July Update:

July was a busy month for all teams with Division 1 back in full swing, with the exception of the 50 over league which suffered due to required refixes and also rain meaning no fixtures were played this month. A normally dominant Merrion were left shocked at the start of the month with Pembroke 1s storming to a 9 wicket win, the first loss for the league toppers followed by Clontarf's 7 wicket win over Merrion later that month leaving a more open and exciting Division 1 league. Merrion were quick to re-establish dominance at the end of the month with a top table clash against Leinster, narrowly winning by 11 runs to maintain their top spot going into the latter end of the season. With a number of 50over and T20 fixtures still to be played, there is plenty of room for change as the season comes to a close. A highly competitive season which has many more games that are sure to be closely contested still to come.

In Division 2, a dominant Leinster 2s continued their run to the top, closely followed by Rush 1s who managed a convincing 8 wicket win over the league toppers in Mid-July. North Kildare 1s have had a busy month with 6 wins, including the two teams narrowly ahead of them in the table, Rush (won by 6 wickets) and Leinster (won by 6 wickets), catapulting themselves into the much deserved 3^rd place currently in the league. A highly completive end of season is on the cards here also, with the top table all showing their strength and depth each game.

Division 3 continues to provide similar excitement with league toppers Clontarf 2s continuing their undefeated streak followed closely by Leinster 3s and Rush 2s hoping to close the gap as the season comes to a close. YMCA's inaugural 2s team have continued to show their strength also this month with strong wins over Leinster 3s and North Kildare 2s

In a season predominantly blessed with sunshine and great cricketing weather, all three divisions are showing on a daily basis the ever raising standards of women's cricket in Ireland which we can see in the continuously rising run totals and close games that are happening throughout each division. As an up and coming women's club in Greystones, we spoke with Ann Newton who tried to give an insight into the trials and tribulations of creating a new women's side outside of the main hub of women's cricket in Dublin. Greystones held multiple blitz days against teams such as North Kildare throughout the season to increase their number of games and to attract as many new players as possible.

Greystones Women's Season Update

The 2018 season started with high hopes as (a) we appeared to have more players available and (b) more matches were arranged than in in 2017. Indeed, our first match in the iconic grounds at Trinity College boded well as we fielded 11 players – as it has transpired, that (a full team) is a good memory to hold on to. Trinity won the match, largely due to the sterling bowling and batting performance of one particularly strong player. Our player availability plummeted thereafter, with a full complement being achieved only once since, when we played a league followed by a friendly match at home. This day was coupled with a club family day – BBQ, bouncy castle for small children etc. We also enjoyed a super day at N Kildare when they hosted an excellently organized friendly blitz, huge congratulations for all their hard work. It was really beneficial for less experienced players as they could all bowl and bat. I definitely think friendlies should feature more strongly, time permitting, as, with no real pressure to win, it gives a chance for players down the batting and bowling order to get much needed experience and play time, which improves standards all round. For example, a few games could be organized where everyone bowls, say two overs, a bit like Taverners.

Back to league games. We struggled with numbers all through June and July, even having to postpone two matches, as players were away on holiday or had other commitments, while a few hoped-for new recruits fell by the wayside. Undaunted, eight of us set off cheerfully for Rush one Saturday in June. Their team of young players is a credit to their club and to the sport – not only did they willingly supply us with three fielders, but these fielders put their bodies on the line, stopping fours and fielding to the best of their ability. The level of player generosity was exceptional. Overall, ladies cricket is typified by friendliness and good sportsmanship, but the Rush girls really excelled in this quarter. They also played brilliantly and fully deserved to win. We had a very close game against Pembroke, with it all to play for in the last over, Greystones just being pipped at the post. Our most recent game against Leinster saw our highest scores, with Leinster scoring a hugely impressive 182. Although facing an uphill battle, Greystones went in to bat undeterred and scored 127 in reply, including our first 6 of the season. We have yet to win a league match, but we are all enjoying our matches nonetheless. Numbers are looking healthier for our August matches, so we can always hope for occasional glory.

One of the great things about cricket is that people of different ages can play. That said, as an older player myself, it is definitely easier to learn batting and bowling techniques when one is younger, so I would encourage any youngster looking to take up a new summer sport to try cricket. From a personal perspective, I had expected to be scoring rather than playing in all our matches this year – I feel it must be slightly disheartening for both our more experienced and the younger players to have to suffer the rather ineffectual bowling/batting attempts of a somewhat decrepit, grey-haired elder in their midst! The old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” springs to mind. We need to recruit more players. Undoubtedly, cricket can be a difficult sport for mothers of young children to play as evening matches cannot always be accommodated, from a child-minding point of view. This year we welcomed two new younger players (13-year old twins) onto the team, but we need more like them, so that the game can grow in Greystones. If we can attract more younger players, we will be in a position both to develop an evenly experienced team and also, hopefully, to field full teams, which transforms games immediately. Finally, we are fortunate this year having Jim Stewart coach us again and a huge vote of thanks to him for all his advice – and patience.

Below are the averages for Bowling / Batting for July 2018 and also the league tables, up to date as of the 8th August.