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Review of Divisions 3 & 4, weekend 2nd - 3rd July

Last Sunday were held the semi finals of the Storm Cricket Trophy, one an all Division 4 affair, the other between two Division 3 sides.  The lower division contest was at Claremont Road, where YMCA 2 asked Merrion 2 to bat first, and a very good decision it looked by David Streek when, after 39 from Alan Parkinson and 41 from Simon Morrissey, Jonny Harte removed the Merrion lower middle order.  But a ninth wicket partnership between R Watkins (52) and M O'Driscoll (38*) lifted them to 228-9, Harte finishing with 3/42 and Jehangir 3/32.  The YM batsmen never got going, and but for 20 from Harte and 33 from S Ali would have lost by a distance.  As it was they were all out for 145.

In Balbriggan, Clontarf 2 decided to set a score, and Richard Forrest can't have been too pleased with his decision when he was third out for 31 out of 56.  He was replaced by Vijay Gopal, who proceeded to compile 165* (25x4, 5x6), putting on 92 for the seventh wicket with Andy Cullen (27) and taking 'Tarf to 283-9.  Old soldier Albert Harper returned 2/39 off his ten overs.  Barry Archer (78) and S Anwar (64) put on 158 for the first wicket before both were bowled by Paul Ryan.  Balbriggan kept losing wickets, but Malone (21), Clifford Costello (20) and Dwayne Harper (16*) kept them in touch.  When the overs ran out they were four runs short, a terrific effort.  Ryan took 3/37.

That concluded a highly successful weekend for Clontarf 2, because on Saturday they had beaten Pembroke 2, comfortably in the end, in a Division 3 match.  It was again the Clontarf number five, this time MA Anwar, who made the difference.  Following 35 from Richard Forrest and 31 from Niall Delany, Anwar hit 84* out of 259-8 with support from Collier (23).  Andy Leonard took 3/49.  The 'Broke made a great start, Jack Balbirnie making 36 out of an opening partnership of 89 before being run out.  When fellow opener Stuart McDonnell was fifth out for 73 out of 164, the tail could add only another 18, leaving Pembroke 77 runs short.  Anwar took 3/26 and Andy Cullen 3/46: Ronnie Runouts also had a Colombia Three-for.

That was Clontarf's first win in Division 3, and on Sunday fellow strugglers Malahide 2 (one win) and Oakhill (no win) met in the Village.  Malahide batted first and golden oldies Brian Gilmore (60), Rob Weir (24) and Damian Ryan (101), together with 30 from Killian Byrne, set the stage for young Turk Sirash Kiran to score 59 and take the home team to 335-8.  Another old soldier, the Wizard Richard Hastie, took 5/49.  Damien Joyce scored 87 out of the reply of 181 all out in 34.1 overs, Ronan McGeehan taking 4/53 and Kiran capping a good day at the office with 4/39.  At the top, Leinster 2 lead the way from Pembroke 2.

On Saturday, YMCA 2 had been in action at The Maws, where North Kildare got to 81-1 with 39 from Singh and 59 from Ian Walshe.  Thereafter the biggest partnership was 29 for the last wicket as the home team finished on 174-9, Jonny Harte taking 3/15.  Lee Cole was out early doors, but David Streek (39) and Travis Partridge (110) put on 125 together to set up a seven wicket win in 26 overs.  That win takes YMCA 2 into second place in Division 4 behind Railway Union 2 and ahead of Phoenix 2 despite Phoenix's win in Mullingar on Sunday.

In St Finian's College, Phoenix batted first and scored 260 all out in 49.2 overs, with 36 from Masud Ahmed, 20 from David Ford, 23 from Nazir, 56 from Vaidayanathan and 55 from Battan.  For Mullingar, O'Neill took 4/37.  In reply, Mullingar were well in it at 122-1 (Condell 28, Ryan 74) and 216-5 (Ali Haider 22, O'Neill 58), but thereafter only Lindsay passed 20 as Mulingar were all out for 234 in 47.3 overs.  Masud Ahmed took 3/41, Vaidayanathan 3/38 and Steven Neill 3/44.