Today’s Magic Number is 18.
What does 18 mean to you?
a) The Dublin Bus running from Palmerstown to Sandymount Green?
b) The only number (apart from 0) that equals twice the sum of its decimal digits?
c) The atomic number of argon?
d) The age of majority?
e) The number of runs scored by James Cresswell this season?
f) The number of players on a team, on the field, of an Aussie Rules game?
To Paul Reynolds it is the number of non-submitted or incompletely submitted result cards for games of cricket played in the LCU leagues. Each to their own, I suppose.
With such a large number of runs, wickets and catches missing it is impossible to verify any of the Fantasy League figures. Games from Divisions 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 are in this group and the longest outstanding now is from 13 April.
If you have played for any of these teams, you will be missing valuable points, even if you only fielded at long leg both ends and did not wield a bat or bowl a ball. You may wish to mention it to your captain this weekend.
The home teams and therefore the ones responsible for submitting a result card are:
Bagnelstown 2,
Balbriggan 2,
Castleknock 3 (x2).
Civil Service 3,
Dublin University 2,
Dundrum 1,
Greystones 2 and 3 (x2),
North Kildare 1 & 2,
Pembroke 6,
Phoenix 5 & 6,
Railway Union 5 (x2) and,
Terenure 3,
However, rather than giving out to or berating the captains, consider why they have not yet submitted your figures. Perhaps they have not as yet managed to figure out how scorecards are to be submitted, or don’t have the LCU database or maybe they don’t have access to a computer. Try and find out what the problem is and try to help them solve it. I know Paul Reynolds sits in a darkened room with only a PC and a smart-phone willing to assist all-comers, but his telepathy is in disrepair and you need to contact him.
This week’s table contains 1,084 players which is a massive increase over last week’s 229. It seems the season is well and truly underway now. One player has already managed to establish a lead of 96 points which alone would put him in 239th place. Last week’s overall points leader J. George (Cabinteely) in now down in 27th place. Things do move quickly in Fantasyland.
Even at this early stage of the season, over 22,500 runs have been scored and over 1,000 wickets taken. 91 half centuries and 14 full centuries have been recorded and 21 five wicket hauls submitted. Over 500 catches have been held and 18 stumpings given.
The top fantasy points scorer is J. Murphy (Rush) who has very rapidly made his mark with bat and ball. In four matches to date, he has scored 189 runs at an average of 63.00, he has taken 10 wickets at an average of 8.50 (including a 6-18) and taken two catches. His total of 479 certainly has him on track to pass 1,000 points before the end of May.
In second place with 383 points in 6 games is P. Rodgers (Leinster). Mr. Rodgers has gained most of his points from taking wickets. 15 in fact which also makes him the leading wicket taker to date. The other Mr. Rodgers is likely to finish his league second to Manchester City, will our Mr. Rodgers also be doomed to remain second best?
Third place, the last podium place, goes to P. Peethembaran (Sandyford). 371 points over 3 games.
The full top 15 players and their points are likely to come to the attention of the OCC in this the last weekend before the new starring lists are submitted and scrutinised:
If these, or any other players, would like to know their figures to date they may ask at craig@cricket.ie. However only figures received can be given and no-one should bother trying to improve their ranking or score by telling me of the wondrous century or five wicket haul. If it ain’t submitted, then it ain’t going in here! I have heard of some players and even some parents (well actually one, and you know who you are) who are starting to keep their own stats or their offspring’s progress. I suspect graphs (Manhattan and worms), pie charts and possibly even Venn diagrams will be published and analysed during the season together with useful pep-talks as such, “well the last time you played in Sydney Parade on a Sunday with the temperature below 17 degrees you scored 53 and took 4 wickets”. Heaven forbid it all translates into PowerPoint Presentations at dinner.
32 players have managed to register more than 100 runs with the bat, but only 6 have reached 150 runs. Our overall leader, J. Murphy (Rush) also leads this category with his aforementioned 189 runs at 63.00. B. Smyth (North County) has in two innings both scored 172 runs and an average of 172.00 to be second leading run scorer. The others to pass 150 are: Ross MacMahon (Leinster) [168 runs]; I. Mohammed (R&SPU) [160 runs]; P. Peethambaran (Sandyford) [151]; D. Delany (Clontarf) [150]. 867 players have now troubled the scorer by registering their first and for some, only run.
The leading wicket takers are lead by P. Rodgers (Leinster) who has taken 15 in 6 games. In second place is S. Mathews (Cabinteely) with 12 and J. Murphy (Rush) is the only other bowler with 10 or more. 482 players have now taken a wicket.
The catches category does tend to be dominated by the players with the gloves and it seems to be starting now. Sean Rooney (North County) has 7 catches in 5 games as well as a stumping. Robert Forrest (Clontarf) and C. Diviney (R&SPU) both have 6 catches in just two games, whilst Robbie Garth and T. Bruton (Knockharley) complete the list of players with 5 catches or more.
14 players have a stumping, but only two have more than one. S. Sarfraz (Longford) and R. Padmanaban (Sandyford) have both snared 3 stumpings.
In terms of matches played, P. Rodgers leads with 6, whilst a further 7 players have played 5 games and it is still very early May. They must be hardy players, the players with the most jumpers or for the “more experienced” players the ones with the best medicines.
14 players have scored centuries even at this early stage, although I. Mohammed (R&SPU) with 160 has the highest score by 29 runs.
7 players have managed more than one fifty, although none have more than two. Ross MacMahon (Leinster), J. Murphy (Rush), P. Peethambaran (Sandyford), Jobinse Joseph (Dundrum), J. Ahmad (Slieve Bloom), S. Ritchie (Clontarf) and A. Hashmi (Lucan) are the players other teams will be celebrating their dismissals with gusto.
Highest average with the bat belongs to B. Smyth (North County) who has a fifty and a hundred to bring his average to 172.00. I. Mohammed (R&SPU) has an average of 160 from his one innings to be second whilst Ross MacMahon (Leinster) 151.00 and J. Murphy (Rush) 150.00 are not far behind. A further 8 players have averages in excess of 100.
Best bowling analysis of 7/11 belongs to C. Siddell (Malahide) just ahead of the 7/47 of David Poff (Pembroke). Four players have a six wicket haul and a further 14 have taken five wickets in an innings.
L. Sithelo (Castleknock) has the best bowling average having taken a wicket with his only delivery. That will be hard to better if he doesn’t bowl again. He also has the best name for a Harry Potter or even Shakespearean character. For players who have bowled more than one ball, D. O’Halloran (Malahide) has 3 wickets for 1 run, F. Khan (Dundalk) 4 wickets for 2 runs, A. Bampfield (Phoenix) and M. Jacob (Swords) both have 2 wickets one run, and A. Seth (Merrion) has 3 wickets for two runs.
So that’s the round up for another week. Feel free to comment below. Any feedback is most welcome. Any one want to nominate someone for a weekly spotlight? An in-depth look at a game or perhaps an individual's performances for your Club or even an opponent?