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Divisions 3 & 4: Review of matches played from 17th - 25th April

Now that all scorecards are being published on the CricketLeinster website, together with match summaries, it's straightforward to produce weekly reviews of the happenings in each division, and I intend to do this throughout the season for Divisions 3 and 4 in addition to my regular reviews and previews of cricket in Divisions 1 and 2.

There have been four matches in Division 3 already, three featuring Dublin University, and two involving Malahide 2.  The one match so far played in Division 4 featured Malahide 3.  Malahide  Firsts also played in Division 2, so I presume the Village People want to get as many games as possible played by early August so they can then devote their attention to converting their lovely club ground into an equally lovely international ground.

The first game of the Division 3 campaign was at College Park on the 17th April, where Dublin University hosted Malahide 2.  The students (well, most of them are) won the toss and asked Malahide to set a target.  The Villagers made steady progress thanks to a brisk 38 from opener/captain/keeper/headcookandbottlewasher Andy Pyne, but after Rob Weir was fifth out with the score on 105, only Zak Kelly's 39 got Malahide to 165 all out in 45 overs.

Rave from the grave Conor Hoey returned 10-3-19-2, including a wicket with his first ball.  Amir Anwar took 3/32, Eoghan Delany 2/33, and F(resh?) Mann 2/48.  The varsity men were home and hosed after a first wicket stand of 88 between debutants Hugh Pike (25) and Eoghan Conway.  There was a wobble before Richard Forrest saw Conway to his ton, but he and the Rush man were out prior to victory by 4 wickets in the 38th over.

On Easter Saturday, Leinster took the 15 bus from Rathmines to Nassau Street and gave Dublin University a much tougher game.  The students won the toss and batted, falling away, after Pike (39) and Conway had given them a sound start, to be 105-6 when Niall Delany was out.  Then Tom Bouch made a career-best 63 with plenty of help from the lower orders to get his team to 50 over total of 236-9.

The Leinster bowling owed plenty to Mehta (3/52) and Hussein (2/26), and Mark Jones chipped in with 2/37.  Jonesey blazed away for 36 out of 59, whereupon Dave Lucas and Gavin Gilmore (31) continued the good work.  Then Niks Nagar (29) kept up the momentum, and Lucas (83*) saw Leinster home with a ball and three wickets to spare.  Amir Anwar (2/24 off 9) had the best figures of the bowlers.

The following day, Clontarf 2 were the visitors to College Park, and obviously were more interested in seeing Arsenal self-destruct at the Reebok than in playing cricket.  Willie Wides was comfortably top scorer (17) as Eoghan Conway (4/20), Niall Delany (2/7) and older brother Eoghan (4/14) filled their boots and the bull's meadow men were all out for 65 in 38.2 overs.  Conway and Pike failed, but Pursehouse (26*) and Eoghan Delany (15*) got them into the Pav after 15.2 overs.

Also on Easter Sunday, Balbriggan drove down to the Village and were quickly in deep doo-dah, losing six wickets to Peter Chase and Sirash Kiran for diddly-squat.  Then Gavin Morgan (61) and Anwar (30) put bat to ball before Balbriggan were all out for 145 in 27 overs.  That was far too many for Malahide, as they were bundled out for 67 in 20.4 overs, Albert Harper taking 3/10, and Kear 3/7.  They would have been well-showered, well-fed and well-watered before watching the Wenger whinge!

On Easter Monday, Mullingar took a trip to the Village to play Malahide 3, who asked the men from Mount Murray (but I see they now play at St. Finian's College) to have a hit.  Openers Ejaz (75) and Condell (42) did precisely that.  Adeel  Haider (33), Tahir (22) and Ryan (24) pushed Mullingar to 263/7, with Manks (4/49) and Alan Quinn (3/52) sharing the wickets.  Only Brian Gilmore, with a  classy 51, and Sirash Kiran (32) showed much resistance as Malahide 3 were bowled out for 156 in 41 overs, Gregory (3/20), Tahir (2/31) and I Haider (2/43) taking the bowling honours.