The headline match in Division 1 last weekend was the local derby between The Hills and North County. Even in these cosmopolitan times, five of The Hills team and nine of the County side were Fingal born, and if Nazeer and van der Merwe had an Irish place of birth to go with their Irish passports, it would surely be in north County Dublin.
Excellent bowling from John Mooney (3/16) and Jimmy Boyland accounted for four early wickets, and when Mark Dwyer surrendered his to a Richardson long-hop, it was 27-5. Nazeer (34) began a fightback, helped by Malcolm Byrne (26), but 110 off 44 overs was as far as The Hills could get. Amazingly, particularly on a very good track, this proved enough.
A superb opening spell from Nazeer accounted for the County openers, and then Albert van der Merwe (4/28) and Jeremy Bray (2/23) ran through the middle order. Ciaran Garry and Dara Armstrong looked to have saved the day when they got their side within fifteen runs of winning, but Dara ran himself out, Nazeer (3/7) returned to dismiss the last man, Garry was left on 24*, and The Hills had won a famous victory.
There were two other matches in Division, one in doubt until the 600th delivery and the other very one-sided. At Anglesea Road both Merrion and Clontarf really needed a victory, the home team because they were without one in the league and the away team because they'd already lost four out of six.
Merrion elected to bat, and at 18-2 that didn't look too promising. Dom Joyce and Greg Clarence added sixty before Joyce was run out for 29, and then a century partnership between Clarence (115) and skipper John Anderson (52) turned the match in Merrion's favour. Both were out late on as the total reached 251-5. Joe Morrissey (3/40) led his depleted attack well against his former club.
A fifty opening stand between Richard Forrest (32) and Bill Coghlan (30) was built on by 52 from Rod Hokin and 32 from Eoghan Delany. Andrew Poynter and Adrian D'Arcy missed out, leaving 'Tarf on 166-5 and the asking rate climbing well over a run a ball. Joe Morrissey (29) and Richie Reid (29*) kept them in with a shout.
Off the last three overs they needed 32 for a win. Killian Lynskey came in to face the last ball needing four to win, managed only two, and Merrion had triumphed by one run, making up for their one run defeat by Leinster a couple of weeks ago.
The early season promise shown by Leinster seems to have deserted them. They lost the toss and saw Reinhardt Strydom (77) and Alan Lewis (36) put on a century opening partnership. They fought back well, keeping YMCA to 213-8 off 50 overs. Gus Dunlop made 26 in his first match of the season, and Etesham Ahmed 20*, while slow left-armers George Dockrell (2/28) and Peter Byrne (0/36) put the brakes on.
Leinster would have to bat very badly not to chase that score, and that's exactly what they did. While Carlos Brathwaite smoked 43, they haemorrhaged wickets at the other end to reach 92-9 (James Parkinson 3/18, Paul Beacroft 3/32, Robert Garth 3/33). Then came the futile gesture: keeper Paul Reynolds, a specialist no. 10, and Robbie Kenealy, a confirmed no. 11, added 42 before Robbie was lbw for 28.
There were plenty of runs in Division 2 for four of the six teams involved, with four batsmen scoring a century. There were two centuries and over 700 runs in the Phoenix Park on Saturday, started off by an opening stand of 295 between Ben Larkin (153) and Rory Flanagan (106). When the oppo are 300-1, the last person you want to see coming to the wicket is David Langford-Smith, and he duly blazed 47* off 16 balls to take Phoenix to 375-3.
It was just as well he did. Michael Donnelly and Eoghan Conway whacked Rush to 63-1 off 10 overs, then Dan van Zyl (91) and Tipu Gull (71) kept them interested. Lionel Jansen and Patrick Sheridan were scoring quickly until Lanky intervened again, this time with the ball: his hat-trick stopped the Russians in their tracks, and they finished 41 runs short on 334-6.
Also on Saturday, Terenure continued their renaissance. They bowled Old Belvedere out for 158 within 39 overs, only Simmi Singh (30) and Sameer Dutt (26) making much of a contribution with the bat, while Shane Mott (4/53) and Nathan Carroll (2/35) did most of the damage with the ball. Belvo got some assistance early doors with a run out, but that only made Kenny McDonald (106*) and Donal Vaughan (39*) keep their minds on the job, and they took their time to reach 161-1 in the 41st over.
On Sunday, Joseph Clinton put Pembroke in to bat, a strange decision on a typical Sydney Parade pitch that always did a bit but died a lingering death as the overs ticked by. Theo Lawson and Danny Barclay (23) put on 89 for the first wicket, then Lawson and Steven Moreton batted very skilfully to put on 104 for the third wicket after Hopkins had gone for a duck.
Moreton made 42, Lawson 102, and then it was Clinton's turn to show his skill as he got among the 'Broke's lower order to take 4/39. His second spell, along with an earlier 2/26 from Nadim Akhtar and a later 2/45 from Manu Kumar restricted Pembroke to 253-9, still a formidable enough score.
The Hills 2 started poorly, losing openers Mark Dwyer and Ajaz Farooqi to Pembroke's opening bowlers Allan Eastwood and Barry McCarthy. When first change Bill Whaley removed first wicket down Rob Byrne it was going to be not so much an uphill battle but a rock climb for the Wilberries.
After some vertical progress from Clinton (24) and Kumar (19), Andy Leonard's leggies ensured the remaining batsmen fell off the cliff. He took 5/18 and fellow leg break bowler Moreton 2/3 as The Hills 2 lost their last five wickets for ten runs to be all out for 121 in the 34th over.
This was Lennie's first Senior Michelle, but is Division 2 really Senior, and are The Hills 2 really Senior? What's the appropriate term for a second grade Michelle Pfeiffer? My best offer is a Sandra Bullock: you wouldn't kick her out, but she ain't got what Michelle had. Any contributions from Cover Point readers?
This weekend sees three of the four quarter finals of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup. There is the all NWCA clash between Glendermott and Fox Lodge. Both have very good pros and a couple of more than useful local performers, but I can't see either team winning a semi final.
The other match in the northwest is at Coleraine, where Railway Union are the visitors. Railway should be much too strong for the Bann-siders, but Coleraine have already made use of home advantage to overcome Clontarf and Instonians, each on paper far stronger sides. I know cricket isn't played on paper, but Railway will still win.
The all-LCU clash is at Inch, where North County will expect to beat Merrion. Again, on paper, they should; however on paper Merrion shouldn't have won away to Strabane or at home to CIYMS, but they did. I'll be at Inch to watch Merrion for the first time this season and to see County win on grass.
The fourth tie, between The Hills and Waringstown, has been postponed until Friday 23rd July, with a reserve date of Sunday 1st August, because Milverton is required for the Skerries 500 races. Even if it wasn't, you wouldn't get anywhere near the ground while the races were on.
Back in the leagues, the Division 1 relegation stakes, at the moment a five-horse race for two slots, is not going to be resolved this weekend, but three of the participants could do themselves a favour or, more likely, get even deeper in the mire.
On Saturday, Malahide entertain YMCA in a refix. The result that would confuse things most is a home win, leaving four of the five clubs on two wins: that's the one I'm going for. On Sunday Clontarf travel to Inch: I anticipate a home double for North County.
In Division 2 on Saturday, Rush travel to the other side of the park wall, to Cabra, where they should be too strong for Old Belvedere. Terenure will find Pembroke a far tougher proposition this Saturday in Chlee Shtadium than Belvo were last week. But I think their mat-savviness will enable them to lower the 'Broke's colours for the first time in the league this season: this is an excellent test to see how good Pembroke really are.
On Sunday I shall be in the park to watch Phoenix trying to exact revenge for their only league defeat so far this season, the one at Milverton where the Wilberries' 9, 10, J scored 100+ to scrape home by one wicket. If l'equipage qui rit plays, which he didn't last week, The Hills 2 have a chance of winning. Home win.
Cheers,
Stu.
