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Divisions 3 & 4: Review of the weekend 28th-29th May

The old Senior 2 Cup is now sponsored by Storm Cricket, and is renamed the Storm Cricket Trophy.  I congratulate Storm Cricket for this involvement with Junior cricket, and I hope they receive positive feedback which will encourage them to continue their involvement.  First round matches were played on Sunday.

There was one all Division 3 tie, at Sydney Parade, where Malahide 2 were the visitors.  While the firsts have been doing well, the lower Malahide sides are struggling, and can do without opposition first team players being dropped below the line and making a nuisance of themselves.  Leg spinner Andy Leonard was left out of the Pembroke Senior Cup team to make way for Andy Balbirnie, and was too good for Malahide 2.  He took 5/38 while off spinner Danny Barclay claimed 4/34 as the Village were bowled out for 116.  The only ray of Malahide sunshine was 38* from Brian Gilmore, but Gillie has been a class act for a long time.  Robin Russell (53*) and Jack Balbirnie (50*) needed less than 20 overs to knock off the runs for a ten wicket victory.

There were two all Division 4 ties.  Mullingar got to 69-1 at home to YMCA 2 (Condell 37, Ali Haider 28) but the last eight wickets could add only 56.  The last four wickets added only eight as Neil Bhandari took 4/0 in 13 deliveries.  Simon Wilson-Moore scored 39 and Jonny Harte 30* as YMCA lost four wickets getting home.  For Mullingar, Mokka took 3/34.

The other Division 4 clash was a much closer affair.  Railway Union 2 decided to bat first against Merrion 2 at Anglesea Road, and with 31 from Gareth Carroll, 30 from Ul Haq, 42 from Ger O'Brien and 30 from Aslam, reached 213/9 off their 50 overs.  Sum Wijesundera took 3/24, Ensor 2/33 and Jim Walsh 2/39.  A 97 run second wicket partnership between Alan Parkinson (44) and Neil Brown (59) got Merrion half way there, but the other half was a struggle, Cillian O'Donoghue's 29 helping them home by two wickets.  Aslam took 3/49 and Nick Jagoe 3/36.

The remaining four ties, between Division 3 and Division 4 sides, all went the way of Division 3.  Balbriggan had to work hard to overcome visitors North Kildare.  With 49 from Ian Walshe, 38 from skipper Satchwell and 43 from G Singh, the men from Kilcock posted 215-9.  The evergreen Albert Harper took 4/58 whill nephew Dwayne took 3/28.  At one stage Balbriggan were cruising at 179-2, but Satchwell took three quick wickets and Pyne two before the home team won by three wickets.  For Balbriggan, Anwar scored 39, Morgan 59 and Kear 45.

In the Village, Malahide 3 reached 212-8, Richard Reed scoring 31, Hamish Manks 44 and Kevin McPhilemey 25.  For Oakhill, the Wizard, Richard Hastie, bowled his ten overs for 2/29.  Damian Joyce scored 32, “Ronnie” Barker 63 and Jim Fitzgerald 73* as Oakhill romped home for the loss of four wickets.

Bragging rights in the Park went comprehensively to Civil Service with a big win over Phoenix 2.  But it didn't start out that way.  At home and choosing to bat first, Service were 51-5.  Then Joshia (63) and Fayyaz Sayyam (99) compiled a century stand, and some late hitting took them to 269-9.  For Phoenix the early damage was done by Masud Ahmed (3/26) and Shiekh (2/40).  P Unregistered claimed three late wickets – I must find out from Gerry Byrne the identities of the several P Unregistereds!  When Phoenix batted only Savage (37) made progress as the score slid to 81-7.  That man P Unregistered then scored 24 with his skipper Chris Cavanagh (33*), and the innings closed on 145 in 35.4 overs.

A different P Unregistered had an away day in Portlaoise Rugby Club, playing for Leinster 2 against Laois.  But he didn't bat or bowl, just take a couple of catches.  Laois lost their openers early on, and slumped to 88-6.  Then Blackley (57) and Wilkie (85) lifted the total to a very respectable 273-9.  Leinster openers Joe Byrne (60) and N McDonnell (33) put on 113, and then Sunny Faizan (88*) and Gavin Gilmore (60) took them to the brink of victory, the winning runs coming off the last ball of the 47th over.

I was trying to work out why there were only seven ties for sixteen teams, and then it struck me.  Dublin University are one of the sixteen, and don't play in the cup.  So not only do they make a dog's breakfast of the league, but they make a pig's trotter of the cup.  I promised to return to the subject, and I will, I hope, next week.