The Munster Cricket Union have announced the league fixtures for the 2010 season. A full list of fixtures for each of the Cork County sides can be viewed on the Results/Fixtures page.
Division One kicks off on May 1st when new comers Limerick Raiders are thrown straight into league action with an away match to Midleton, although they will have home team privileges due to their lack of a home venue.
The league begins in earnest on May 3rd with a mouth-watering encounter between heavy-weights Cork County and Cork Harlequins. Although this clash is so early in the season, it could go a long way towards deciding the destination of the trophy come September. This will be Cork County’s first competitive match of the season before they head to Belfast to take on Civil Service NI at Stromont in the First Round of the Bobb Kerr Irish Senior Cup on the 8th May.
Waterford IT don’t begin their campaign until May 15th when they make the trip to Midleton College. The Waterford side will already have a competitive match under their belt as they take on UCC in the 2010 intervarsity tournament on April 17th.
In Division Two, six teams are in action on the opening day. Cork County 2 face a trip to O’Dowd Park to take on Kerry, who will be keen to assert themselves on the new Division Two. With the league reverting back to three divisions this year, after a season with two, Kerry along with Lismore, Clonmel, Galway, UCC and the ‘Quins and County second sides have made the drop down to the second tier.
Clonmel travel to Farmers Cross for their opening game to take on Cork Harlequins 2. Last season was one to forget for the boys from the Premier County as they finished bottom of Division One with only 36 points to their name. However, they will be confident of securing a lot of points at home this season as ‘The Convent’ is a notoriously difficult place for visiting teams to get a result.
Galway are faced with the prospect of a long journey to the South East to take on Lismore at Castle Farm. Lismore had an indifferent season last year, finishing fourth from the bottom of Division One. Their visitors, on the other hand, finished an unprecedented 3rd in that league and will be hopeful they can carry that form into this season.
League favourites Co. Clare have to wait until May 8th to get their campaign underway when they take on Galway in Lydican. Co. Clare ran away with last year’s Division Two, finishing with 166 points and will no doubt be going all out to retain their title.
May 2nd sees the beginning of Munster Division Three. The first tie is a local derby between at the Farm between UCC and Cork County 3. Waterford District will take their Munster Cricket League bow on the opening day when they take on Kerry 2 at O’Dowd Park. This will be a very welcome sight as Waterford, once a cricket stronghold, has been without a non-college cricket team for a number of years.
Cork Harlequins 3 are in action the next day when they welcome a Limerick side who find themselves in the unfamiliar surroundings of Division Three. The 2005 Division One champions decided to drop down to the lower leagues in order to go through a rebuilding process after an unsuccessful period. On the same day, Cork County 4 travel to Castle Park to take on Lismore 2. Midleton 2 welcome Cork County 4 on May 8th.
To celebrate Ireland’s first game in the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Cork County Cricket Club will be hosting a Caribbean style cocktail party this Friday the 30th April at the newly renovated Mardyke bar.
