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Leinster v Malahide: Division 2 match played in Rathmines on Saturday 27th August

I hadn't the least intention of going to Rathmines on Saturday, having pencilled in the match at Milverton between the outsiders for the league title, The Hills, and warm favourites for relegation, YMCA.  But I got a call enquiring about the early umpiring career of the late Gerry Lyons.  I gave the information I had, and asked why it was needed.

The reply was that a plaque was to be unveiled in his memory during the tea interval on Saturday.  Gerry and I had been very good friends from the seventies, when I played (for Civil Service) against him, through the eighties, when I played in Leinster with him, the nineties, when he followed me into umpiring (while still playing, then acting as manager of Leinster firsts), and the noughties, when we frequently umpired together, and were the awkward squad of the LCUSA committee.

I couldn't miss the opportunity to honour Gerry's memory, so the car's autopilot took me off the Rathmines Road up Observatory Lane and into the LCC grounds.  I had set up the cameras and was waiting for Malahide to bat after winning the toss, when I received a call telling me there would be no game in Milverton: the square had not been covered, and was completely unplayable.

A shower delayed the start in Rathmines, but there was no loss of overs when regular opener Nick Turner walked out with Jimmy Govan, the wee Scot moving up the order to fill in for the absent John Pryor.   Corey Edwards and Will Lennon were not really troubling the batsmen, and Turner was on to the back foot to pull two fours in Edwards's third over, one just behind square and one well in front of square.

Govan pottered on in his own quiet way, and survived a big lbw shout in Edwards's fourth over.  The following over saw Turner bowled by Lennon for 23 out of 35.  Paul Tweddle came in at three, played one  nice shot for four, then was dropped by Asif Husain, scored another nice four, then, miracle to behold, was caught by Husain off Edwards, switched to the Rathmines Road end, for 15 out of 63 in the sixteenth over.

Kiran came in at four, and swished busily while the Govan'or serenely carried on, putting away the odd bad ball and working his singles.  The score had reached 93-2 in the 22nd over, and Leinster were looking as if they might have to chase something well over 200.  Then Hugh McDonnell bowled Kiran for 9, and off the last ball of the over had Andy Pyne neatly taken by Zac Curtis standing up to the stumps.

In the 25th over Callum Riches was bowled by Zeeshan for 3, and Alan Reynolds was quite happy to take strike before the drinks tray was bought down the stairs, clipping a four so drinks were taken at 103-5.  Reynolds likes to play his shots, but made a mess of an attempted boundary off Zeeshan, holing out to JP O'Dwyer for 8 out of 114.

All Govan wanted was somebody to stay with him, and no better man than Peter Saville to do that.  Things started to go Malahide's way, with several pieces of poor fielding by Leinster contributing.  Zeeshan showed very nimble footwork to get out of the way of a Saville cut then, when Govan, 48, made a mess of a lofted drive, Husain not only dropped the catch but allowed the batsman two for his fifty.

Govan then rubbed salt into the wound by getting the lofted drive right to move to 54.  Anton Scholtz decided it was time for his little rollers and darts, and immediately took a return catch to dismiss Saville for 20 out of 145 in the 33rd over.  There was now a third rain break, which this time did cost overs, four per side.  Neil Boyne quckly departed, bowled by Scholtz for 3, to be replaced by Glenn Kirwan.

Leinster were happy to give Govan a single and bowl at Kirwan.  Peter Byrne, switched to the Rathmines end when Scholtzy decided he needed to bowl from the Mount Pleasant Avenue end, tossed one up to the Govan'or, which was driven, went accidentally-on-purpose through Will Lennon to Jonesey sweeping on the boundary.  Incy then slipped the quicker one through Glenda's defence.

There was a noise, Curtis and Byrne claimed the catch, umpire Bala Kailash didn't move, Kirwan didn't move, and Byrne and Curtis engaged in a re-enactment to jog Bala's memory that looked uncannily like the mimed tennis scene at the end of Blow-up, the David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave movie that perplexed me for years until I saw the uncut version.

Scholtz then bowled Govan for 63, Kirwan was caught-and-bowled by Byrne, and Malahide were all out for 171 in 42.1 overs.  The Village People were 50 short of a decent total, Leinster could have had Malahide out for 140, so neither team was happy..  Scholtz took 3/11, Zeeshan 2/42 off his ten, and McDonnell 2/28.

Tea, excellent, was taken and a shower prevented the ceremony to unveil Gerry's plaque.  Umpires Kailash and JJ Labuschagne were creative in their time accounting, and the available overs reduced from 46 to 41.  Gerry's memory was honoured, Mark Jones and Zac Curtis went out to bat, and they cautiously got to 19-0 when another shower drove them off.

The target was now reduced to 150 off 37 overs, and Jones and Curtis didn't play with their normal freedom as they reached 44 in the 11th over.  Jonesey then nicked off for 17, and was replaced by a similarly restrained Scholtz.  But Leinster only needed four an over, and made sure they were always at that rate.

Jimmy Govan came on with his off breaks, and was treated with the utmost respect, conceding only nine runs off his first six overs.  Then Scholtzy decided he had to go, and the next two overs went for 21 runs.  Govan out of the way, there was no bowler to trouble them, and the shots came out of both batsmens' lockers.

Scholtz reached his fifty in the 25th over, Curtis in the 29th, one over before the target was achieved.  Curtis finished on 55*, Scholtz on 62*, and Leinster won so easily that their supporters might anticipate a good year back in Division 1.  No way, Jose.  Curtis won't be back, so a keeper is needed.  Sonny Faizan has loads of ability, but has to come off more frequently than he does.  Old Belvedere's Simmi Singh might help, but other clubs will also covet Singh.

They're nice problems to have, unlike Malahide's.  They made a brave decision to go for a coach, Paul Tweddle, rather than a hired gun.  Paul has contributed well on the field this season, but his impact down the line may take years to come through.  It will be interesting to see where Leinster and Malahide are in three years' time.