Clontarf CC first won the Leinster Senior Cup in 1943. The game was against Pembroke (as it was in 2012) and took 3 days to finish due to rain (rather than this year’s 2 days) and was in the balance right to the final night. It was as the newspaper reports indicate something of a surprise that Clontarf were victorious in this game
Friday 2 July 1942 – The Irish Times
Well matches Teams in the cricket Cup Final.
The final of the Leinster Senior Cup will take place tomorrow at the Leinster ground, Rathmines, and following last year’s precedent, the start will be at 11.30. It is an excellent plan to give a whole day to this important fixture, for it does lessen considerably the chance of an extra evening’s play being required, a factor which generally reacts against the side batting second. Last season indeed, the whole of Saturday was insufficient to complete the Trinity-Phoenix final, and the game had to be continued on the Monday evening, but tomorrow’s game is hardly likely to produce such heavy scoring.
When the Cup competition was inaugurated in 1935 Pembroke were the first team to win it but they have not been successful since. From then until the present season Phoenix have won it three times, Leinster twice and Merrion and Trinity once each. Clontarf have never been prominent in cup-ties, and their only League success was as far back as 1926. The draw for this season’s knock-out competition was rather one sided, for Clontarf’s opponents on the way to this final were Civil Service and Merrion, both weak sides on this season’s form. Phoenix and Leinster were drawn together in the first round on the other side and after Pembroke had beaten Trinity in their opening game, they disposed of the favourites, Phoenix, by beating them by a convincing margin in the semi-final.
As Pembroke are second in the League, eleven points in from of Clontarf, and came through the harder side of the draw, they were installed as favourites after the semi-finals, but the League played last Saturday must have caused a number of people to reverse their opinions. On a good, fast wicket in the Park on Saturday, Pembroke could total only 99 against Phoenix and while the latter were getting the runs for the loss of three wickets, G. Quinn made the bowling look moderate. On the other hand, Clontarf, at home, tumbled out Leinster with surprising ease and beat them by six wickets – a good performance even though the Leinster batsmen are right out of form this season.
Monday 5th July 1943 – The Irish Times
M.B. Williams gets seven Clontarf Wickets
Unless rain interferes with the wicket at Rathmines, it looks as if Pembroke will beat Clontarf in the Leinster Senior Cup final. They require only 138 runs for victory and have eight wickets to fall. Play will be resumed this evening at 6 o’clock.
On a very easy wicket on Saturday the majority of the Clontarf batsmen treated the bowling with undue respect, and had they gone for the bowling in the same manner as did Caprani, Bourke and McMahon, the 300 mark might have been passed.
Caprani, who scored 51 was particularly aggressive, his innings including 10 fours. McMahon, who went in ninth wicket down, brought the spectators to their feet hitting Murray for three fours from the first three balls he received. He was 21 when Keegan was run out.
The Clontarf innings lasted approximately 4 ¼ hours and during that time the Williams brothers bowled 68 overs, “M.B.” bowled 39 and his analysis of 7 wickets for 68 probably ranked as the best performance of the day.
In an hour and 15 minutes Pembroke scored 82 runs. Murray showed enterprise in his innings of 38 which ended when Mahony held a hard drive at mid-off. Dempsey who is 25 not out, showed restraint and averaged only a run approximately every 4 ½ minutes.
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| The great Joe Caprani (right) enjoys the 2008 Cup Final with John Behan |
Tuesday 6th July – The Irish Times
Steady scoring in the Cricket Final
Resuming at 82 for 2, Pembroke brought their score to 152 for the loss of two further wickets in the final of the cup at Rathmines, before rain stopped play. After 27 had been added to the overnight total, Dempsey was clean bowled by Fitzgerald having scored a valuable 36. M.B. Williams next in survived confident appeal for l.b.w. when only 12, only to have his wicket broken by McMahon when he had scored one run more. B.Bergin, playing very steadily had scored 43 not out at the close of play.
Play will be resumed at 6 o’clock this evening.
Wednesday 7th July 1943- The Irish Times
Clontarf's First Cricket Cup
Clontarf won the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time when they beat Pembroke in the final at Rathmines last evening by 25 runs. When play resumed Pembroke, 152 for 4, required only 68 runs to win, but when T.C. Williams was quickly out to a bad stroke, Pembroke’s hopes faded.. B.F. Bergin was the remaining pillar and he added only 12 to his overnight 43. L.B. McMahon played a captain’s part in the victory, for he took four of the last six wickets.
Scores:
Clontarf 219 – Caprani 51, R. Ruddock 33, P.J. Bourke 25, L.B. McMahon 21 not out. M.B. Williams 7 for 68
Pembroke 194 – B.F. Bergin 55. L.B. McMahon 6 for 70.
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