Division 3 - 2011 Season Review

Somewhat infamously, Division 3 offered it's own version of a promotion race. With Dublin University finishing their seventh fixture on May 8th (and winning five of those matches in the process), it was left to the other teams in the division to try and catch them to get promoted to Division 2.

Leinster 2 were the dominant side in the division, and after winning their first seven league games, only needed to win three of the last six matches to win Division 3 for the second successive year. They wrapped the league up in the first week of September, to become the third 2nd XI to play in Division 2, after The Hills 2 and North County 2.

But it was the race for the second promotion spot that saw any excitement in Division 2. Effectively, any side wishing to overtake Trinity could only afford to lose three matches - a fourth loss would leave them no chance (or at least a chance so slim as to be only a dream).

Malahide were the first to drop out, losing their first four matches by 15th May ,to be quickly followed by Clontarf who also lost their first four matches by May 22nd. Oakhill also lost their first four matches although they were more leisurely in doing so, nit playing the fourth game until June 19th.

So it was a four way battle between Civil Service, Pembroke, and Balbriggan  (along with Trinity). Before July was out though, Civil Service and Pembroke both lost their fourth matches, meaning that it was just down to Balbriggan. Although they also lost their fourth match on August, bonus points gave them a glimmer of a chance. 115 points were needed from Balbriggan's last five matches - all five had to be wins, with 15 further bonus points needed.

Although they started with a good win in Pembroke (with Albert Harper starring with 59 and 3-21), the 13 run margin of victory meant five bonus points were dropped. So 95 needed from the last four matches. Civil Service were then blown away, dismissed for 59 as Dwayne Harper and Sarfraz Anwar took five wickets each. Seventy needed from three matches.

Bottom of the table Oakhill were next, and an eight wicket victory followed, with Barry Archer to the fore with 84*. 46 points now needed from two matches. Champions Leinster were the next visitors to Balbriggan, and with so much on the line a great match ensued. Chasing 180, Balbriggan were 106-0 (Anwar and Archer to the fore), before an attack of nerves saw them collapse to 169-8, before Mehdi and Martin saw them home for a crucial 21 point victory. That meant that only the maximum 25 points would be enough for Balbriggan in their last match against Civil Service.

Service were dismissed for 89, but Balbriggan could only afford to lose one wicket in chasing. Barry Archer fell with the score on 18, and as the score crept up, Balbriggan began to dream that they may have acheived the impossible. Heart-breakingly thouigh, Sarfraz Anwar was dismissed with the score on 65, and despite losing no more wickets, Balbriggan had missed out on promotion by one point

Barry Archer led the run aggregate chart by some way, scoring 614 runs at 51.17. Joe Byrne of Leinster was the only other player to pass 400 runs, with 483 at 53.67.  Mohammed Safeen was in third spot with 356 runs at 29.67. Four other players scored 100 runs at an average of over 50. Danny Barclay (Pembroke) and David Lucas (Leinster) both scored 311 runs at 51.83, Hugh McDonnell of Leinster scored 203 at 67.67 and Tom Bouch of Trinity scored 160 runs at 53.33

There were ten centuries, spread amongst eight centurions. Joe Byrne (top score in the division with 141*) scored two, as did Barry Archer. The others were Mohammed Safeen, Eoghan Delany (Trinity), Vijay Gopal (Clontarf), Eoghan Conway (Trinity), Rohit Bahl (Pembroke) and Damien Ryan (Malahide)

Balbriggan players did the double as well, with Dwayne Harper topping the bolwing list with 28 runs at 12.86 - a great performance, and well clear of Owen Butler of Civil Service in second place. The third spot in a very distiguished top three was Richard Hasite of Oakhill, with 22 wickets at 12.36.

It wasn't a division where bowlers went through the opposition with great regularity, but OFX Butler of Ireland and Civil Service proved that class is permanent with the top two performances - 6-34 against Clontarf and 5-17 against Oakhill