RSA Division 13
2013 Champion - Dublin University 3
Predicted 2013 Champion - Railway Union 6 (finished 2nd)
2011-13 Top run scorer: Navid Muhammad (Railway Union) 744 runs at 35.43
2011-13 Top wicket takers: Adam Ellison (Rush) 43 wkts at 20.93
Let us start this preview with a little bit of honesty. Division 13 looks like being a complete lottery in 2014. A case can be made for all nine teams to finish in the top three. But where is the fun in that? So once again, without wishing to offend anyone, and in the search for a small bit of entertainment, here is the 2014 preview of Division 13.
Two teams have come down from higher divisions. Laois CC have decided to enter one less team this year, and as a result their third team has dropped from Division 10 (where they finished 4th in 2013) to Division 13. Weighing up the chances of such teams is always difficult, with opinion drawn between the "there is no way they are that weak, and will murder all opposition" and the "wow, they must be struggling" approaches. We think it is unlikely that Laois 3 still struggle too much, maybe even getting a top three finish.
The other club coming down from above is Dundalk 2, who after two tough seasons in Division 12 have dropped down a division. This doesn't look like a team in freefall though, and with lots of good things happening in Dundalk, they should be good enouigh for mid table.
Adamstown 4 are a new team in the leagues this season, but it could be a tough start. Their 3rds finished 2nd in Division 14 last year, and it will surely be too big a step for their 4ths this year.
Castleknock 3 were promoted as Division 14 champions, and will be a force again this year. A successive promotion may be too much, but expect a top half finish.
That leaves the five teams who were in Division 13 in 2013 and will be there again this season. DUndrum 3 were the highest finshers of those, and after finishing top of Division 14 in 2012, they look as if they are capable of even better things again this year. We think they could be champions.
North Kildare 3 finished 4th last year, and as they were playing in Division 11 a couple of years ago, it would seem foolish to predict anything but a solid season this year.
Knockharley are another club who seem to be going in the right direction at the moment, and although they finished 7th last year, a slight improvement would seeem possible.
That just leaves Sandyford 3 and Rush 4 - two stalwarts of Division 13. In Adam Ellison, Rush have the star player of the league. Not onlyis he the top wicket taker over the last three seasons, he is also second on the run scoring chart. That just leaves Sandyford 3, who have been solidly mid-table for the last couple of years, but who are going to have to fight hard to stop themselves being overtaken by others.
The first match is on April 20th, when Dundrum welcome Knockharley to Wesley College