Divisions 1 & 2: Review of weekend 7th-8th May; preview of weekend 14th-15th May
There was a full set of fixtures in both top divisions last weekend, but the Division 2 match in the Mardyke was called off on Friday because of an unplayable outfield. If the Cork County trip to Terenure scheduled for 20th August produces a result, the match will not be refixed. Otherwise Terenure will have to go down the M7 in late August or early September.
I was at Castle Avenue on Saturday to see two unbeaten sides go head to head. Railway put Clontarf in, and must have been worried when 'Tarf were 98-0 in the 14th over, Alex Cusack on 60. Then Cusie and Bill Coghlan made a mess of a third run, and the Ireland player was run out. Still it looked good for Clontarf when there was a rain break at 146-2 after 24 overs. When play resumed 25 minutes late, the wheels fell of.
Coghlan holed out for 55, Andrew Poynter completed a fine 50 and was bowled, and the total reached only 244 off 49.5 overs. Patrick Collins took 4/40 with his (mainly) off breaks, and Trent Johnston bowled really well for his 2/33. Kenny Carroll and Tom Fisher were nowhere near as quick-scoring as the Clontarf openers, but once Kenny and Conor Mullen had departed, Kevin O'Brien blasted 60 in 11 overs, the Fish grew more fluent, and Collins was quickly into his stride. The skipper should have got his ton, but a combination of wides, pies and overthrows left him on 94* and Collins on 32* as Railway got home in the 38th over.
Two sides without a victory met at Anglesea Road, where Phoenix were the visitors. Merrion batted first, reaching 207-9 with Dom Joyce scoring 35, John Anderson 79 and Rory Allwright 23. A useful second spell brought David Langford Smith's figures to 5/35. Matt Petrie whipped out the Phoenix top three early on, and once Jeremy Bray was caught behind to make it 56-4, only Conor Kelly (31) and Lanky (25) got past twenty as Phoenix were all out for 150 in the 36th over.
Two more teams without a league win met at Claremont Road. YMCA got to 198 all out in the last over having been 73-1. Carl Hosford scored 41, Albert van der Merwe 31, Alan Lewis and Etesham Ahmed 24 apiece, while Bill Whaley (3/23) and Andy Leonard (3/26) recorded the best bowling figures. Shammy and Rainy took out Pembroke's top three, Brian O'Rourke was run out, and very soon it was 59-7. Allan Eastwood's 36 saw the 'Broke to 130 all out in 40 overs, the wickets being shared around.
Up at Inch, Fingal bragging rights were up for grabs when The Hills were the visitors. Another Ireland player on fire is John Mooney, and he and former international Conor Armstrong put on 201 for the third wicket. Then John Boy departed for 120 and The Doctor for 79, leaving Josh Reeves (56* off 28 balls) and Mini Garry (28) to get North County to 334-5. Mark Dwyer (33) led the reply, with Naseer contributing 37 and Max Sorensen 46, but of the other batsmen only Patrick Byrne (31) and Manu Kumar (21) passed twenty. The Wilberries were all out for 217 in the 44th over.
Talking of Man U, the only information I have about Sunday's Division 2 match between The Hills 2 and Malahide comes from a well-known follower of the Red Scum (as we Gooners call them). The Hills 2 made 171, and Malahide were 110-7 when my contact hit the TV. Several days later I discovered that Malahide had got home by the narrowest of margins thanks to a last wicket partnership between Glenn Kirwan (no mug with the bat) and Steven Smith (no mug with the ball). I should have been at the game, and I'm very sorry I wasn't.
Also in Fingal, North County 2 travelled the few miles east to Rush. Adam Coughlan made 60 and Shane Plant 69 as County reached 165-2. Monty Singh (42) and David Casey (31) took it on to 249-4, but Tipu Gull docked the tail to finish with 4/29, the 50 over total on 265-9. William Andrews and Singh had Rush at 28-3, but that was the end of the good news for the Balrothery men. Those Russian imports, Gull (90*) and Shahid (115*), added an unbeaten 241 to finish the match in the 39th over.
There were a few Irish-born on parade in Rathmines on Saturday, when Old Belvedere were Leinster's visitors, but all 22 are very happy to live in Dublin and play their cricket there. And why not? They could be stuck in some forsaken backwoods village in Co. Down, where even some of the locals don't want to live! Belvo won the toss, had a hit and missed out, slumping to 24-4. There was a recovery to 107-5, when the patient Irfan Khurshid was out for 22. A hard-hitting 38 from debutant Fullah Yousafzai took Old Belvedere to 139 all out in the 37th over, Peter Byrne taking 3/26.
That was never going to be enough, even though Mark Jones did his Irish voter impression – he's out early and often. Skipper Craig Mallon scored 29, David Lucas 24, Anton Scholtz 26* and JP O'Dwyer 42* (off 33 balls) as the 'Mines men breezed home in 26.3 overs.
This coming Saturday sees the first round proper of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup. How will the southern sides fare against the worldbeaters of Northern Ireland? I shall be in Claremont Road, where a powerful Waringstown side should be far too good for YMCA. But many other UK sides have as much chance as the does the UK in the Eurovision Song contest.
I see away wins for Cork County at Eglinton, last year's runners-up Railway Union at Strabane, last year's winners Merrion at Carrickfergus, and even Pembroke at Lisburn. I don't see The Hills winning at Limavady. There should be home wins for North County over Ballymena, Leinster over Muckamore, Clontarf over Coleraine (although I know what happened last year) and even Rush over Donemana (I know, I know, never bet against a team from the Holm).
That just leaves Phoenix, who should beat Limerick Raiders in Cork Harlequins. The main thing that will ruin these (over-) confident predictions is the weather. The forecast is lousy for Saturday – heavy showers, which could turn a match or ruin a match. The forecast is much better for Sunday, when I shall be at Magheramason to watch the Northern Worldbeaters lose to the Southern All-Stars.