Jordan Neill is finally on his way back from his latest injury and his return could not have come at a better time for himself and his club, Civil Service North.

It promises to be a huge end of the season for the Stormont side who start the weekend just one win off the lead in the Premier League, are in the final of the Challenge Cup, at their home venue, on August 7 and on Sunday face Leinster in the semi-final of the Irish Cup.

Neill, now a contracted player with Cricket Ireland, is still on Return to Play protocols so will miss the league game against Waringstown on Saturday but will be in the side for the trip to Rathmines as CSN try to make the final step for the first time in the competition since 1991 as North of Ireland, the inaugural winners back in 1982.

“I haven’t actually played Leinster Cricket Club yet but we have a training session on Friday night and will draw up plans. An Irish Cup semi is obviously a big thing so it would be great to go all the way,” said Neill who, despite being in his third season with CSN has played only three Irish Cup ties.

He made an instant impression back in 2024 when he scored 73 in the first round victory against Newbuildings but they were beaten in the next round by Instonians.

Hopes of being involved last year were dashed, first by his maiden international call-up for the series against West Indies and then by the injury he suffered just 20 overs into his debut at Clontarf.

This year, he had to face only three balls in the first round game against Strabane, a match dominated by the record partnership of 391 between Marc Ellison and Ashwin Hebbar and injury has ruled him out of the subsequent victories against Rush and Muckamore.

While his team-mates have been performing on the pitch, Neill has been forced to watch in between rigorous recovery sessions.

“I had a hairline facture at the top of my foot, a stress fracture of my ankle and a tear in my shoulder muscle, so not ideal,” Neill says with more than a hint of understatement. So, until this week I hadn’t played a game since May.

It helps that his club captain, Stuart Thompson, also happens to be one of Ireland’s strength and conditioning coaches.

“I have been working really hard in the gym. I feel I am still new to seam bowling, even though I have been doing it for two years. You need to get your body to a stage where you can handle it. But I always say everything happens for a reason and while you never want to get injured, I have been getting stronger in the gym, working with Thommo who has been been brilliant. Now it’s just a case of keeping going in the right direction.”

Not only has he missed almost two months of club cricket but he has also been unavailable for the Test match against New Zealand and the memorable T20Is against India, all three games at Stormont.

“My goal is to be involved in the ODI series against Afghanistan (starting on August 5). I haven’t had an opportunity to play ODI cricket since my first game, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster with injuries but all I can do is put myself in the right position to get picked and if I do, I do, and if I don’t, I don’t,” says a philosophical Neill.

His comeback may have started with last weekend’s Challenge Cup semi-final win over Waringstown but it was two days later that he stormed back into the big picture with a career best 193 playing for the Emerging Knights against Emerging Warriors at Carrickfergus.

Neill faced just 105 balls and hit 16 fours and 16 sixes, while just 52 runs came at the other end as the Knights moved from 161 for four to 414 for eight declared in the space  of 32 overs. And this was the first innings of a two-day game!

“Any opportunity to play red ball cricket is great as it is key for development. I have been loading on the side (he has an unpublicised timeline for returning to bowl) so I bowled four overs in the warm-up but have been playing only as a batter, so pleased to get batting time,” he added, while confirming the innings beat his previous best score of 178 in an U25 game back in South Africa.

Neill was just one of a remarkable six CSN players in the Emerging Warriors side all of whom will be back in action alongside the experienced Thompson, Ellison, Hebbar and Andrew Cowden, and it is the captain who has been the inspiration for the team’s success this season, according to the Ireland international.

“We all have the same goal, the younger boys trying to a make a name for themselves and it is all run by Thommo, who is excellent as captain. He understands all of us and our aspirations. The Challenge Cup semi-final win was huge and well deserved because all the guys have worked really hard. This year there has been a sense of togetherness, we are all on the same page and where we want to go.

“I would love to have been involved a bit more and now want to help them win cups and leagues.”

The Irish Cup semi-final against Leinster is a repeat of the 2023 first round game – seven of the CSN side will be lining out again looking for revenge for their exciting six runs defeat, after a last wicket stand of 46 between James West, batting at nine, and Matthew Foster. West, now at the ripe old age of 18, will likely be opener on Sunday.

Leinster have reached this stage by beating Laurelvale, Clontarf and Woodvale, the latter by four wickets with just three balls to spare but they, along with Pembroke, have been the cup specialists in Leinster this season.

Indeed, if Leinster win and Pembroke beat Malahide in the other semi-final at Sydney Parade, the pair will meet in a cup final for the third time this season, with Pembroke drawing first blood in the T20 final last weekend and the Senior Cup final is next up on August 1.

Pembroke, who have negotiated the toughest of routes to the last four with victories over the NCU’s top three, Waringstown, Instonians and Lisburn, have still lost only once this season – to Malahide! Although that was on the same day that Pembroke’s Ireland internationals were playing against India at Stormont so they will be favourites to reach only their second Irish Cup final; they won their first in 2019.