Early start awaits Muckamore as they look to maintain unbeaten run with National Cup trek to Wexford

​Neil Gill’s men are currently setting the pace in Robinson Services Section One after winning all four matches to date, secured victory over Laurelvale to set up a Gallagher Challenge Cup second round clash against Cregagh and are now looking to take their first step towards Irish National Cup glory when they travel to Wexford Wanderers.

They haven’t quite drawn the shortest straw – that’s Cliftonville Academy with the Castle Grounds outfit setting out on a roughly nine hour round-trip to University College Cork.

Muckamore are no strangers to a National Cup trek having drawn Kerry Cricket Club in the first round last season – a whopping 11-hour round trip from their Antrim base – and when they won the inaugural competition back in 2012, they started with a measly five-hour round journey to Mullingar.

They beat Balbriggan in the decider 11 years ago and Gill has his targets set on more silverware this year.

"Everyone is looking forward to it,” he said. “We're all going down on the bus and staying overnight.

"It's going to be good and I like trips like this because it's good for a bit of team-building and camaraderie. It's important so we do love entering this competition but I do hope if we get through on Saturday that we can get a home draw!

"I don't mind a trip to the North West or something but if we have to end up travelling to Cork in the next round I might be saying different!

"I said to the guys that our targets this year are league, T20 Trophy, a long run in the Challenge Cup and to win the National Cup.

"I remember when we did win it the first year it was held our first game was a trip to Mullingar and we played at a place called St Finians School.

"It would have been a bowl out only thankfully the two captains agreed to play. There was a massive puddle at gully just at the 30-yard circle so we brought the rope in, went around it and back out again.

"Basically gully was fielding on the boundary but we got the game played!”

Wexford play in Cricket Leinster’s Division Four, starting their season by losing just one of three league matches but taking on Muckamore will likely be a significant step up in competition with Wanderers mainly coming up against second and third teams.

Gill’s side are hot favourites to progress and he wants to keep the momentum that a winning start to the campaign has created.

"Winning is a habit and we've got on that roll now,” he added. “Once you maybe lose one or two then it can have an effect on you.

"A good few years ago when we won the Irish National Cup and Ulster Shield it just got to a stage where we were turning up and not even playing our best but just having a knack of winning and finding a way.

"It's so important and I think we have a bit of that about us now. We're six out of six in all competitions.

"Sathish (Suresh) has been a great signing for us - he is a proper cricketer all-round.

"He hasn't clicked with the bat yet but he knows the mistakes he has made and with the ball he is great to have.

"With the bowling and batting we have depth. With regards to bowling our fourth bowler was Pavan Karthik who is arguably our best bowler and fifth was Ted Britton who speaks for himself.

"We're lucky that in this league a lot of teams have three or four bowlers who can do damage and then there's a couple you can target, but with ours there's very little loose deliveries when we're on it.

"The last couple of games we've been on it. I'm coming in at six in the batting order and it's working well.

"I want to be sitting watching our top order score a lot of runs. Ben Calitz has looked good in a few of the T20 games, looks good in the nets but hasn't got going in the league yet and I know it's only a matter of time before he starts clicking.

"We're still relying on Kyllin (Vardhan) there who is superb as always. Luke Allen got 70 in the first game and hasn't scored since but he's going to come good again soon.

"Ewan (Wilson) is looking good for 10 or 20 and then throwing his wicket away so it's just about him realising that 50 overs is a hell of a long time and to stay at the crease because he will naturally score runs. Overall I'm delighted with how we have started."

Gill feels there is still more in the tank, especially on the batting front, but has been impressed with the mentality of his side after a disappointing 2022 campaign.

"The Armagh game was our first real test and the boys bowled brilliantly,” he said. “The batting still hasn't fired and we're probably about 50% of what our potential could be.

"It's good to win games when you're not fully at it.

"All round we have a good squad and the boys have a great attitude. I think last year we were a bit complacent, probably a bit arrogant maybe.

"We know there are no easy games in this league - you have to turn up and perform on the day. It's a tough, tough league.

“It's that old cliché of 'one game at a time' but it's so true and that's what we are doing really."