CORK HARLEQUINS CHASE HISTORY AND FIRST ALL-IRELAND

Last year they were the first Munster side to reach the All-Ireland T20 cricket final. A year later, are they ready to go one step further against CIYMS?

This all seems somehow familiar. Cork Harlequins beat a much more fancied side by four wickets in a dramatic chase. Last year the key moment was Senan Jones hitting the last ball for six, a single hit that put to bed the assumption that Merrion CC would make the final.

Merrion had three former Irish internationals. They played in a much higher division. A Munster side had never reached the final. This wasn’t meant to happen. Quins coach Ted Williamson was quoted immediately after saying: “some people say it’s a major shock, I’d say it’s a little bit of a shock”.

Fast forward to last Sunday when Shivam Kislay hit consecutive boundaries in the last over to get the Cork side to their second final in two years. (The contribution of Senan Jones would again prove vital, hitting 23 off 14). They took down an imposing total of 175 set by the Hills, a side that sits second in the Premier League in Leinster. No mean feat.

Context is everything. Quins have had a difficult season in the Championship just below the Premier League losing ten out of ten at what must be a challenging step up after it was decided to bring them up from Division Four in Leinster.

All of this rich narrative around a young squad moving through the Leinster divisions, a Munster side qualifying for the All-Ireland for the first time, then qualifying for a second time and hoping to make history means one thing: all eyes are on them which their opponents in the final, CIYMS, will certainly enjoy.

The Belfast club currently sits third in the Premier League in Northern Cricket Union, and also await a date in the Irish Senior Cup final against Lisburn. They have two attempts to secure national titles that they have never won before.

Williamson has called this Sunday’s task a “David and Goliath job” but one wonders if this is merely to grip tighter onto his side’s underdog status so as to divert attention to CIYMS. Being underdogs against Merrion and the Hills worked a charm and nearly worked in last year’s final which they lost by just eight runs to Brigade.

It’s been an impressive season for Munster cricket with the Reds securing the Inter-Provincial 50-over Cup while the Munster Heat claimed the Inter-Provincial Future Series. As coach of the Reds and the Quinns, Williamson will hope to finish this season on a high for the province.

Cork Harlequins reaching last year’s final? Some will have called this miraculous. But with the Groundhog-sense of familiarity of the semi final, when does the miraculous become expected.

Now Ted Williamson and his young captain Matt Brewster will hope they can go one step further. CIYMS can’t allow that. We have quite a game on our hands at the Mardyke.