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Division 1: Railway Union v North County

June bank holiday Monday morning was really quite pleasant, but I donned track suit bottoms and long-sleeved shirt before making my way up Cold Blow Lane off Park Avenue to the home of Railway Union.  I got out of the car, unloaded the cameras, and enjoyed a gentle zephyr and a bit of sunshine.  That was at twenty past twelve.

By a quarter to one the sun had disappeared behind stratocumulus clouds rattling over from the west while the estro gentile had become a fierce easterly breeze.  I loaded the cameras back into the car, turned the Tino around and watched the match from the driver's seat.  Scorers Angela and Tanya sat on the other side of the field, under the scoreboad and out of the wind.

Dara Armstrong won the toss and decided to bat.  In the third over Tomas Shiel was bowled by Saad Ullah for 5, in the eighth Conor Armstrong was lbw to Greg Lambert for 4, and in the tenth Greg Hay, having cut one through gully's hands for four, was stumped by Ingram off Lambert for 6.

The mandatory power play finished on 22-3, which became 40-4 after the immediately taken bowling power play, John Mooney having slapped Mo Tariq into Saad's hands.  Richie Lawrence and Adam Coughlan knuckled down to rectify the situation, but while Coughlan was very careful, Lawrence never lost an opportunity to hit a boundary.

After drinks at 79-4, Coughlan started to play his shots – he likes a cover drive – and eighty runs were added in the next 15 overs.  At the beginning of the fortieth over, Coughlan, on 40, called for someone to take his sweater off.  Such a move is usually the kiss of death, but not this time for Coughlan.

Next over, Richie Lawrence was caught by Tom Fisher at long off from Paddy Conliffe's bowling for a very well-made 71.  Coughlan raced through the forties with a couple of boundaries, and was out for 57 in the 44th over, caught by Tariq off Lambert.  Josh Reeves came and went, and Terry Richardson joined Ciaran Garry.

Garry, happy to play second fiddle to Coughlan, now hit successive boundaries to announce his presence, and while Terry cheerfully whacked an unbeaten 17, Mini raced to 39* with several high class shots as the innings closed on 226-7.  For Railway, Saad (2/41) and Lambert (3/36) were good value, but the rest of the bowling lacked any threat.

John Mooney, always a threat, opened the bowling for County, but while Kenny Carroll and Tom Fisher were prepared to play John Boy on his merits, they went after Terry Richardson, Carroll hitting him for three successive boundaries, and Terry was banished to the outfield with figures of 2-0-27-0, replaced from the St. John's end by Adam Coughlan.

The score had reached 46 in the 10th over when Carroll, on 28, played forward to Coughlan, the ball bounced up off the pad, and Dara Armstrong was out from behind the stumps to claim the catch.  Conor Mullen was a bit scratchy at first, but settled down, and he and Fisher continued to accumulate at four an over until drinks were taken at 109-1.

In the third over after drinks Fisher played too soon at Conor Shiel's medium pace and was caught by Greg Hay for 43 out of 119.  Next over Mullen was lbw to Lawrence for 30, and two overs later Hay snatched a good catch at short mid on off Lawrence to dismiss Collins for nought.

County thought they had the prized wicket of Trent Johnston shortly afterwards when the stumps were hit directly as the big fella stole a single.  He didn't look out to me: more importantly, he didn't look out to the striker's end umpire.  With Mo Tariq he added 73 in 14 overs through a mixture of booming boundaries and lots of well-taken singles.

John Mooney brought himself back and tried to bounce out Tariq.  The response was an uppercut 6 and 4, followed by a single.  Johnston must have known a short one was coming his way, but all he could do was to glove it to Dara Armstrong, out for 33.  Mo blazed his way past fifty before being bowled for 60 swishing at Mooney three runs short of victory.

Saad hit the winning boundary in the 49th over.  Tariq is a very competent bat, and can be very combative, as shown by today's knock including 5 fours and 3 sixes, but far too often he just sits on the splice and pokes around.  Were he and Saad to score the runs they could down the order, Railway would be a much more dangerous side than they already are.

For County it was (yet another) off-day.  Coughlan's knock plus his spell of 1/30 off ten was his first real contribution since moving from Malahide.  Lawrence, with 71 and 2/39, is an invaluable cricketer.  County really should be a lot harder to beat.

It was good to thaw out in the bar afterwards in the company of Ger Siggins and Barry Chambers.  Not only did Barry take the pictures for the day (www.cricketeurope4.net/CEIRELAND), he also gave me directions to the Bonds Glen ground to pass on to Leinster for their trip there next Saturday.  Now, was it first right after Ardmore . . . ?