Huge weekend for Instonians as they target final spots in Challenge Cup and Irish Senior Cup
This weekend is a momentous one for Instonians with today’s Gallagher Challenge Cup semi-final showdown with Lisburn followed by another last-four clash in the Irish Senior Cup tomorrow.
Nikolai Smith’s side, who won the Premier League last season, have been mightily impressive in cup competitions throughout the 2024 campaign so far and have put themselves in contention for silverware glory on multiple fronts.
The Shaw’s Bridge outfit have reached four Challenge Cup finals since last lifting the famous trophy back in 2012 while they’re also chasing a historic Irish Senior Cup triumph – they’ve previously only progressed to one final (2011) since the all-Ireland competition was introduced in 1982.
They’ll travel to Wallace Park this afternoon to face an in-form Lisburn, who have already qualified for next Sunday’s Lagan Valley Steels Twenty20 Cup final against Waringstown and will be looking to reach a first Challenge Cup final since 1996, before hosting Merrion.
It’s the second attempt for the two semi-finals to be completed after last weekend’s inclement weather and Neil Whitworth admits reaching the showpiece decider once again would be a significant moment for Lisburn.
"It'll be a tough test at home to Instonians,” he told NCU Live. “We're very confident at home and we're in good form at the minute, so we're looking forward to it.
"To get to a Twenty20 final is amazing - it's probably been the area we've lacked in the past few seasons...our T20 cricket hasn't been as strong as we would have liked, so getting to the final is great.
"In terms of the Challenge Cup, it's huge. We haven't won it in quite a long time. Getting to the final would be huge for the club. We're going in the right direction as a club and team, so it's all coming together nicely."
In the other semi-final encounter, current Premier League leaders Woodvale make the trip to Muckamore, who are looking to celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary by progressing to a first Challenge Cup final since 1972.
Neil Gill’s men were only promoted back to the top-flight ahead of the current campaign after progressing through Section One unbeaten last term and have enjoyed a solid return, winning four of seven league matches, and defeated both CIYMS and CSNI on route to this stage of the competition.
They’ll somehow have to find a way of stopping Woodvale talisman Ruhan Pretorius, who tops the run charts in two of the NCU’s three competitions and has struck 891 runs – the Challenge Cup remains the sole tournament he hasn’t struck a century in so far.
The Ballygomartin Road outfit will take confidence from eliminating defending champions Waringstown in the quarter-finals and Pretorius admits they’re looking to continue a fine season.
"It's the first time in many years we've reached this stage of the competition and we're sitting on top of the Premier League, where we've played some good cricket and helped us get to where we are at the moment,” he said. "Beating Waringstown at home...it was a tight game.
"They've always been competing in the Challenge Cup, Irish Cup, Premier League, so for us to get ourselves into a semi-final by beating them was a massive moment for us."
CIYMS, who won the Irish Senior Cup in 2022, are also back in the semi-finals and will travel to Phoenix tomorrow.