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Division 2: Terenure v Malahide

The wife dropped me down to Terenure, where the Malahide and Terenure teams were going through their warm-up routines.  There were no obvious absentees, and I discovered that Michael Launders was only playing for the home team because he was on a break from his job in Poland.

I set up cameras behind the back of the pub, discovered that Malahide had won the toss and would bat, and settled down for the afternoon.  Andre Botha came up the hill to left-hander Johnny Pryor, and second ball found the outside edge.  Colm Morgan stretched low to his left and held on to a very fine catch.

Paul Tweddle joined Jimmy Govan, and the pair made slow progress, reaching 14 in the eighth over.  It was still 14 two overs later when Tweddle edged Jason Kleyweg to Nathan Carroll behind the stumps.  Ken Brennan replaced Boatsy up the hill, and in his second over conceded consecutive boundaries to Govan.

The Govan'or was then dropped at slip by Botha.  Andre leapt high to his right, parried the ball over his head and then grassed the rebound.  It didn't cost – Govan was bowled by Michael Launders without adding to his dozen, and it was 28-3 in the 16th over.

Conor Geraghty had dug himself in, as is his wont, but occasionally pounced on a loose ball to play a fine cover drive or a neat clip through wide mid on.  Nick Turner lasted only five overs before edging Launders low to Botha at slip – no mistake this time.

Callum Riches and Geraghty continued in block or hit mode, and allowed John Hoey, up the hill, and Kiran Lingala, down the hill, to dominate.  On 77 Lingala bowled Riches, and next over had Geraghty well taken at deep mid wicket by Kenny McDonald, out for 33 of 79-6.  A dozen runs later Andrew Pyne was bowled by John Hoey.

Neither Pete Saville nor Glenn Kirwan is a mug with the bat, but I felt they were allowed to bat with too much freedom, as if Terenure thought the game already won.  I discovered after the match that Kleyweg has been suffering with a sore back, so perhaps that's why he wasn't brought back, but the pair played some good shots to add sixty for the eighth wicket.

Benn Hoey was tried for a couple of overs with his leg breaks, a move his grandfather disapproved of, but eventually Carroll brought back Brennan and Botha.  Boatsy had Saville caught behind for 28, then bowled both Peter Chase and Stevie Smith for ducks, leaving Kirwan 24* out of 151 all out in 48 overs.

Botha finished with figures of 9-4-11-4, Launders 2/21 and Lingala 2/25.  John Hoey would never forgive me if I didn't mention his return of 9-1-23-1.  Surely all Terenure had to do was bat the overs to reach 152.  After a flurry of wides from Peter Chase, Kenny McDonald edged Saville to Tweddle behind the wicket.

Colm Morgan kept starboard lookout while Botha went full steam ahead, cutting and driving his way to 41 out of 70.  He reprimanded himself for having an ill-disciplined swish in Saville's seventh over, and played carefully at the first three balls of the next over up the hill, the bowling power play now finished, bowled by Jimmy Govan.

The fourth delivery was short and Boatsy pulled it . . . straight up in the air to cover, where Geraghty took the catch.  Nathan Carroll biffed a brace of fours then edged Kirwan to Pyne's left at slip, where he took an excellent catch.  Two runs later the scoreboard showed 87, the Aussie “devil's number” (13 short of a ton).

On cue Morgan, 21, nicked Govan to Tweddle, but surely there was no problem, because 28 overs and six wickets remained to score another 65 runs.  Drinks came and went, and after 28 overs there were 98 on the board.  After 32 overs there were still 98 on the board as Kleyweg and John Hoey patted back Govan and Kirwan.

A few more runs were ground out when the Govan'or and Glenda finished their spells before Hoey pere slogged Saville to Kirwan for 18 off 57 balls out of 123 in the 41st over.  One run later Hoey fils edged Smith to Tweddle and there followed two maidens.  Terenure now needed 28 off 7 overs and showed no sign of being able to do it.

Tom Lynch had a swing and was well caught by Saville off Chase, bringing in the refugee from Poland, the Tallaght Tornado, Michael Launders.  TT immediately started taking singles, as did Kleyweg, over 70 balls for just 13, and the total was run down until four were needed off the 50th over, bowled by Smith.

Two singles and a wide brought the scores level, then a pitching wedge over mid off gave Kleyweg his 32nd run and a three wicket victory.  Launders was unbeaten on 6.  Govan's figures were 10-7-6-2 (three scoring shots!), Kirwan's 10-2-23-1 and Saville's 10-2-22-2.  It was a terrific fight by the Village People, but they got what their dreadful batting deserved.  So, almost, did Terenure!