their second Cup Final in four years, writes Des Drumm of Halverstown Cricket Club. In 2021, Halverstown played Terenure in the Adamstown Cup Final, only to come up short, losing by 6 wickets. In 2024, they’ll face a very different opponent — Longford. 

Although both Halverstown and Longford’s 2nd teams play in Division 20, their more established first teams, couldn’t be further apart. While Halverstown 1 are currently fighting for promotion from Division 13, Longford 1’s are eight divisions higher in Division 5 of the Cricket Leinster structure. This gives Longford a huge advantage, but it is a one-off Cup Final, and strange things happen in Cup Finals.

It's been a great cup run so far for Halverstown. They finished 2nd in their group, only losing to Leinster on the final day, but it was enough to get them into the Semi Finals against, county rivals North Kildare. In what could only be described as an enthralling game, Halverstown scored a total of 187-6. North Kildare would be no push over, considering they had won all their previous cup games in their group, but just couldn’t reach the total finishing on 166 all out. 

So, what needs to go right for Halverstown to win the Adamstown Cup? Several things really. They’ll need their Captain Ahsan Syed to take wickets. He’s their leading wicket taker in the cup this year with 7. They’ll also need their all-rounder Junaid Khan to score quick runs. He scored a wonderful century earlier in the season, and another knock of that proportion may just be enough. They’ll have to work hard in the field and take every chance that comes their way. Above all else, they’ll need luck, but show me a Cup Winner that didn’t have some element of luck come their way. 

Halverstown, as you’d expect are an eclectic mix of the young and let’s say evergreen. In 2023 they had both the youngest and oldest players to play in the Cricket Leinster leagues. In their final, they field players born in Ireland, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa. However, every one of them will consider themselves from Kildare and will leave it all out on the pitch, that you can be assured of. Wish them luck.

Road to the Final

Group A – Halverstown 2 beat Tyrrelstown 5 by 5 Runs

Group A – Halverstown 2 beat Merrion 7 by 28 Runs

Group A – Halverstown 2 lost to Leinster by 7 Runs

Group A – Halverstown 2 beat Carlow 3 by 36 Runs

Semi Final – Halverstown 2 beat North Kildare 6 by 21 Runs 

Arun Balakrishnan with the Match Ball after taking a Hat-Trick vs Tyrrelstown.

Scene from the 2021 Cup Final vs Terenure.

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