Division 13 stats
Leading all time run scorer (2011-2016) - Adam Ellison (Rush) - 827 runs @ 25.06
Most runs in a Division 13 season - Muhammad Navid (Merrion) - 588 runs (2013)
Highest score - Anto Coates - 203 - Ringcommons 1 vs Rush 4 - Kenure - 8 Sept 2012
Leading all time wicket taker (2011-2016) - Rob Gorvin (Dublin Univ) - 55 wkts @ 13.55
Most wickets in a Division 13 season - Stuart Gallagher (Halverstown) - 36 wkts (2012)
Best bowling - Robin Chalissery - 7-6 - Ringcommons 1 vs Sandyford 3 - Marlay Park - 13 May 2012
Most matches - Adam Ellison (Rush) - 48 - (2011-2014)
Highest team score - 380-6 - Ringcommons 1 vs Rush 4 - Kenure - 8 Sept 2012
Lowest team score - 14 all out - Sandyford 3 vs Ringcommons 1 - Marlay Park - 13 May 2012
Division 13 will throw up an intriguing possibility for at least three of the seven teams competing this season. All seven have had tough times over the last few seasons. Some are on the way back up, some are still on the way down. But most are capable of pulling off a few surprise victories, and for the three teams that fill the medal positions, they will at least know that the rot of recent years has been reversed.
Wicklow County 2 find themselves in a slightly different position to the other six. Since the club reorganised post 2012, the seconds have improved their league position every single year. One would have thought that that would mean they would be one of the tips for the title. But whilst those improvements have seen their league position go from 116th to 107th, they would need to improve by at least six places on last year's 107th, just to avoid relegation. That looks unlikely - they have losing records against Greystones, Bagenalstown and Dublin University, and haven't played some of the stronger teams. So a double edged sword - their highest league placing in the last five seasons, but not enough to escape the drop.
Greystones 3 have been consistent for their first three years in existence. No league titles but a steady life, coming between 113 and 118 in each of the seasons. They've beaten Wicklow County in three of their five matches, and shared two matches against Dublin University. But as with Wicklow County, their recent best may not be good enough, and they will need a massive improvement on last year to stay up. The Wicklow derbies should be well fought affairs, but performances in those will not be enough to charge up the table. We're predicting sixth.
The theme of Division 13 should be apparent by now - "Teams who need to improve and adapt quickly in order to succeed". Dublin University 3 are another one. They have finished between 101 and 104 every year since 2011, and that would suggest a bottom three finish. The one factor in their favour is that they Dublin University CC have asked the OCC that they play only six matches in the season, as with their 1st and 2nd team. It is a hell of a lot easier to get a team out for only six matches than for twelve, and their should be a slight improvement because of it. So we will predict that they will match their best finish in the last six seasons - 101st which is 5th.
Malahide 5 have fallen by twenty places in the league in the 2012-2016 period. This isn't a pattern specific to Malahide (see Pembroke below), but it's something the club would love to reverse. Even coming top of Division 13 would be their lowest finish in the past six years, so we know this will be a new trough. Malahide were the third strongest fifth team back in 2012, but have slowly slipped to being eighth best. They will be back up the ladder this year, as North County and YMCA have decided to concentrate on the Development League instead, and the tussle that Malahide have with Pembroke will decide the 5th and 6th best fifth teams. The two teams they have played before - Pembroke and Halverstown have both beaten Malahide ore than they have lost, and they are looking like mid table material. Our prediction is 4th.
After being ranked 95/96th for three years, Halverstown 1 fell last year to 100th, and are only one place above where Halverstown 2 were back in 2012. But they look like a decent team, have winning records against four of the five teams they have played against before (with the exception being Wicklow County 2 who they would hope to beat). Fourth place would match last season, so we'll say they'll slightly improve and will pick up the bronze medal.
That leaves the top two. Bagenalstown 2 have been 103rd in two of the last three years, but last year saw a bit improvement from the low of 2015. They have a similar record to several of the other teams, but someone in this league has to come second, and it may as well be Bagenalstown! The club have been working hard to attract new members, and in a league in which margins are likely to be small, they may just have the edge. A slightly controversial choice, but we're tipping Bagenalstown 2 for runners-up spot.
And that just leaves are prediction for Division 13 champions for 2017. Again, this is a prediction that comes with feint praise. We predicted Pembroke's lowest team to win a title in 2016 - and they withdrew from the league! Like Malahide, Pembroke 5 have dropped many places (fourteen) between 2011 and 2016. On top of that they are playing an extra division lower when compared to 2016. But they must surely have found a level now, and should find Division 13 too easy. It is 20 years since Pembroke 5 last won a league crown, and so there is no better time to get another one.
The first match in on Saturday 29 April as Wicklow County 2 entertain Malahide 5.